Representations of the Sea in the Novelistic Achievement: A Comparative study

Abstract

This study examines the narrative production that addresses the theme of the sea in both Western and Arabic literatures, highlighting its aesthetic and intellectual characteristics. It proceeds from the premise that the novel is one of the most significant literary genres capable of encompassing a wide range of social, political, and psychological issues, in addition to its ability to explore the human self and reveal its feelings of hope and pain. The novel also stands out in its continuous endeavor to question reality and seek its transformation toward a better state through a language that transcends the conventional and opens up new horizons, prompting readers to draw upon their cultural background to interpret, analyze, and reconstruct the text within a coherent methodological framework. Modern fiction has moved beyond exhausted themes and embraced new subjects, among which the sea emerges as a powerful artistic and intellectual motif that has contributed to the development of the novel in both form and content. This study focuses on the foundational works of Sea Literature, with particular emphasis on the works of the Arab novelist Hanna Mina as a leading representative of this trend in Arabic culture.