The argumentative rhetorical agent: The novel "Suslov's Daughter" as a model

Abstract

This study aims to explore the representations of the discursive agent as an argumentative subject in the novel Suslov’s Daughter by the Yemeni novelist Habib Abdulrab Sarour. It adopts dialogue, in its various levels, as an analytical entry point to uncover the positions and functions of discursive agents within the narrative discourse. The study begins with the following question: How does the discursive agent manifest as an argumentative subject in the narrative, and what forms of argumentative interaction are produced by the novel’s dialogue within the context of intellectual and social conflict?

The study is structured into two theoretical axes and a practical application. The first axis examines the concept of argumentative dialogue, as proposed by linguistic and rhetorical argumentation studies, and identifies its features and communicative purposes. The second axis addresses narrative dialogue as a form of discursive representation that implicitly carries argumentative dimensions, especially in contexts of conflict and polyphony. The applied section focuses on analyzing the argumentative dimensions of the discursive agents in the novel by tracing the rhetorical mechanisms and tools on which these agents rely in their argumentative processes.The study reveals the vitality of dialogue in the novel as a space for the struggle of discursive agents, and demonstrates how these agents are capable of steering discourse argumentatively. Ultimately, the research affirms the significance of the discursive agent by uncovering its position, function, and form—an uncovering that leads to the essence of discourse itself. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of argumentation as both a rhetorical and aesthetic strategy that goes beyond persuasion to become a tool for unveiling the cultural and social tensions embedded within narrative discourses.