The War as a Catalyst in Iraqi Feminist Fiction (An Example: The Novel "Saa'at Baghdad" by Shahad Al-Rawi

Abstract

The theme of war has permeated a wide expanse of women's creative work, making a significant impact on the narrative of Iraqi expatriate women. These authors have undertaken the task of documenting human suffering and depicting the dire reality resulting from the senseless wars in Iraq. Iraqi women writers have explored the subject of war as a powerful element affecting the lives of individuals and communities. They aimed to illustrate the profound impact of the harsh and continuous wars on human lives and psyches, leading to negative consequences for the Iraqi people as a whole. Women have approached the theme of war with a degree of freedom that allows them to express their views openly, away from subtlety or symbolism. They have criticized and exposed the political system as the main cause of all the wars that have befallen Iraq, portraying the consequences and destructive material and moral effects of these wars on both individuals and society. These novels have served as a clear condemnation of the power of war and the arbitrary nature of its political system, which has transformed into a means of terror, oppression, and legalized, unyielding, and sanctioned killing.

This research focuses on the study of the novel "Saa'at Baghdad" by the Iraqi expatriate writer Shahad Al-Rawi. The study consists of two main axes, preceded by a theoretical introduction that briefly highlights the theme of war in Iraqi women's fiction. The first axis explores the emergence and development of Iraqi feminist fiction after 2003. The second axis focuses on the portrayal of war and its effects on the characters in the novel "Saa'at Baghdad."