Novelistic Character Patterns in the Novel "The American Granddaughter" by Inaam Kachachi

Abstract

    The novel is one of the most prominent narrative forms that appeared in the literary field, because it succeeded in occupying the first place in the literary field, due to its relationship with the lived reality, as it is a record of the interests and aspirations of society. Then it became a mirror that reflects its identity and belonging as it developed to keep pace with contemporary life in all its aspects, and gradually received a large share of criticism from many critics and scholars. Since one of the basic elements in the novel is the character, this research seeks, using the descriptive-analytical approach, to shed light on the character patterns in the novel (The American Granddaughter) by Inaam Kachachi, the contemporary Iraqi novelist. We reached the following results: Most of the characters in her novels, especially the main characters, were fragmented in their composition. Fear is inherent in these characters because they live in exceptional circumstances, but at the same time they carry connotations that aim to depict the reality of Iraq, which is going through a critical state due to the war that affected it, as well as the security atmosphere that prevailed in it. Most of the secondary characters shared one characteristic, which is assistance, as each of them helps the main character at one stage of her life. It is worth noting that we see strange paradoxes in the characters of the novel (The American Granddaughter); as some characters may appear in several images. Inaam Kachachi does not provide us with a confused and illogical consciousness, and she does not exaggerate in using the stream of consciousness. She also provides it in a sequential and logical form, and her goal is to deduce her characters and describe their inner world, not to implement a new technique that might burden the reader and make him in the valleys of the uncoordinated world of the unconscious. This is what prompted the narrator to create impulsive characters with a social and ideological influence with the movement of the novelistic action and the secretion of its personal function.