The Omani women's society between tradition and modernity in the novel "Women of the Moon" by Jokha Al-Harethi

Subject Areas : Contemporary Literature Studies

Zohreh Ghorbanimadavani ¹ , Leila Sadegh Naghdeali ²

1 - Dr.zohreh gorbani Madavani Associate Professor،Department of Arabichlanguage and literature Allameh Tabatabai university،Tehran،iran
2 - Department of Arabic Language and Literature, College of Humanities, Imam Khomeini International University

Received: 2023-01-03 Accepted : 2023-05-17 Published : 2023-06-01

Keywords: tradition, Omani Society, modernity, Dual Confrontations, Sayyedat al-Qamar,

Abstract :

In contemporary literature, addressing social, cultural, historical, and political issues, including the struggle between tradition and modernity, has been significantly reflected. Among literary genres, the novel is considered as the best format for narrating such issues. One of these narratives is the novel " Sayyedat al-Qamar " by Jokhah al-Harethi, which is written in the style of socio-historical realism and in which the lives of the characters are beautifully depicted on the two orbits of tradition and modernity. The author describes the Omani society in the transition from a traditional system to a modern system based on the depiction of the families of Azzan, his wife Salemah, and his daughters Miya, Asma and Kholeh, London (Miya's daughter), the family of Ankabooteh and Zarifeh (maid), Najiya (Azzan's mistress). Characters are receptive to modernity (Kholeh, London and Najiya) and are considered to represent the mentality and behavior of modernity, and characters are left in their traditional thoughts and can not accept modernity (Salemah, Ankabooteh, Zarifeh). This research deals with the descriptive-analytical method and relying on the theory of dual confrontations to the confrontations of female characters on the focus of choice in marriage, child name, place of delivery, tolerance with spouse or divorce, etc. The findings of the study indicate that ancient Oman was dominated by hegemony of tradition and patriarchal system, an issue that has faded in modern and developing Oman.