Kurds as 'The Other' to Themselves in the Novel Black Spring (Behari Resh): from the Perspective of the Theory of Postcolonialism
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This research is entitled as "Kurds as 'the Other' to Themselves in the Novel Black Spring: From the perspective of the theory of postcolonialism". The novel "Black Spring" which is written by "Ahmed Mohammed Ismail" is a narrative about the Anfal genocide in German, Iraqi Kurdistan. The genocide and the related narratives are very important research materials for revealing how Kurdish individuals view their "Others" who inflicted this tragedy upon them. This study attempts to identify and explain the Kurdish understanding of the Otherness and their Other in one of the narratives specific to Anfal. Through this approach, we want to determine whether there is a defined boundary between Kurds and their opponents in this narrative. The research conducted by using descriptive-analytical methodology; first establishes the theoretical framework based on postcolonial theory, particularly drawing on the ideas of Edward Said and Frantz Fanon. It then attempts to identify the manifestation of the "Other" in the novel under the light of these theoretical perspectives. Here, the hypothesis is that the Kurds have become their own "Other," and there is more of a self-blame behind the narratives, which has led to a kind of surrender to the historical inevitability of colonial power and their dominance.
DOI: 10.21271/zjhs.29.6.6
Author: Hazhar Ahmed Abdulghafur
Institution: Soran University
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4417307300