IMAGING THE ARABIAN SAHARA IN IBRAHIM ALKOWNI’S THE RAW GOLD

Resumo

In his literary venture titled, Tibr, the Arabic translation of The Raw Gold, Ibrahim Alkawni has adopted a new philosophy stemming the desert topographical constituents while having its muse from the language of Tuareg, which Alkawni deems as the inspirational source of all languages as well as civilizations. Readings into this work make apparent quite a plethora of imageries adapted in Alkowni’s manner of looking at the world out there and how these same metaphors are utilized in descriptively understanding
the mechanisms whereby this world has always maintained its unity and operational functioning. Therefore, the present paper seeks to decipher the multitudinous manifestations and undertones of Alkowni’s philosophical thoughts about Sahara and the
nomadic cultures residing there. It also takes as its motto in reading Alkowni’s work the philosophical assumption to which Alkawni is still faithful in his writings when he does stress the idea that when one reads a piece of literature or looks at a work of art, he/she
should never beguiled by intimations of summarily absorbing all information presented somewhere or anywhere through text or vision without critically deciphering their tinges when instead every human being is bestowed with all that can do that censuring.