|
|
Iraqi exile literature
Klasová, Pamela Markéta ; Ondráš, František (advisor) ; Oliverius, Jaroslav (referee)
This thesis examines the work of the contemporary exilic Iraqi author Ḥasan Blāsim within the framework of magical realism. At the same time it argues for a more formalistic and wider definition of magical realism, which also includes fiction without any supernatural elements. Magical realistic components found in the short story collection Majnūn sāḥat al-ḥurrīya (The Madman of Freedom Square) underline the most important themes in the stories. These are related to the catastrophes that afflicted Iraq and its people in the course of last thirty years. With its emphasis on the documentation of modern Iraqi history dominated by war and exile Blāsim's work belongs to the genre of documentary narrative. The goal of documentary narrative is to contribute to the collective memory of a nation. Despite Blāsim's focus on documenting, magical realism in his work cannot be considered as an attempt to create a parallel cultural world. The supernatural in his stories functions metaphorically and relates exclusively to the real world of war and violence, in which people under heavy circumstances turn into animals, cannibals, which is magical in itself. In addition, Blāsim's work is on a subordinate level discussed from the perspective of postcolonial theory. Postcolonial theory has undergone a complicated...
|
|
|
Iraqi exile literature
Klasová, Pamela Markéta ; Ondráš, František (advisor) ; Oliverius, Jaroslav (referee)
This thesis examines the work of the contemporary exilic Iraqi author Ḥasan Blāsim within the framework of magical realism. At the same time it argues for a more formalistic and wider definition of magical realism, which also includes fiction without any supernatural elements. Magical realistic components found in the short story collection Majnūn sāḥat al-ḥurrīya (The Madman of Freedom Square) underline the most important themes in the stories. These are related to the catastrophes that afflicted Iraq and its people in the course of last thirty years. With its emphasis on the documentation of modern Iraqi history dominated by war and exile Blāsim's work belongs to the genre of documentary narrative. The goal of documentary narrative is to contribute to the collective memory of a nation. Despite Blāsim's focus on documenting, magical realism in his work cannot be considered as an attempt to create a parallel cultural world. The supernatural in his stories functions metaphorically and relates exclusively to the real world of war and violence, in which people under heavy circumstances turn into animals, cannibals, which is magical in itself. In addition, Blāsim's work is on a subordinate level discussed from the perspective of postcolonial theory. Postcolonial theory has undergone a complicated...
|
|
|
Political development in post-Saddam Iraq. The Shia between sectarianism and nationalism.
Klasová, Pamela Markéta ; Gombár, Eduard (advisor) ; Ženka, Josef (referee)
This thesis examines the Iraqi Shia community's evolving approach towards and their position in the Iraqi state, especially after the American-led invasion in 2003. The focus is on concepts of nationalism, sectarianism, and identity within the Iraqi state and the Shia community. This thesis is subdivided into two main parts, the first of which considers the time period before 2003. Contemporary Shia identity and standing in Iraq was forged in the crucible of pre-2003 Iraq, so a thorough background in this time period is essential for understanding events after the invasion. Since the founding of the modern Iraqi state, and even during Ottoman times, Shias have traditionally been excluded from positions of power. This political division reflected the socioeconomic divide between the wealthier Sunni and poorer Shia communities. This situation resulted in sharp barriers between Sunnis and Shias. Although the Sunni-dominated monarchy was not actively trying to incorporate the Shias, economic and educational progress eventually reached some in the Shia community beginning in the 1930s and 1940s, and several of these sectarian barriers faded. Partly due to a secularizing trend, the 1950s and 1960s (the "intermezzo" republican period) witnessed the greatest amount of intermingling between these sects in...
|
guest ::
RSS feed.