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Showing 3 results for Narrative Space
Narrative Space in I Had a Heart
Ali Afzali, Ali Mahmoud Habib Al Mojbeli,
Volume 1, Issue 1 (3-2019)
Abstract
Mankind is not separated from space, but a constituent of it. An artist has a deep knowledge and understanding of space and that is why space and place have always been considered as significant elements of literary texts. Adopting an analytical-descriptive methodology, this article examines the representation of space in Fawzí at-Taí’s I Had a Heart. The article attempts to answer the question how the representation of space in the novel influences its narrative features. The novel narrates the story of the U.S attack to Iraq in 2003 after the Gulf War. In order to characterize the characters, the author has used different forms of space: closed, open, mobile, and fixed. In this novel, it can be suggested, space is the link between the introduction and development of characters. Also, space plays an important role in the examination of events and interactions.
 
The Significance of Setting in Jabra Ibrahim Jabra’s Novels based on Ibrahim Jandari’s Ideas
Ginan Hussein Khenyab Al- Darraji, Bahar Seddighi, Ahmadreza Heidaryan Shahri,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (4-2025)
Abstract
The setting is one of the most important elements of a literary work, particularly in novels. It seeks to recreate reality and allows the reader to understand the novel's events and immerse themselves in it as if it were real, even though it is a product of imagination. This study aims to analyze the significance of the setting in Jabra’s novels, exploring how the setting contributes to the construction of the novel and imbues it with symbolism and cultural meanings. It should be noted that previous studies are limited to the physical aspects of the setting without examining its role within the text, failing to address questions about the setting within the narrative discourse to comprehend the novel’s events. Jabra has argued that the concept of space is tied to reading to understand the unique ways in which Arabic literature conceptualizes these ideas. Critics believe that studying the novelistic setting enriches discussions about literary texts, as literature relies on and is grounded in time to create its space and imagery. It also allows us to engage with broader issues related to the interplay between time and space in the selected novels, compared to their counterparts in historical reality, and the resulting challenges of textual-literary diagnosis about real-world referents. Examining the setting as a structural element in Jabra Ibrahim Jabra’s novels is a pivotal aspect that lends artistic and cultural depth to the narrative text. It becomes evident that Jabra did not merely treat the setting as a narrative necessity but infused it with profound meanings that complement the characters and events, making the setting an active participant in the novel. The methodology utilized in this study is a structural-genetic approach. The findings of this article suggest that Jandari’s concept of novelistic space implies multiple meanings and dimensions. Ibrahim Jandari maintains that the study of spatial settings is achieved by examining these intellectual principles within the narrative text of the novel.

The Narrative Space in Abdul Majeed Zaraqat’s The Path of the Sun
Abdoreza Naseri Asl, Hossein Mohtadi, Khodadad Bahri,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (4-2025)
Abstract
As Arabic novels have merged themselves with realism, they have become a medium to express significant issues reflecting the lived reality of Arab societies. Resistance literature also arose following the pivotal transformations in the Arab and Islamic worlds, especially after the setbacks faced by Arab states due to Zionist aggression on Arab territories, particularly Palestine and Southern Lebanon. These transformations tightly linked literature to social and political issues, as lived realities significantly impact literary genres, especially novels. Space plays a fundamental role in constructing a novel, not merely as a backdrop but as a framework that embodies the social reality and geographical and architectural components of villages and cities. The narrative space encompasses the domain where characters emerge and events unfold. It is a vital element in the events themselves, carrying a set of cultural, social, and intellectual values attributed to the characters. This is evident in the works of the Lebanese writer Abdul Majeed Zaraqet. His novel The Path of the Sun is a realistic work of resistance literature addressing social, cultural, and political issues inspired by the bitter reality of Southern Lebanon. It exemplifies the transformations in the region, including oppression, invasion, and displacement endured by the Palestinian and Southern Lebanese people. The author personally experienced this era of struggles and witnessed the Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon, which forced him to migrate from his village to Beirut. This study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to pinpoint the social reality in Southern Lebanon and examine how the author depicted the features of the narrative space. It analyzes the social components of villages and cities through their geographical types—friendly, hostile, and neutral—and their impact on the novel’s characters, evoking feelings of security, stability, melancholy, fear, or neutrality. All these spaces play a fundamental role in shaping the novel and driving its events, as spatial dynamics influence the psychology, decisions, and conflicts of the characters, especially under the Israeli military’s aggression. Additionally, this diversity in spatial elements adds an aesthetic dimension to the novel’s text.

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