Manifestations of Existential Concerns through Narrative Structure and the Language of Narrative Discourse in the Novel “The Little Death”

Authors
Leila Sadeghi Naghdeali
Narges Ansari
Imam Khomeini International University
Abstract
Existential concerns are among the most prominent issues that have preoccupied modern human thought, and this preoccupation has been clearly reflected in contemporary literature, particularly in the genre of the existential novel. Existential novels do not confine themselves to narrating events or portraying characters; rather, they seek to deconstruct the inner experience of the human being and to reveal their struggles with the self and with the surrounding world. In this context, narrative structure and the language of novelistic discourse function as two fundamental mechanisms for producing existential meaning, as the novel moves beyond the mere transmission of events toward the representation of consciousness, anxiety, and meaning. This study examines “The Little Death” by Mohammed Hasan Alwan as a narrative model that employs multiple literary techniques to embody existential concerns through the novelistic portrayal of Ibn Arabi’s experience. The research aims to analyze the narrative and linguistic mechanisms that generate existential meaning in the novel, rather than merely identifying its thematic presence. The study adopts a descriptive–analytical approach, focusing on meaning-producing narrative techniques, particularly language, narrative perspective, character construction, tone and style, as well as narrative time and space. The findings of the study show that language in this novel transcends its conventional narrative function to become an active semantic structure that reveals dimensions of human existence. Metaphors, syntactic structures, and rhythmic language are employed to represent existential anxiety and to transform it, at the narrative level, into a contemplative experience with a mystical horizon Moreover, the internal point of view and the convergence of the narrator with the character contribute to intensifying the existential experience and enable the reader to directly engage with the inner conflict and the awareness of the existential situation.
Keywords
Existential Concerns
Arabic Narratology
Death
Freedom
loneliness
Absurdity
“The Little Death”
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