A Handful of Dates

How does Salih in a handful of dates uses the child narrator's changing relationship with his grandfather to argue that greed leads to self ruin

A handful of dates

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Embodied in the character of the grandfather, greed is a central theme in "A Handful of Dates." In the middle of the story, the narrator learns of his grandfather's desire for Masood's fortunes to continue flagging so that he may buy up the remaining third of Masood's land. The narrator wishes his grandfather wouldn't follow through on his opportunistic plan, but the grandfather reveals more of his greed when Masood reluctantly invites them to the date harvest and the grandfather's eyes sparkle with an intense brightness. Drunk with the power he holds over Masood, the grandfather is indifferent to Masood's suffering during the humiliating spectacle of Masood's date harvest being divided among his creditors. Having witnessed his grandfather's predatory nature, the narrator no longer idolizes him.