The Narrative of Family Affiliation in Buthaina Al-Essa’s Novel I Grew Up and Forgot to Forget

Abstract

It can be argued that the narrative of family affiliation in the novel I Grew Up and Forgot to Forget constitutes the backbone of the work, as it is constructed as an oppressive system that reproduces patriarchal dominance and prevents the formation of a free female self. The novel, however, through narration and writing, does not submit to this affiliation; rather, it seeks to unsettle and dismantle it, revealing that liberation is achieved not through geographical separation from the family, but through deconstructing its symbolic authority in consciousness and language.