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Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

ISSN Print: 2576-0556 Downloads: 477505 Total View: 3655500
Frequency: monthly ISSN Online: 2576-0548 CODEN: JHASAY
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Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.12.009

Silence and Fictionalization: Arab Women’s Writing and Female Experience in The Blind Sinbad: A Map of the Sea and War

Anqi Wang

Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing 100080, China.

*Corresponding author: Anqi Wang

Published: January 7,2025

Abstract

Kuwaiti author Buthayna Al-Essa’s 2021 novel, The Blind Sinbad: A Map of the Sea and War (al-Sindbād al-ʾaʿmā: aṭlas al-baḥr wa-l-ḥarb), skillfully integrates women’s writing and female experiences into Kuwaiti historical and cultural narratives. This study delves into the novel’s narrative strategies and broader context, highlighting the ways in which it navigates and challenges the constraints imposed on women’s voices by patriarchal and societal gazes. This narrative structure critiques patriarchal dominance while reflecting the distinctive traits of contemporary Arab feminist thought and literature What sets the novel apart is its use of a female narrator to intertwine women’s writing and same-sex camaraderie within a historical framework, offering a nuanced and deeply rooted portrayal of Eastern women’s experiences. By employing strategies such as selective muteness and concessional fictionalization, Buthayna Al-Essa subtly undermines androcentric structures. Her approach to softening gender antagonisms and reimagining female identity contributes a unique perspective to modern Arab feminist discourse.

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How to cite this paper

Silence and Fictionalization: Arab Women's Writing and Female Experience in The Blind Sinbad: A Map of the Sea and War

How to cite this paper: Anqi Wang. (2024) Silence and Fictionalization: Arab Women's Writing and Female Experience in The Blind Sinbad: A Map of the Sea and War. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science8(12), 2706-2710.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.12.009