Manifestations of Violence in the Novel ʿĀr by Jumaʿa Al-Muwaffaq: An Analytical Reading

Abstract

This research examines the novel "Shame" by Libyan writer Jumaa Al-Muwaffaq as a narrative text that utilizes linguistic and poetic richness to depict the consequences of social violence and war in Libya. This war has burdened Libyans with violence, killing, displacement, and forced migration, without clear political or security justifications. These are wars without cause or purpose, for which people pay the price with their bodies and souls, spreading their suffering throughout the nation. This research is the fruit of an effort to draw lessons from this violent tragedy that the country has endured, which the novel "Shame" portrays in all its details and without ambiguity. We are faced with a historical narrative written by the victim, etched in their blood and soul. I found it important to focus on a specific point rather than exploring all the novel's themes, and I found that violence and its manifestations are the most prominent. Its scent permeates the very words and tragedy of the novel. The research focuses on two main questions: How does the text shape the concept of shame and the memory of the victim within a contemporary narrative discourse ?