Power and Imprisonment in the Novels of Ali Badr

Abstract

The novel serves as a powerful literary tool for addressing or highlighting societal problems through its literary elements. The richness of Arab novels in various topics and issues within society is attributed to the diversity of events witnessed by novelists in their home countries, such as Ali Badr in Iraq. He felt the impact of events in his homeland and captured them in a literary manner in his novels. The study titled "Power and Imprisonment in the Novels of Ali Badr" delves into the prison space in Iraqi prisons after 2003. Ali Badr specifically focuses on prisons and their dynamics in four novels: "The Murderers' Ball," "Liars Get Everything," "Chasing the Wolves," and "Jerusalem Lamps." Ali Badr portrays the prison environment, administrative characters, and prisoners, depicting their situations and how they are treated within the prison. Additionally, he narrates various forms of torture, whether psychological or physical. Furthermore, Badr illustrates the external reality within these prisons, particularly in the novel "The Murderers' Ball," describing the "Palace of Life" divided into two floors. The upper floor is designated for the entertainment of officers' families, while the ground floor becomes a hellish space for the prisoners. This presentation conveys an image to the reader that the fascist authority provides a luxurious life for its supporters and unjustly imprisons the opposition for any reason. In conclusion, the study provides an in-depth analysis of how Ali Badr uses his novels to address and portray the issues of power and imprisonment in post-  Iraqi society.