The Feminine Cultural System and Representations of Human Integration between the Self and the Other: Adham Sharqawi’s Novel Nabd as a Model

Abstract

The conditions imposed by the contemporary cultural context on postmodern critical discourse have made feminine identity a central problematic in establishing an integrative union between the self and the other and in formulating a foundational system that transcends the concepts of superiority, hierarchy, and discrimination entrenched by dominant culture. This has prepared the feminine subject to emerge in a form that rejects all manifestations and repercussions of masculine domination. From this perspective, the present approach seeks to investigate the feminine cultural system and the representations of human integration between the self and the other, with the aim of revealing the implicit cultural dimensions through which the image of woman is manifested within narrative discourse. It proceeds from the premise that the novel establishes an integrative relationship between the self and the other, founded on affection, compassion, union, and fidelity, far removed from the constraints of domination and conflict. The study explores representations of woman through her firmly established relationship with the other, as manifested in her emotional, aesthetic, ethical, and even epic presence. It ultimately concludes that femininity in the novel constitutes a thematic motif that embodies various human values. It is precisely here that the effectiveness of systemic cultural criticism becomes evident in uncovering the cultural structures embedded within the fabric of the novel.