The Narrative of Food in Selected Models of Gulf Fiction

Abstract

The relationship between food and narrative cannot be described as merely a formal or ornamental one; rather, it constitutes one of the systems of culture and social customs. Hence, Ibn Khaldun linked types of food to the nature of peoples. In the field of literature, food is a discursive phenomenon with a presence in both poetry and narrative. Accordingly, selected models of Gulf fiction provide a space for understanding this relationship between food and narrative.

The study is organized into three main sections, preceded by an introductory section that serves as a preliminary approach. The first section, “Concepts of Food Narrative and Its Role in Gulf Fiction,” examines the theoretical dimensions of the topic. The second section, “Food and the Diaspora of Identity in The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Al-Sanousi,” includes subsidiary discussions addressing the theme of food in the novel The Bamboo Stalk. The third section, “Food and the Conflict of Modernity in Dar Khawlah by Buthaina Al-Essa,” contains two subsidiary discussions. The study concludes with a conclusion presenting its findings.