The Occupier as a Symbol in the Novel “The Occupation of Darkness”

Abstract

This study analyzes the symbolism of the occupier in Bakhtiyar Ali’s novel The Occupation of Darkness and seeks to identify the artistic and symbolic techniques through which the author constructs the image of the occupier and portrays its effects on the individual and society. The study adopts the descriptive-analytical approach, employs the principles of semiotics (semiology) in reading the symbols, and draws, where necessary, upon certain principles of the psychological perspective. The analysis reveals that the occupier is not presented merely as an external enemy or a military force; rather, it is embodied through nine symbols: the beast, darkness, disease, the system, the self, technology, chains and imprisonment, continuous surveillance, and death and blood. Each symbol reveals a particular dimension of occupation, including repression, the erasure of identity, the prohibition of language, violence, fear, and powerlessness. The study also shows that these signifiers form a unified sign system, and that occupation has profound psychological, social, economic, and cultural effects on the characters and on the life of society.

This study relies on a praise-analytic approach: the symbolic texts of the novel are identified, described and then analyzed. To analyze symbols, the study uses the principles of semiology, especially the distinction between dal and madlul (Susser), Perce's types of signs (icon, index, symbol), and the distinction between direct and indirect meaning and the concept of myth (Barth). Where relevant, principles of psychological perspective are also used to analyze the effects of occupation on characters and society.