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Animals in Ibr?hhm al-K-n?'s Fictional World
Abstract
The Libyan novelist Ibr?hhm al-K-n? is one of the few contemporary Arab writers who show much interests in the portrayal of animals in his literary works. The animals in al-Kan-'s stories are, in many respects, as important as their human counterparts. In Naz f al-aajar, to hunt or not to hunt the mountain moufflon (waddfn) is a major question in the development of the plot. In al-Tibr, the piebald camel (mahr ablaq) is closely linked to the fate of its owner. In al-Khus.f, Gham-'s dog plays the hero in saving his owner from scorpion bites. In al-Maj s, a very large number of animals are mentioned and most of them play quite important roles in the story. Al-Kin talks about the wadd ns, gazelles, wolves, snakes, birds, lizards, insects, such as scarabs and flies, and many others, in such a vivid and intimate way that they acquire human qualities. In many of al-Ktne's works, animals are not just mute creatures but rather are endowed with the ability to think and talk in the way humans do; in addition they can demonstrate emotions of sadness and happiness. Some of al- Kpnn's animals possess magical powers. Animals with magic powers are not without precedent in Arabic literature. Al-Knn 's personification of animals brings the reader to a fantastic world similar to that of A Thousand and One Nights. One also feels the familiarity of the animal kingdom that alludes to old Arabic texts, such as Kalslah wa-Dimnah and Ibn sufayl's aayy Ibn Yaqzmn. Even the Qur'an has several references to animals with special powers, such as the talking ants (27:18-19), a bird army (27:17), and a talking hoopoe (27:22). Al-K n2 cleverly creates an intertextuality that alludes to previous Arabic literary sources, taking the reader to a zone of shared memories. It is apparent that animals play important roles in al-Kane's works. In this paper, I will demonstrate al-K?n?'s cosmological views on the relationship between animal, human, and nature, and further discuss his presentation of animals and the function and significance of them in his novels.
Discipline
Literature
Geographic Area
Libya
Sub Area
Arabic