The purpose of the self and the other in the novel The Baghdad Morgue

Abstract

This study endeavors to provide insight into the intentionality embodied in the discourse between self and others in the literary work titled "The Baghdad Morgue", authored by Burhan Shawi. The author's objective is to elucidate the dynamics that unfold between these two entities amidst the profound transformations transpiring within the ruling authority in Iraq. The proclaimed relationship between self and other is purportedly centered on race and lineage; however, the novel presents a counter direction to this assertion. The prevailing perspective depicted in the narrative depicts the dominant other pitted against the vulnerable self. Consequently, the author immerses the reader in the conflict between the Iraqi self and others through various disturbances and events narrated in the novel. The present study relies on the dialogical approach, concentrating on the contextual background and the inherent value concealed beneath the language and meaning embedded within the narrative structure. Within this framework, the investigation of the underlying intentions emerges as one of the paramount issues and questions posed by the recipient of the literary work. Such an inquiry seeks to reevaluate the relationship between the narrative discourse and the contextual circumstances at hand.