The Space of the Marginalized in the Yemeni Novel

Abstract

This research addresses the space of the marginalized people in the Yemeni novel, as a space of transition for the marginalized people (the Akhdam), who suffer from a series of discriminatory practices in terms of relationships, place, and rights. The aim is to understand how these spaces are formed, the polarities that govern them, the worldview that creates a homogeneous meaning among the characters, and their sense of action and reaction in each of the spaces they inhabit or travel through. This was done in a collection of Yemeni novels spanning the years 2008 to 2021, using the methods of cultural criticism and the structural composition of reading and exploration. It is divided into an introduction, two chapters, and results. The first chapter addresses the space of residence by exploring places of residence and the characters' relationships with them, and the polarities, relationships, and mutual viewpoints they produce between the self and the other in terms of values, behaviors, and perceptions. The second chapter addresses spaces of transition as a factor in understanding the other's perspective and relationship with the self, and thus the impact of this space on  shaping the behavior of the self and the other, he concluded that the space of the marginalized was not merely a transient space in the novels, but rather a lived, repellent experience that creates suffering, the consequences of which are felt by the marginalized characters. The self (the marginalized) was forced to move to the space of the other in order to work and secure his daily sustenance. To do so, he performed jobs described as degrading and dirty, such as begging, shining shoes, washing cars, or stealing.