Document Type : Research paper

Authors

• yosra shadman ¹
• mohammadreza shirkhani ²
• sana salem.j ³

¹ associate professor of Ilam university

² Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

³ student

Abstract

The novel is widely considered a literary genre that profoundly embodies reality, often described as a mirror reflecting the world around us. This reflection is crystallized through its connections with society, capturing social, political, and historical dimensions, along with a deep portrayal of psychological dimensions. The novel “The Murder of the “Bookseller” was published in 2016, written by Saad Muhammad Rahim, and was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2017.

In his research on the psychological narrative in the aforementioned novel, the researcher applied a descriptive-analytical approach, concluding that the novel addresses psychological conflicts and inner emotional struggles, including love, remorse, injustice, sadness, and crying. The author embodies these conflicting emotions within the character of the bookseller “Mahmoud Al-Marzouq.” Identity fragmentation violates the constraints of the traditional narrative structure by drawing on memories associated with the “Al-Sharad Association.” The novel guides each narrative toward self-disclosure, where each holds itself accountable, exposing its intellectual and subjective contradictions in relation to society and history. The main character in the novel, Al-Marzouq, occasionally experiences mental stupor and delirium, particularly after consuming large amounts of sugar.

Novelist Muhammad Rahim employed a psychological setting, particularly an open setting, to reveal both the intellectual and psychological nature of his characters and himself. I often use the phrase “the place is with me” since he locks himself in his own fantasies and delusions, leaving others unaware of what unfolds in his psychological place. He describes the city as being suffocated by blood and devastation. He may turn to daydreaming because the reality he faces is dull and unappealing or because he believes he can attain wealth through imagination that eludes him in real life. He also uses internal monologue to reflect his loneliness and detachment from society.

Keywords

• Psychological narrative
• Contemporary Iraqi novel
• The novel “The Murder of the Bookseller
• ” Saad Muhammad Rahim

Main Subjects

• Methodical critique and analysis of literary texts in Arabic New critical approach