The consistency of the threshold and the plot in the novel "Barid Al-Layil" by Hoda Barakat, Analytical semiotic analysis

Document Type : research article

Authors

• Zohreh Ghorbani Madavani ¹
• Zahra Soleimani ²

¹ Associate Professor in Arabic Language and Literature, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

² PhD Candidate in Arabic Language and Literature, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jallv15.i1.2209-1191

Abstract

It is necessary for the narrator to take advantage of techniques that help him write the novel and find consistency and coherence between form and content. The more consistent this is, the more successful the writer will be. Hoda Barakat utilizes the art of correspondence to outline the exciting and tragic plot in "The Barid Al-Layil". The narration is obscure and lacks clarity, as the reader never sees a known name for the protagonist. Everything is shrouded in darkness and separation, much like the night of vagrants - a story of those who have no time, place, or possessions. What captures the recipient's attention is how all textual elements such as titles, colors, cover, and other thresholds harmonize with the plot and serve its content. The writer's ingenuity is evident in this consistency that we see between form and content in her novel, creating an integrated fabric. This research, using a descriptive-analytical approach, studies the appropriateness between textual elements and the plot to unravel the mysteries of this correspondence novel and guide critics towards a more accurate and thoughtful review process. The textual elements studied in this article include the cover, colors, headline, sub-headings, and introduction. The research findings reveal that through a complex and disjointed plot without a clear resolution, Barakat alludes to complex crises in Arab countries that are not easily resolved. The reader must analyze the unsolved riddles presented by Barakat, fostering interaction between writer and reader while reducing the author's dominance over the text.The title of the novel, the cover, and the colors used on the cover all guide the reader to what will happen in the letters of disappointment. Barakat utilizes the duality of disappointment and hope in both the threshold and the plot to achieve her goals in writing "The Barid Al-Layil". It is as if she wants to confirm that there is no impact of dialogue and interaction in such a society. Those who reside in this society do not desire communication, not even through a message..

Keywords

• Hoda Barakat
• novel
• Barid Al-Layil
• threshold
• plot

Main Subjects

• Semiotics

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