Islamic Art Studies

Islamic Art Studies

A Study of the Art of Storytelling and Its Descriptions among Muslims: An Analysis of Salwa Al Bana’s Narrative Style with Emphasis on Four Short Stories

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Zahra Koohpaima 1
Zahra Khosravi Vamakani 2
1 PhD student of Arabic language and literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/ias.2024.432199.2330
Abstract
Salwa Al Bana (b. 1948) is a modern Palestinian short story writer and a follower of Islam. In her four stories— ‘Ushshāq Najmah (The Lovers of Najmah), Hidhā’ Sāhib al-Sa‘ādah (The Shoe of His Excellency), Imra’ah Khārij al-Zaman (A Woman Outside of Time), and al-‘Āmūrah ‘Arūs al-Layl (The Bride of the Night)—she draws upon both the conventions of modernist storytelling and an Islamic perspective. The stories are characterized by the limitation of narrative perspective through modern narrators, the depiction of emotion, the omission or alteration of elements from traditional plots, the use of metaphor and metonymy, non-linear narration and the disruption of chronological order, conciseness in form and narrative style, and the foregrounding of style itself. In ‘Ushshāq Najmah and al- ‘Āmūrah ‘Arūs al-Layl, Al Bana makes extensive use of symbolism and rhetorical devices typical of modern fiction, while in Imra’ah Khārij al-Zaman the focus is on breaking temporal and spatial continuity and employing brevity as a central narrative technique. In Hidhā’ Sāhib al-Sa‘ādah, the author utilizes irony and satire to articulate the social and political suffering of the Palestinian people. As a Muslim, Al Bana incorporates descriptions and themes that imbue her works with an Islamic character.
Research Questions:

How is symbolism evaluated in the four stories: ‘Ushshāq Najmah, Hidhā’ Sāhib al-Sa‘ādah, Imra’ah Khārij al-Zaman, and al-‘Āmūrah ‘Arūs al-Layl?
How does Salwa al Bana address the social and political struggles of the Palestinian people in these stories?

Research Objectives:

To analyze the literary and structural techniques employed in the four stories: ‘Ushshāq Najmah, Hidhā’ Sāhib al-Sa‘ādah, Imra’ah Khārij al-Zaman, and al-‘Āmūrah ‘Arūs al-Layl.
To examine how social and political issues in Palestine are addressed from the perspective of a female author.
Keywords
Salwa Al Bana
narrative style
political and social issues
symbolism
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