Investigation and Analysis of the Narrator and the Center of Narration in the Story Nabuaa Pharaon by Maysalon Hadi

Maysalon Hadi is one of the prominent Iraqi female writers who has dedicated much of her work to her homeland, focusing on the critique of war while promoting resistance and stability. Among her notable contributions to war literature is the story of “Nabuaa Pharaon”, for which she was recognized as the best female storyteller in the Arab world in 2003. In this story, with her feminine style and through the elements of the story, she has presented a sad picture of the American attacks against Iraq from 1990 to 2013. With a real understanding of the complexities of war, she critiques the political, social, and economic conditions in Iraq, particularly highlighting the challenges faced by defenseless women and children as a result of the conflict. Her approach is both realistic and imaginative, and her work has garnered critical acclaim. By adopting an omniscient point of view, Hadi effectively illustrates the struggles and suffering of the oppressed Iraqi people, encouraging them to resist the problems and try to fulfill their dreams, thereby instilling hope in their existence. The narrator in this story is neutral, although at times, he expresses his perspective on certain issues in the story.
Introduction:
One of the unique features of contemporary Iraqi narratives is referring back to history. Most of today's Iraqi writers make history the primary subject of their stories, to the point where it can be said that today, no Iraqi story is written without somehow revolving around history. In Iraq, women, alongside men, have also tried at this artistic craft. Accordingly, many female writers shine in the field of storytelling in Iraq. Maysalun Hadi is one of the Iraqi female writers of the contemporary era who has written several novels in the field of war literature and has been able to depict the harsh conditions of life for suffering the people of Iraq through storytelling and being a proponent of the feminine style. Among her famous stories in this regard is Nabuaa Pharaon which has won several literary awards. In this story, she examines and critiques the hardships and problems caused by war and encourages the people of Iraq to resist and defend their homeland. Since Maysalun Hadi is the narrator of this story and, as an omniscient narrator, is well aware of all the issues and problems facing her country, she expresses and critiques these problems. This research aims to answer the following questions by examining the element of the narrator and the focal point of the narration in “Nabuaa Pharaon” through a descriptive-analytical approach:

What is the focal point of the narration in the story Nabuaa Pharaon?
Who is the narrator or storyteller of the events in the story?

Maysalun Hadi, a contemporary Iraqi storyteller, was born in 1954 and settled in Baghdad. She began writing stories and narratives at the age of twenty. In addition to her short stories and novels, she has authored books in children's literature and science fiction. The story, which is an adaptation of the tale of Prophet Moses and Pharaoh from the Quran, narrates the life of an Iraqi child who is targeted by America through its satellites and seeks to shape an extraordinary destiny for himself. It is a blend of reality and nightmare; however, fate has a different destiny in store for him.
Methodology:
The methodology of this research is descriptive-analytical, utilizing both library and internet resources. Through a careful reading of the novel core and the narrator of the story are analyzed and examined.
Results and Discussion:
Maysalun Hadi, drawing from the realism school and employing symbols and metaphors, has made a significant contribution to articulating the pain, suffering, and struggles of oppressed and marginalized communities. She effectively reveals the true nature of superpowers that, under various pretexts, perpetrate violence and meddle in the affairs of other nations. Hadi depicts social realities both as they exist and as they ought to be perceived, capturing all their intricacies.
The author's approach to narrating the story is both realistic and rooted in her observations and experiences. To encompass all aspects and authentically express the challenges of war, as well as the thoughts, beliefs, and emotions of the characters, she has chosen a third-person omniscient narrative style to convey the events. Through a feminine lens, she addresses the issues and limitations faced by women in contemporary Iraqi society—women who have been left to fend for themselves due to the war and are in need of shelter and support. For this reason, most of the male characters in this work remain in the background, while the presence of women is more pronounced. These women symbolize sacrifice and patience, and in addition to their primary, nurturing roles as mothers, they actively participate alongside men in the war and its hardships, assuming courageous and heroic social roles. Consequently, the narrator of the story is the author herself, who, from a distance, recounts the events occurring in various places and situations, vividly describing the different experiences of the individuals involved.
Conclusion:
In this story, Maysalun Hadi aims to illustrate the devastating effects of war on both the material and spiritual lives of the suffering people in Iraq. She employs an external third-person perspective, characterized by a lack of a specific focal point. The characters in her narrative are carefully selected based on their geographical and cultural contexts. As the omniscient narrator, Hadi seeks to convey the intricate details of the war while also revealing the hidden emotions, beliefs, and thoughts of the characters. Given the numerous characters in the story, a narration from the perspective of a single main character would have limited the expression of the emotions experienced by others.
The narrator in Nabuaa Pharaon is the author herself, who immerses herself in the story's world and the realm of imagination to present an authentic depiction of the pain and suffering she has witnessed and profoundly understood. Since the narrator is aware of all the details of the realities she intends to convey to the audience, she has chosen a third-person omniscient narrative style. This narrative approach is evident from the beginning, as the narrator employs third-person pronouns to tell the story.
The narrator in this story guides the audience through the progression of events by psychologically recreating the characters and conveying their inner states and conditions. A general analysis of the narrative suggests that Maysalun Hadi serves as a neutral narrator, as she refrains from passing judgment on the characters' morality and chooses to remain impartial. The dialogue of each character, infused with its distinct tone, showcases the author's skill in articulating her perspective.
Since she is from Iraq and has experienced the events firsthand, Maysalun Hadi narrates and conveys the stories from the perspectives of the characters. Like an observer, she supervises their actions and accompanies them throughout the narrative. However, in certain parts of the story, the narrator adopts a more detached stance, merely reporting some incidents without intervening in their narration. Maysalun Hadi consistently moves alongside the characters and events, remaining present at every moment. Her presence in the story portrays her as someone knowledgeable about both the time and place, embodying an active omniscient being. She is depicted as an all-knowing figure who observes and comprehends everything. This characteristic grants her the freedom to be "active in what she wills" and to guide the story in any direction she chooses. By employing this narrative perspective, she initially describes the external world of the characters, introducing the reader to the setting, the characters' appearances, and more. Gradually, she delves into the inner worlds of the characters, revealing their thoughts, intentions, desires, and more. As an omniscient narrator, she occasionally interprets, analyzes, and intervenes in matters related to the characters.