Character Profile

Prepared by: learnloophq@gmail.com

Last edited 11 days ago by Learn LoopHQ.

Chapter: 07. Mullah Nasreddin And The Nail

⁠

Character Profiles

1. Mullah Nasreddin

Role in the Story: The protagonist; a wise, unconventional, and clever priest who uses his wits to overcome a difficult situation and outsmart a greedy neighbor.

Key Traits:

Impoverished: He “lived in extreme poverty” and had “debts accumulated,” forcing him to sell his home.

Unconventional/Mysterious: Described as someone about whom “No one knew whether he was a madman or a sage because his ways were so unconventional.”

Spiritual: His “mind was so engaged in spiritual pursuits that he never took time to think about his material comfort.”

Wise/Clever/Witty: He devises an ingenious plan involving a “nail” to reclaim his house and outmaneuver the crooked neighbor, demonstrating “common sense and presence of mind.”

Patient & Persistent: He continuously visits the house to “worship” his nail, gradually escalating his actions until the neighbor is forced to surrender.

Benign/Calm: Maintains his “usual benign smile” even when pushing the neighbor to his limits, indicating a calm confidence.

Relationships:

With the Neighbour: Appears humble and compliant, but is secretly manipulating the neighbor to reclaim his property. He is the master strategist, and the neighbor is his unsuspecting pawn.

With the Neighbour’s Wife: Indirectly causes her immense frustration and anger, leading to conflict within the neighbor’s household. She views him as “crazy” and manipulative.

With the Council of Elders: Presents himself calmly and simply, relying on the signed contract to prove his legal right, earning their objective validation.

2. The Neighbour

Role in the Story: The primary antagonist; a greedy and crooked man who attempts to exploit Mullah Nasreddin but is ultimately outsmarted.

Key Traits:

Crooked/Greedy: He “knew all about the man’s financial difficulties” and “thought he could take advantage,” offering “a pitiful price” for the house because he didn’t “really have any interest in it,” but saw it as a bargain.

Suspicious: Asks “‘What clause?’ asked the neighbour, suspiciously,” when Nasreddin mentions it.

Gullible/Short-sighted: Despite his suspicion, he is easily convinced by the prospect of a cheap deal and fails to foresee the consequences of the “nail” clause. He “persuaded himself that this would be the last time” Nasreddin would bother him.

Weak-willed/Cowardly: Struggles to stand up to Nasreddin’s increasingly intrusive actions due to the contract, and is easily dominated by his furious wife. He “chewed at the ragged end of his moustache” in distress.

Dejected/Defeated: After the council’s ruling and his wife’s ultimatum, he is “dejected” and “begged the mullah to buy his house back.”

Relationships:

With Mullah Nasreddin: Starts as an exploiter, seeking to profit from Nasreddin’s poverty, but quickly becomes the victim of Nasreddin’s ingenious plan, constantly frustrated and eventually defeated.

With his Wife: Their relationship is strained by his bad deal. His wife is dominant and frequently “upbraided her husband” for his weakness and the escalating problem, pushing him to concede.

3. The Neighbour’s Wife

Role in the Story: A secondary antagonist; she represents common sense and growing frustration, pushing her husband to confront Mullah Nasreddin and eventually surrender.

Key Traits:

Skeptical/Cautious: Initially “raised some serious objections. ‘Why is he going to keep a nail? What does it mean?’”

Practical/No-nonsense: Unlike her husband, she quickly grasps the potential problems with the nail clause and becomes increasingly enraged by Nasreddin’s actions.

Angry/Furious: She is “furious” and “upbraided her husband” as the situation escalates, eventually going “red with rage, and screamed at her husband” when the cow dung appears.

Demanding/Dominant: She asserts her will over her husband, threatening, “‘Get that out of my house or I’m leaving you!’” if the dung remains.

Relationships:

With Mullah Nasreddin: Views him as “crazy” and someone “taking advantage” of her husband’s kindness/weakness. Her extreme discomfort and anger are key factors in her husband’s decision to give up.

With her Husband: She is highly critical and dominant, blaming him for the predicament and pushing him to resolve it. Her relentless pressure is a major force driving the story’s resolution.

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.