Search

Researchers of Omani literature unanimously agree that the 1980s and 1990s witnessed the foundational stages of fiction writing in the Sultanate of Oman with the first story collections published in the early 1980s. However, there is no consensus yet on the title of the first published collection5 due to the absence of documentation of the printing history of these collections. The evolution stage as seen by Aziza AlTa’ei took place in the decade subsequent to the 1990s (i.e. 2000- 2010); the first ten years of the second millennium of the twenty-first century. The year 2010 is viewed as a pivotal year for the Omani novel because it witnessed the publication of the “Celestial Bodies”6 novel by novelist and academician Jokha AlHarthi. After this event, history can document a new stage for the Omani novels, one that can be said to be mature enough to start experimenting on creative writing. Thereafter, the Omani literature, started to contribute substantially to the world, reflecting on a deep-rooted history of humankind. In this paper, a comparison is made between the foundational stage and the maturity stage in novel writing by examining two works from each stage. The researchers sought to make selections based on variations of gender and styles so as to objectively examine how elements of structure and narration techniques were leveraged at every stage. This paper raises a very critical question: what are the significant and palpable features that defined and framed the development of narrative writing in the Omani novel? The answer to this question may explain how numerous Omani novelists and writers, from both genders, were successful recipients of prominent pan-Arab and international prizes in novel writing over the past five years. Study Samples From the foundational stage – which is divided by Aziza Al-Ta’ei into two phases –the researchers selected the novel authored by Abdulla Al-Ta’ei “Angels of Al-Jebel Al-Akhdar” which was published in 1956 to set a starting point for the early stages of fiction writing in Oman. Aziza Al-Ta’ei dubbed this novel as ‘the novel of the beginning’, a phase that continued up to 1987. The next stage, which is identified by Aziza as the foundational stage, spans the time between 1989 to 1999, and is represented by the novel “Wandering Around the Burning Wood” – written by Badriya Al-Shihhi and published by the Arabic Institute for Research & Publishing, Beirut. For the maturity stage, the researchers examined “Dilshad – Story of Hunger and Satiety” 7 authored by Bushra Khalfan and released in 2021 by Takween Publishing, along with “Exile of the Water Divider” by Zahran AlQasmi to add diversity to the samples and perspectives. Objectives of the Study The study is intended to achieve several objectives including: To compare between novels of the foundational stage and novels of the maturity stage based on elements of the narrative structure – characters, time and space, narrative techniques in terms of style, perspective and reflection on 7Dilshad was earlier shortlisted for the 2022 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (AKA Arab Booker Prize) and won the 2022 Katara Prize for Arabic Novel alongside the Algerian Ezzedine Jalaouji for his novel “Embrace of Snakes” and history or myths from a special philosophical angle. To identify the features of development and maturity in contemporary novels through the selected samples. To describe the elements of the narrative structure by examining the novels representing the two stages. To illustrate the role of experimentation and mechanisms in the evolution of the narrative structure in light of the models selected for the study. Methodology of the Study The comparative approach is used to compare foundational novels against contemporary novels based on description and analysis of the samples selected for the study. The researcher leveraged the structural studies founded by the Russian formalists toward the study of narration, in particular Gérard Genette’s and the techniques set forth by the narratological studies as feature of post modernity novels and experimentation mechanisms that seemed modern in the contemporary narratives. Conclusions The study draws several conclusions. It found that the narrative structure of the Omani novel evolved and developed significantly compared to the traditional narrative approach. The Omani novel is found to venture into unknow territories, go deeper with experimentation and demonstrate creativity in the narrative techniques that lend the novel a depth and philosophical existential perspective. The study also found that the Omani novel is not confined to a sole protagonist who is typically extravagantly celebrated, but encompassed several divergent voices and overlapping stories in a manner that sets the novel into a philosophical interpretation reflective of the existential time and memory. They further employ civilizational and mythical history in a way that charms the reader with its seamless narrative flow and poetic language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]