Representations of Self and Other in the Contemporary Palestinian Novel, A Postcolonial Reading in Light of Selected Models

Abstract

   If colonial narrative reduced the colonized to a system of negative representations based on the idea of a binary that describes  the colonizer (the Center) with all that is positive such as educated, advanced, active, capable, and creative, and the colonized (the Margin) with all that is negative such as ignorant, backward, lazy, helpless, and subordinate. Then,  the counter-narrative to this system of representations was keen to deconstruct this binary, and reverse its poles in a counter-fashion by pushing its main characters to achieve advanced levels of knowledge and culture, along with delving deep into the study of history and specializing in archaeology, law, journalism, psychiatry, and literary writing, due to their direct relevance in responding to the references of the colonial narrative that supported the occupation of Palestine, And its  awareness of its effectiveness in the counter-narrative , and resisting the colonizer's discourse ,  and dismantling his hegemony ,  alongside the counter-narrative of the contemporary Palestinian story  undertaking the re-representation of the Other in opposition to his portrayal in his own narratives ,  so he appeared savage, barbaric , condemned for committing various heinous crimes of looting , murder , terrorization, sabotage, forgery, displacement, torture, and the violation of the constants of human values, and all norms, laws, and international covenants , so that it becomes confirmed to everyone after all this, the collapse of all the slogans he boasted about regarding his civilization, his progress, his humanity , and the falseness, and invalidity of his claims in that regard