Structural Narratology of Ahlam Mosteghanemi's Novel "The Body's Memory" Based on Roland Barthes' Five Codes

Document Type : Scientific research article

Authors

Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Since the 1960s, narratology has emerged as a significant branch of literary studies, focusing on analyzing narrative mechanisms and the production of meaning in literary texts. Within this field, Roland Barthes' theory, introducing the five codes, provides a systematic tool for analyzing the internal structures of narrative and the processes of meaning-making. Despite the widespread application of this theory in Western literary criticism, a systematic examination of prominent works of Arabic literature—particularly Ahlam Mosteghanemi's novel *The Body's Memory* from an interdisciplinary perspective—can contribute to the expansion of structuralist criticism in contemporary Arabic literature. The present study aims to move beyond a descriptive summary of the novel's content and provide an in-depth analysis of how meaning is constructed within it. The research method is analytical-descriptive, and the statistical population is the complete text of the novel *The Body's Memory .The findings indicate that the hermeneutic and proairetic codes are the main drivers of dynamism and suspense in the narrative. By posing sequential enigmas and delaying the revelation of meaning, they engage the reader's mind in the process of discovery. On the other hand, the symbolic and cultural codes, relying on dichotomies such as tradition vs. modernity, love vs. hatred, and resistance vs. compromise, facilitate the representation of the crisis of individual and collective identity in post-revolutionary Algeria within this Arabic literary work. Ultimately, by employing linguistic techniques aligned with Barthes' codes, Mosteghanemi successfully creates a multi-layered and meaning-driven narrative in which history, love, and identity are reflected in a metaphorical and intertwined manner.

Keywords

Comparative Critical Studies in Arabic Literature
Volume 1, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
February 2026
Pages 19-35

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