The Enablers of the Narrativization of History in Novelistic Discourse: Al-Tantouriah as a Model

Abstract

This study discusses the relationship between history as a documentary material and narrative as an imaginative material, as well as the role that narrative plays in reshaping history. Within this framework, the novel *The Tantouria* by writer Radwa Ashour stands out as a fictional text that builds on using history as a narrative horizon and a semantic benchmark to reinterpret and reshape it from the perspective of the text’s creator. The novel does not merely make direct references to historical contexts; it seeks to produce a narrative that approaches events from within. It highlights the importance of the relationship between historical reference and imaginative structure and shows how character and setting construction, along with the use of narrative time, contribute to forming a narrative consciousness of history. The study also touches on the role of certain narrative techniques in shaping historical meaning and guiding reader reception, while questioning the limits of imagination in relation to reference. I adopted a descriptive approach in analyzing the narrative text, aiming to reveal the mechanisms of representing history and transforming it into lively narrative material that allows for the production of a critical and interactive historical discourse with collective awareness

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