Paratexts Strategies in Hashem Mahmoud Hassan's Novel

Abayat, Ati; Salamat, Sajad

doi:10.22059/jal-lq.2026.417441.1605

Paratexts Strategies in Hashem Mahmoud Hassan's Novel "Etre Albaroud": A Hermeneutic Approach to Signification and Reception

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

ati abayat ¹

sajad salamat ²

¹ Associate Professor in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

² master Department of Arabic language and literature, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

10.22059/jal-lq.2026.417441.1605

Abstract

Gérard Genette’s theory of textual thresholds has gained considerable critical attention because of its ability to analyze and understand the contemporary novel, which has reached a high level of complexity in both structure and the human issues it addresses. This theory views the elements surrounding the text as meaningful components carrying semantic weight and strategic functions in shaping meaning and guiding the reader. For this reason, contemporary novelists have paid special attention to them.However, most studies on resistance literature have focused on structural or contextual approaches, overlooking the role of textual thresholds in constructing discourse and directing reception. From this problem, the present study examines the novel "Etre Albaroud" by Hashim Mahmoud Hassan as a model of Eritrean resistance literature. It aims to analyze the meanings of its textual thresholds, their functions, and their effectiveness in guiding the reader and shaping the narrative discourse.The study adopts the descriptive-analytical method with semiotic tools and analyzes four main thresholds in the novel. The findings reveal a semantic network governed by the duality of death and life, where the title, cover, epigraph, and dedication build a reading horizon charged with war, exile, and loss, proving their functional and interpretive effectiveness.

Keywords

Semiology,

Paratexts

Reception Theory

Hashem Mahmoud Hassan

""Etre Albaroud" " novel

Subjects