A Postcolonial Criticism of the Frankenstein in Baghdad Novel Written by Saadawi Ahmed

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Corresponding Author, Ph.D. Student of Arabic Language and Literature Dept, Kharazmi University, Tehran

2 Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Literature Dept, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Arabic Language and Literature Dept, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Literature Dept, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

A post-colonial criticism approach is considered as comparative literature and cultural studies to analyze the colonial feedback in literary contexts and explore the component of the post-colony in the literature. This theory deals with the conflict between Eastern inferior and Western superior thought foundations and tries to show the results between colonialism and the colony. Ahmad Saadawi, the writer of “Frankenstein in Baghdad” novel, is among those authors who has put a high priority on struggling against colonialism. He depicts the consequences of the occupation of Iraq by the U.S. Army and his writing is considered as a complex allegory of tribal violence in Iraq following the U.S. invasion. Therefore, the analysis of this author’s thoughts is significant in postcolonial literature. The present result reveals that how the author could present the political, social, and economic effects in Iraq in a fictional novel by turning into the anti-colonial perspective. The author illustrates the feeling of chaos in his land and creates an imaginary character that has a fragmented identity. Saadawi endeavors to presents the effects of colonialism in its modern form by making this imaginary creature that aims towards the establishment of justice. This study written as the perspective of post-colonial criticism using the descriptive-analytical approach investigates the components of post-colonialism, such as Western centralization, moral issues, and identity fragmentation. Besides, this study highlights the reliance on beliefs and religion to achieve a former identity to oppose the belief in the superiority of the Western race and anti-colonialism.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Article Title [العربیة]

نقد ما بعد الکولونیالیة للروایة فرانکشتاین فی بغداد لأحمد سعداوی

Abstract [العربیة]

النقد ما بعد الکولونیالیة، باعتباره أحد مناهج الأدب المقارن والدراسات الثقافیة الحدیثة، یرکّز علی الآثار الاستعماریة فی النصوص الأدبیة ویستکشف مکونات ما بعد الاستعماریة فیها. یتناول هذا التیار إلی معارضة الأسس الفکریة للشرق الأدنى والفکر السامی للغرب ووالعلاقات بینهما ویحاول تبیین الخطاب الناتج بین الاستعمار والمستعمرة. أحمد السعداوی، کاتب روایة فرانکشتاین فی بغداد، أحد الکتاب الذین جعلوا النضال ضد الاستعمار من أهدافه المبتغیة الرئیسیة فی ثنایا روایاته وکتاباته. هو یصور عواقب الاستعمار الأمریکی للعراق فی هذه الروایة الشهیرة. روایته هذه عبارة عن قصة رمزیة معقدة للعنف القبلی فی العراق بعد الغزو الأمریکی؛ لذلک فإن تحلیل أفکار هذا الکاتب العراقی ودراستها مهم من وجهة نظر النقد مابعدالکولونیالیة. قد خلصت النتیجة، کیف استطاع المؤلف، عبر توظیف النظریة ما بعدالإستعماریة وإمکانیاتها، أن تقدم الآثار والعواقب السیاسیة والاجتماعیة والاقتصادیة للاستعمار فی العراق فی صیاغة روایة خیالیة. یجسد سعداوی فی هذه الروایة تجربة الاضطراب المهیمن فی وطنه ویخلق شخصیة روائیة لها هویة مجزأة متناثرة. الروائی خلال خلق هذا العنصر الخیالی الذی یحاول إقامة العدل ویعرض آثار الاستعمار فی شکله الجدید. هذه الدراسة اعتمدت علی رؤیة النقد ما بعد الاستعماری واتخذت المنهج الوصفی التحلیلی، لتبحث فی مؤشرات ما بعد الکولونیالیة کالمرکزیة الغربیة، والمشاکل الأخلاقیة وتجزئة الهویة وفقدانها. فی وجه آخر، یشجع الروائی على المعتقدات والدین لتحقیق هویة سابقة واستعادتها ویحارب مفهوم تفوق العرق الغربی وهیمنته ویناهض الاستعمار فی طیّات روایته.

Keywords [العربیة]

  • نقد الأدبی
  • ادبیات مابعد الکولونیالیة
  • «أنا» و «الآخر»
  • أحمد سعداوی
  • فرانکشتاین
  • فرانکشتاین فی بغداد

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