Abstract

The thesis aims at exploring the relationship between narratology and psychology through discussing literary works that belong to African American and Egyptian literatures. The two different worlds of Toni Morrison and Salwa Bakr share some social features including the formation of what is antinarratable which comes as a result of social constraints on what is â appropriateâ to narrate. Those constraints are defined by a hegemonic discourse that gives itself the right to construct the grand narrative as the only â trueâ story and the other narratives as antinarratable. The antinarratable area becomes larger, as far as women are concerned, in patriarchal societies. Some of those women resist such repression either through resorting to fantasy, hysterical narrative, or a healing narrative. This latter needs a support of an understanding group that would piece together the fragmented traumatic narrative and contribute to make the act of narrating a trauma a healing process. Both Toni Morrison and Salwa Bakr take a common trajectory towards revealing the antinarratable in their respective works. They both resist the rigidity of the social conditions forced upon women in their societies and simultaneously deconstruct the fixity of the classic literary traditions through creating and recreating new literary mediums free of prejudices.

Department

English & Comparative Literature Department

Degree Name

MA in English & Comparative Literature

Graduation Date

2-1-2011

Submission Date

March 2012

First Advisor

Motlagh, Amy

Second Advisor

Ghazoul, Ferial

Extent

NA

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Library of Congress Subject Heading 1

Morrison, Toni.

Library of Congress Subject Heading 2

Bakr, Salwá.

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Not necessary for this item

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