The Language of Narrative and the Techniques of Constructing Narrative Discourse in Zayni Barakat

Abstract

Jamal al-Ghitani's novel Zayni Barakat constructs its narrative discourse by employing history as an artistic medium rather than merely a record of events. The novelist relies on intertextuality with the chronicles of Ibn Iyas, particularly Bada'iʿ al-Zuhur fi Waqa'iʿ al-Duhur (The Wonderful Flowers in the Events of the Ages), drawing upon historical events and figures to recreate them within a fictional framework that reflects contemporary issues, foremost among them tyranny, oppression, and the violation of individual freedoms. His objective is not to rewrite history but to transform it into a tool for interpreting the present and revealing the similarities between the past and contemporary reality.

Al-Ghitani also employs a variety of narrative techniques, most notably artistic opposition, ironic contrast, and the transformation of historical reports. He reshapes historical accounts and events in a manner that serves the artistic structure of the novel while endowing it with new semantic and aesthetic dimensions. Furthermore, the use of classical language and a documentary style reinforces the illusion of historical authenticity without compromising the fictional nature of the narrative. In this way, al-Ghitani successfully combines history and fiction, presenting a novelistic model that unites the authenticity of heritage with the modernity of narrative vision.