Masks of the other in the Coral Cities by Zahra Kachawi: Historical tides and question of identity

Abstract

The study explores the historical mask technique in Zahra Kachawi's novel "Coral Cities," examining its role in shaping national identity and understanding the Other.

It employs an integrative methodology combining semiotics, reception theory, and cultural criticism to analyze narrative text and discourse.

Central questions address the historical mask's function (Victor Hugo character) in self-discovery and countering Orientalist narratives.

It highlights the dialectic of history and identity, embedded colonial schemata, and Occidentalism's deployment to expose the Other.