Withstanding the Winds of Change? Literary Representations of the Gulf War and its Impacts on Saudi Society

Zahia Smail Salhi, Abdullah Alfauzan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This article argues that the 1991 Gulf War had a deep transformative effect on Saudi Arabia. It aims to analyse the extent to which this war brought about major ideological changes to a society seemingly deemed unchangeable. Through the study of three Saudi novels which drew on this war as a source of creative and political inspiration, this study brings to life Saudi people’s discussions, dilemmas, and reactions to the crumbling of the edifice of Arab unity and the emergence of ‘America’ in its place as the ‘saviour’ from the evil of Saddam Hussein. We contend that despite resistance from various conservative elements of Saudi society, the winds of change brought by this war could not be resisted. The novels under study skilfully portray the events of this war not as battlefield accounts, but as accounts of a society wrestling with an irresistible wind of change.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)973-995
Number of pages24
JournalArab Studies Quarterly
Volume39
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Nov 2017

Keywords

  • War literature
  • Gulf War
  • Social transformations
  • Change
  • Riyadh
  • Saudi Arabia

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