Document Type : Research paper

Authors

• zeinab ghasemiasl ¹
• hossein elyasimofrad ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Farhangian University

² Assistant Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, Lorestan University

Abstract

The family is the foundational social institution significantly shaped by the dominant belief systems and values within society. In daily interactions, individuals' linguistic knowledge is complemented by their perspectives on the surrounding environment, influencing their speech; hence, language can be regarded as a reflection of both culture and speaker discourse. This study aims to delineate the status of women in Omani society through an analysis of dialogues among narrator-protagonists in "Sandrella Al Muscat," authored by Huda Hamed (1981), employing Dell Hymes' model as a framework. The novel was chosen for its emphasis on women's conditions and its portrayal of ordinary scenes that may initially appear inconspicuous; nevertheless, these everyday moments effectively reveal deeper layers of their previously unrecognized lives. Hymes' model incorporates eight dimensions—namely, temporal and spatial context, participants involved, communicative intent, discourse organization, tone, discourse instruments, and type of discourse—facilitating comprehensive text analysis. This approach emphasizes a detailed examination of dialogues present within the narrative. The significance of this research lies in its potential contributions to understanding the communicative positions within discourse contexts, enabling other scholars to apply this methodology for textual and contextual analysis. Accordingly, all dialogues from the narrator-protagonists were selected as a representative sample and subsequently categorized and analyzed according to Hymes' eight dimensions. Findings reveal that the theme of "inequality" predominates within the interactions among female characters in this narrative. The Cinderellas depicted in Huda Hamed's work diverge significantly from conventional fairy tale fantasies. The speech patterns, conversational turn-taking dynamics, and dominant tones reinforce historical male supremacy while illustrating its persistence within Omani Arab society

Keywords

• Muscat Cinderella novel
• Hoda Hamd
• discourse
• communication ability
• Dell Hymes

Main Subjects

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