Discourse in the Narrative of Jumsa al-Balti from Nights of One Thousand and One Nights

Abstract

This study aims to examine the narrative discourse of Naguib Mahfouz through the application of Gérard Genette’s structuralist approach to the sixth chapter of One Thousand and One Nights by Mahfouz, which presents the character Gamssa al-Balti. The significance of the study lies in uncovering the mechanisms of the text’s internal narration and demonstrating the utility of Genette’s key concepts—narrative time, narrative mood (focalization), and narrative voice—in analyzing the relationship between story and discourse. The study adopts a structuralist analytical method and is organized into two main sections. The first section addresses Genette’s theoretical framework and analytical tools, outlining the fundamental principles and concepts of narrative discourse. The second section applies these concepts to the narrative of Gamssa al-Balti, investigating temporal order, narrative voice levels, and focalization strategies in the construction of events and characters. The findings indicate that Genette’s concepts provide an effective means to deconstruct the mechanisms of narrative discourse and explain how Mahfouz transforms folk tales and traditional narratives into a contemporary literary text rich in artistic and symbolic meaning.