Analysis of power relations in Ghassan Kanafani's play "The Hat and the Prophet" According to Michel Foucault's views

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Arabic Language and Literature, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

10.22059/jal-lq.2025.385024.1452

Abstract

Power, its methods of analysis, and methods of resistance are among the most prominent topics addressed by the contemporary French philosopher Michel Foucault, who believes that power is not limited to governments only, but permeates the structure of society at multiple levels, affecting the details of individuals' lives. Manifestations of this power appear in literary works that address political and social issues, including the Palestinian cause and the Zionist entity. Among these works stands out the play "alqubaeat mae alnaby" "The Hat and the Prophet" by Ghassan Kanafani, which carefully depicted multiple scenes of the Palestinian conflict with the ruling authority. This study aims to explore the relations of power and the dialectic of the self and the other in this play, based on Foucault's views, and the psychological, social, and cultural dimensions it carries. The results indicate that the Palestinian self in the play sometimes appears internally disturbed and externally defeated, oscillating between the actions of power and the reactions available to it. As for its relationship with the other, we notice a duality between a supporter who seeks to rescue it from its weakness, trying to enhance its strength and strengthen its resolve as a friend, and a lurking enemy who seeks to ridicule and take revenge on it. Throughout the play, the Palestinian ego seems to be committed to defending its identity by any means, driven by the desire to understand the other by first knowing itself, then uncovering the other’s nature and intentions.

Keywords

References

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Ebn-Almoqaffa in Narrative and Poetry (Formerly known as Quarterly of Arabic Language and Literature
Volume 21, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 149-162

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