Counter-Narrative in the Novel (Almas and Women) by Lina Hawyan Elhassan

Abstract

This study seeks to uncover the techniques of counter-narrative in the novel Almas and Women by Syrian author Lina Hawyan Elhassan, examining it as a form of resistant discourse that reconstructs cultural consciousness from the margins. The novel employs modern narrative strategies such as polyphony and the intersection between personal and institutional narratives, granting the female character a central—if not exclusive—role in the construction of meaning and the deconstruction of authoritative discourse. The research highlights the role of spatial displacement and temporal fragmentation in dismantling stereotypical representations of the Eastern woman, particularly in contexts of diaspora, and in foregrounding her agency within migrant Arab communities and the processes of identity reconstruction. These counter-narrative techniques are articulated through a feminine mode of narration that intersects with and resists both patriarchal and orientalist representations. The study ultimately aims to demonstrate the function of counter-narrative as an artistic and cultural tool for activating marginalized subjectivity and enabling the rewriting of its own story.