Arabic Literature

An Analysis of Anachronism in Ghada al-Samman’s “The Fire of that Summer” Based on Gérard Genette’s Theories

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Samireh Khosravi 1
Vahid Sabzianpoor 2

1 PhD Student of Arabic Language and Literature, Razi University

2 Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Razi University

https://doi.org/10.22059/jalit.2019.266412.611974
Abstract
Time is one of the important topics in narratology. Gérard Genette, a French theorist of structuralism, has provided the most comprehensive theorization of time in narration, especially the discrepancy between the time of the narration and the time of the story. The present research tries to examine Ghada al-Samman’s “The Fire of that Summer,” published in her 1973 collection of short stories The Departure of Old Ports, based on Genette’s theorization of time order so as to determine the extent to which anachronism is used in two retrospective and prospective modes in this story. The main hypothesis of this study is that Samman’s short story, since it has many temporal inconsistencies so that the past, present and future intrude into one another, can be analyzed by Genette’s theories. The research, adopting an analytical-descriptive method, analyzes the inconsistencies between the time of the story and the time of the text to demonstrate that the author, using retrospective anachronism (in three forms: diegetic, non-diegetic, and a combination of these two) and prospective anachronism (diegetic and non-diegetic), breaks the linear time of the story. The story begins at a moment when the internal and subjective conflicts of the main character (the narrator) are highlighted. By exposing the inner world and the chaos of the protagonist, Samman invites the audience to read a moving, complex, and, sometimes, highly engaging story. She uses retrospective diegetic anachronism to depict the protagonist’s bitter memories of the fall of the West Bank and the defeat of 1967, while she uses non-diegetic anachronism to portray the Arab community’s negligence of the suffering of Palestinian people. Prospective anachronism is used to portray the predictions of the protagonist about the future of Arab societies. Since the story is based on the portrayal of the reminiscences of the protagonist, retrospective diegesis is highlighted.

Keywords

Ghada al-Samman
Gérard Genette
Discourse Analysis
Chronological order
Flashback
Doroudgarian, F., Zaman Ahmadi, M., & Hadadi, E. (2012). An Analysis of Narration Time from a Narratologic Viewpoint Based on Genette’s Time Theory in story Vagabond Written by Reza Amirkhani. Bahar-e-Adab, 4(3), 127-138. [In Persian].
Eagleton, T. (2001). Introduction to Literary Theory. (A. Mokhber, Trans.) Tehran: Markaz. [In Persian].
Genette, G. (1997). Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method (2nd ed.). (M. Mutasim, O. Halali, & A. al-Azdi, Trans.) Cairo: The Supreme Council of Culture. [In Arabic].
Ghasemipour, G. (2008). Time and Narrative. Literary Criticism, No. 3, 123- 144. [In Persian].
Gholam-Hossein-Zadeh, Q.; Taheri, Q. (2015). An Examination of the Element of Time in Narratives with a Focus on the “Tribal Arab Dervish” in the Masnavi. 4(16), 199-214. [In Persian].
Habibi, Ali Asghar, (2012). The Study of Narrative Time in the Novel "Zakirat -al-Jasad" by Ahlam Mostaghnami (Based on Gerard Genette’s Narrative Theory). 6(10), 29-61. [In Persian].
Lotte, Yakoob Introduction to Narrative in Literature and Cinema, translated by Omid Nikfarjam, Tehran: Minavi Kherad, 2007. [In Persian].
Al-Qasrawi, M. H. (2004). The Time in the Novel (1st ed.). Arab Foundation for Studies and Publishing. [In Arabic].
Rasooli, H.; Hosseini, S. S.; Edalati Nasab, A. (2011). Time Analysis of Narrative Fiction in Abdul Rahman Monif's Endings According to Gerard Genette. Lesan-emobeen, 4(12), 107-127. [In Persian].
Rimmon, Shlomith, Kenan. (2006). Revayate Dastan: Butighaye Moaser. Translate by Horri, Abolfazl, Honar, 53(10), 8-27. [In Persian].
Al-Samman, G. (1973). “The Departure of Old Ports”, Publishers Ghadah Al-Samman. [In Arabic].
Tolan, M. J. (2004). Critical Linguistic Introduction. (A. Hori, Trans.) Tehran: Farabi Cinema Foundation Publications. [In Persian].
Tyson, L. (2008). Critical Theory Today. (M. Hassanzadeh, & F. Hosseini, Trans.) Tehran: Negah Emrooz. [In Persian].
Tzvetan Todorov, (2000). Structural Poetry. (M. Nabavi, Trans.) Tehran: Agha. [In Persian].
Yaghoubi, R. (2014). Narratology and the Difference between Fiction and Dialogue Based on the Theories of Gerard Genette. [In Persian].
Yousefabadi, F. A. (2013).  A Study of the Distinction between Narrative and Textual Time in the Anecdotes of Sa'di’s Golestan. Literary Text Research, 19(66), 65-90. [In Persian].
Arabic Literature
Volume 12, Issue 2
Summer 2020
Pages 43-62

  • Receive Date 28 September 2018
  • Revise Date 13 February 2019
  • Accept Date 09 November 2019

Home

Contact Us