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A character in The Sheltering Sky

Smaïl

The local guide who leads Port outside the city walls.

What they want

To profit from the solitary foreigner he approaches.

The book

Cover of The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
The Sheltering SkyPaul Bowles, 1949

A failing marriage travels deeper into North Africa and loses every familiar form of protection.

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At a glance

Role
Port's guide in the opening movement
Pressure
The local guide who leads Port outside the city walls.
Goal
To profit from the solitary foreigner he approaches.
Story turn
He leads Port to Mahrnia and participates in the attempt on Port's wallet.

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Smaïl is port's guide in the opening movement. The local guide who leads Port outside the city walls.

The character wants to profit from the solitary foreigner he approaches.. The journey tests that desire against illness, secrecy, money, documents, and unequal power.

He leads Port to Mahrnia and participates in the attempt on Port's wallet. This movement helps explain why travel never becomes the clean escape the Americans imagine.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • RolePort's guide in the opening movement
  • PressureThe local guide who leads Port outside the city walls.
  • GoalTo profit from the solitary foreigner he approaches.
  • Story turnHe leads Port to Mahrnia and participates in the attempt on Port's wallet.
What happens to SmaïlHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

He leads Port to Mahrnia and participates in the attempt on Port's wallet.

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