Studies in

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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.
 

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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, intersecting with the perspectives of critic Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, exploring how the setting contributes to the construction of the novel and imbues it with symbolism and cultural meanings. Jandari noted that previous studies were 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. He argued that the concept of space should remain tied to reading, starting from the model rather than theory, to understand the unique ways in which Arabic literature conceptualizes these ideas. Researchers 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 of time and space in the studied 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 adopted in this study is the structural-genetic approach, which incorporates critique and the addition of perspectives, as the critic revitalizes the methodology through their research style rather than confining themselves to its framework and terminology. The findings of this article suggest that Jandari's concept of novelistic space implies multiple meanings and dimensions. Critic Ibrahim Jandari believes that the study of spatial settings is achieved by examining these intellectual principles within the narrative text of the novel.

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Since the Arabic novel reached an artistic level and realism emerged, albeit later than its Western counterpart, it became a medium that expresses many important issues in illustrating the lived reality of Arab societies. Resistance literature also emerged following the pivotal transformations in the Arab and Islamic world, especially after the setbacks suffered by Arab countries due to the Zionist invasion of Palestine and other Arab lands, and the oppression faced by Arab peoples both from tyrannical rulers at home and Zionist enemies who came from outside. This led to a strong connection between literature and social and political issues due to the impact that lived reality has on literary genres in general and the novel in particular. This connection is evident in the works of the Lebanese writer Abdel-Majid Zaraqet and his resistance literature novels. His novel *The Path of the Sun* is a prominent example of these transformations experienced by the region, including the oppression, invasion, and displacement endured by the Palestinian people and southern Lebanon during a certain period of the last century. The author lived through the conflicts and disasters faced by both peoples and experienced the ordeal of the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, which forced him to move from his village to the capital, Beirut. In this study, we employed a descriptive-analytical method to uncover the social reality in southern Lebanon and to examine how the author depicted the features of the narrative space, illustrated the social components in the village and the city, detailed the description of various places and their connection to events and characters, and showed the extent of the tragedies that befell the Lebanese people and the south as a result of the Israeli army’s attacks. army's attacks. It addresses topics related to the reality of social life.