Abstract

The novel has established itself as a distinctive literary genre deeply rooted in popular culture. According to Mikhail Bakhtin, the novel originates from the depths of society and emerges from its rituals, traditions, and collective cultural practices. Characterized by a carnivalesque atmosphere, the novel forms a bridge between readers and the popular culture that shapes its development. Bakhtin's perspective constitutes a response to certain Formalist critics who regarded literary works primarily as ideological constructs. In contrast, he views the novel as a literary form born of society and popular culture. Rather than focusing on predetermined social groups or individual heroes, the novel, through its inherent capacity for renewal and innovation, moves closer to ordinary people, portraying their lives, relationships, and the contradictions of everyday society through satire and humor, thereby creating a carnivalesque atmosphere. Drawing upon the principal components of Bakhtin's theory of the carnivalesque and employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the present study examines Ezzedine Jalouji's novel Perforated Masks (Al-Aqnīyah al-Mathqūbah). The findings reveal that dialogism constitutes the dominant structural principle governing the novel's narrative discourse. The narrative seeks to expose the duality and hypocrisy of the contemporary clergy and, through the use of satire and irony, portrays the pursuit of power through falsehood and deception. By employing a carnivalesque mode of representation, the novel seeks to uncover the true identity of the religious establishment within Algerian society. Through the characterization of Haj Fahoum as a representative of the clergy, the author symbolically removes the mask concealing his true identity, thereby expressing a critical stance toward the realities of religious discourse in Algeria. Ultimately, the narrative instills the belief that the masks of falsehood, hypocrisy, and deception will inevitably be removed and that truth will ultimately prevail. Just as in the carnivalesque tradition the authority of the crowned king eventually comes to an end, so too are falsehood and deception ultimately exposed.
Keywords: Mikhail Bakhtin; Carnivalesque Narrative; Ezzedine Jalouji; Perforated Masks (Al-Aqnīyah al-Mathqūbah).
Extended Summary
Introduction
Rooted in Bakhtinian theory and folk celebrations, the carnivalesque is characterized by the dissolution of social hierarchies and the merging of opposites, such as the sacred and the profane. Beyond mere entertainment, the carnivalesque functions as a symbolic ritual of protest against exploitative authority and official culture. By employing literary devices such as satire, role reversal, and the convergence of paradoxes, literature draws upon the carnivalesque to express suppressed human truths and reveal the complex political and social realities of society.
Theoretical Framework: Carnival Literature
Carnival literature is primarily rooted in ritual, performance, and direct interpersonal interaction. "Carnival in literature has derived a complete language from tangible symbolic forms, ranging from complex, expansive actions to individual carnivalesque gestures." The Socratic carnivalesque dialogue is regarded as one of the fundamental techniques of the carnivalesque mode. It is based on two elements: syncrisis and anacrisis. Syncrisis refers to the juxtaposition of different viewpoints on a particular issue, whereas anacrisis denotes the ability to provoke the interlocutor’s speech, stimulate reflection, and compel them to reveal and articulate their opinions.
A narrative that incorporates the characteristics of a carnivalesque space within its dialogic scenes delineates the relationships among characters, the divergence of their perspectives, and the capacity of one party to persuade another. Furthermore, the dialogic situation—and the actions performed by each character—functions as a carnivalesque narrative strategy for expressing positions and revealing hidden truths. This is precisely what emerges in narratives that foreground the characteristics of the carnivalesque space.
Characteristics of Carnivalesque Narrative
In carnivalesque narrative, all barriers collapse as characters enter into a logic of dialogism, revealing their thoughts and positions while confronting the "other" regardless of social rank or status. This process seeks to awaken the recipient’s awareness of a world plagued by conflict, class discrimination, and inequality, while simultaneously aspiring toward equality and a social reality founded upon harmonious human relationships, love, and freedom.
Within this dialogic space, every character possesses a distinct voice and performs a specific role in the carnivalesque scene without restriction or constraint, while each element retains a symbolic presence. Participants employ masks, satire, nonsense, invective, and the grotesque, emphasizing the body through a language that is simultaneously parodic and terrifying. This entails the fusion of heterogeneous elements and the personification of concepts in a mocking, parodic manner that may evoke resentment or hatred.
By mobilizing the concepts inherent in the carnivalesque scene, the narrative represents reality through a masterfully humorous style, thereby expressing the author's intellectual and ideological position. Ultimately, as the carnivalesque scene comes to an end, the masks are removed, revealing the true identities of the individuals behind them. Through the integration of narrative with the carnivalesque world and its cultural heritage, carnivalesque narrative seeks to reveal the true face of life and unmask the concealed identities of individuals.
An Analysis of Ezzedine Djellouaji’s Novel
Al-Aqniʿah al-Mathqubah (The Pierced Masks) stands as a distinctive narrative model, remarkable for its creativity in both form and meaning. Some critics classify it as a narradrama—a term denoting the fusion of narrative and dramatic elements—within the broader context of Djellouaji’s literary works. This hybridization constitutes the text’s most distinctive feature, with polyphony and dialogic scenes serving as the principal dramatic elements that characterize Djellouaji’s oeuvre.
The author presents a unique hybrid genre that combines narrative and drama, granting the work greater freedom and dynamism. This enables him to articulate his inner vision while portraying the realities of Algerian society. Beyond its openness to drama and theatricality, the narrative discourse also engages with diverse cultural traditions. The author strategically employs the carnivalesque space to portray Algeria’s religious reality through a representational framework grounded in the aesthetics of carnival festivities and the pervasive presence of the carnivalesque event.
Throughout his creative oeuvre, Djellouaji emerges as a writer in rebellion against a society burdened by the tyranny of masks. Perhaps the close relationship between the narrative text and social reality explains the author's choice of an oratorical style, transforming the narrative into an act of exposing both the clergy and the administrative apparatus. It constitutes a rejection of the materialism and exploitation that "spawned the 'culture of masks'—a culture that acts as a bargain, compelling individuals to gamble with their values and adopt a chameleon-like nature, changing according to circumstances."
Through the characters of his narradrama—particularly Haj Fahoum and his subordinates, Nashnash and Al-Far—the author portrays the religious figure as an archetype of corruption and opportunism.
Results and Conclusion
Polyphony and the logic of dialogism constitute the dominant features of the structure of this narrative discourse. The novel portrays an attempt to attain power through deception and manipulation. To achieve this, the narrator employs satire and irony throughout the dialogic scenes of the narradrama, effectively illustrating the inherent duality of the religious figure.
Through its carnivalesque framework, the narrative seeks to expose the religious establishment in Algerian society by stripping away the mask of Haj Fahoum, who serves as a personification of the clergy. Consequently, the narrative functions as a profound rejection of the dominant religious discourse in Algeria. Ultimately, the text seeks to cultivate critical awareness among both the audience and the religious figures themselves, asserting that masks will inevitably fall and the truth will ultimately be revealed—just as, within the carnivalesque space, the authority of the crowned monarch is dismantled, exposing his falsehood and duplicity.