Traces of Woundedness and Ruination in Postwar Iraqi Fiction: Sinan Antoon’s The Corpse Washer as a Case Study

Abstract

This dissertation examines the traces of war in postwar Iraqi fiction, focusing on Sinan Antoon's novel The Corpse Washer (2014). Through a close reading of the narrative, it explores how wounds and ruins manifest in Antoon's work. By adopting a two-dimensional approach, this study integrates late trauma theory, particularly the work of Cathy Caruth, which delves into the role of narrative in speaking the wounds, alongside Maurice Blanchot's philosophical reflections on “the fragmentary,” and the essence of the disaster. Additionally, it employs a contextual and philosophical framework to understand the significance of ruins within the novel, examining how physical and metaphorical ruins reflect the devastation of war. Drawing on the pre-modern tradition of standing before the ruins. The research aims to shed light on how Antoon's narrative bears witness to the enduring scars and fragmented realities of his homeland, and how wounds and ruins are made to speak. It also seeks to render significance to contemporary Arab fiction by giving it value and placing it within the broader context of world literature. This is particularly relevant given the increasing translations and growing readership of recent Arab literary works. Ultimately, the dissertation contributes to the understanding of how modern Arab writers engage aesthetically, ethically, and politically with contemporary issues.