Greed results in end of relationships

Essay by kp12345High School, 10th grade October 2014

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Keyur Patel

ENG3U1-06

Mrs. Vila

3st October, 2014

Greed results in end of relationships

The short story "A Handful of Dates" by Tayeb Salih explores several significant themes. In the story, the grandfather always has greed towards Masood's land which eventually results in losing his grandson's trust. The grandfather seems to be a role model for the grandson but as the story progresses, his hate towards his grandfather increases as he starts realizing his grandfather's inner character. Throughout the story, greed can be seen within the grandfather's character and how it haunts towards the end of the story.

In the story, the grandfather achieves two thirds of Masood's land through dishonesty. It can be seen when grandfather says, "'Masood, my boy was a much married man. Each time he married, he sold me a feedan or two.' I made the quick calculation that Masood must have married some ninety women" (Salih 126).

This quote portrays that the grandfather received Masood's land everytime he married a women. Thus, due to this weakness of Masood, he ended up losing most of his land. Moreover, the grandfather's greed doesn't end though Masood is living a very poor life. It is portrayed in the quote "'You're still fifty pounds in debt to me' said my grandfather to Masood. 'We'll talk about it later" (Salih 128). Thus, the quote explains the grandfather's greed towards Masood's land even though he didn't legally own it in the first place.

In the beginning of the story, the grandson loves his grandfather intimately. But his feelings change throughout the course of the story. The grandson's love and affection towards his grandfather can be seen when he says, "I loved him and would imagine myself, when I grew to be a man,