الأسطورة ودورها في تمثيل الآخر الأجنبيّ في الرّواية العُمانيّة: نماذج مختارة

Myth and its Contribution to the Representation of the Foreign Other in Omani Novel: Selected Samples

Abstract

This paper is concerned with examining the myth and its contribution to the representation of the Foreign Other (European, American, Russian...) in Omani Fiction.It will focus on analyzing three novels which are: “Me and the Grandma Neena” (Ana we’ Aljedda Neena) (2015) by Ahmed AlRahbi, “The Shadow of Hermaphroditus” (Dhel Hermaphroditus) (2018) by Badria AlBadri & and “Eternity Sky” “Sama Alkhulood” (2021) by Talal Alhadrami.

The choice of these novels here is due to two main reasons; the first of which is that the narrators in these novels have strong links with West civilization and its culture. Secondly, there are an overwhelming presence of myth in some parts of these novels. Therefore, I considered these fiction works as ideal samples to investigate the myth and its contribution to draw a viewpoint to the Other in Omani Novel.

Myth is a comprehensive term for folktales that have metaphysical nature. It is one of the main branches from which the novel, and literature in general, extract an important reference to renew its content and literary techniques. The fact is that local and international myths framed models in representing the Other in some of Omani novels. Thus, this paper attempts to answer some questions such as: what topics were presented regarding the Foreign Other in some of the Omani fiction in general and in these three novels in particular? How do AlRahbi, AlBadri and Alhadrami imagine the Other through their depictions of the Westerners? How the selected novels used the myth to represent the Foreign Other?