Allegorical Fiction: on the Novel Self (“That”) by Sonallah Ibrahim

Abstract

This paper attempts to analyze the ironic fiction of self, by Sonallah Ibrahim, through the rhetorical devices and literary techniques available to the writer of ironic fiction. The author applies these devices both in commentary within the narrative itself and with meta-narratives. The research does not focus on the sequencing or alternation of these structural forms but rather looks at the structure of the narrative discourse, which dwarfs every aspect of the narrative text, thus taking a macro-narrative approach. The text has been criticized for the contradictions used by the author as a technique to highlight the illusions of his characters; illusions that ultimately led to the deterioration of their lives. The novel shakes the structures of power discourses to challenge claims of truth.