Narratives of Counter History in the Iraqi Novel

Abstract

This study examines representative models of counter- or alternative historical narratives in selected Iraqi novels. It focuses on how these narratives are told from the perspective of marginalized social classes. The research adopts cultural studies as both an entry point and a foundational framework for analyzing and interpreting the texts. Cultural studies, as a discipline, views the act of rewriting history through fiction as a critical and resistant gesture against dominant powers and central authorities, and as a form of solidarity with the oppressed and disenfranchised in society. The study analyzes two novels: 1958: A Possible Life of Aref al-Baghdadi and The Manuscript of Faisal III, selecting only those instances where counter-historical narratives are present, in order to explore their impact on the fictional worlds of the novels.