IAFOR Journal of Literature & Librarianship

Volume 12 – Issue 2 – 2023

Coronavirus: A Literary Perspective from the Arab World
Manal Almehaidly
University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

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Abstract
The Coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of human life, including
the way we experience and represent reality. One of the most striking aspects of the pandemic
has been the widespread documentation of scenes of chaos and suffering. These scenes havebeen captured on news footage and social media posts and have been shared widely around theworld. While these images provide a glimpse into the reality of the pandemic, they often failto capture the full emotional and psychological impact of the experience. In contrast, literature
has a long history of representing the hidden impact of pandemics and catastrophes on thepsyche of individuals and communities. From Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year
(1722) to Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera (1985), the novel, inparticular, has offered a valuable and perceptive understanding of the pandemic experience. In
the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, a surge of literary responses emerged from novelists
around the world. This paper aims to map how the pandemic outbreak unfolds in the Arabic
novel. It investigates how Arab novelists make meaning of COVID-19 by examining prevalent
themes and recurrent structures in their works. The focus is on four major Arab novels:
Muhamad bin Muhamad Salem’s Ala’ib Khalid ma’ Korona (Khalid’s Games with Corona,2020); Wasini Alaraj’s Layliat Ramada (Ramada’s Nights, 2021); Jasem Salman’s Korona:
Alhub wa Alharb (Corona: Love and War, 2021); Sakina Aldakhil’s Nawbet Amal (A Fit ofHope, 2021).
Keywords: Arabic novel, pandemic fiction, pandemic literature, COVID-19

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The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives in a rapid and unpredictable way. It is “aparadigm-shifting event that divides lives and cultures into a before and after” (Outka, 2020,
para. 2). The pandemic outbreak has led to a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety. This
uncertainty is represented in literature and the writings about the pandemic. There are many
novels and stories that have been written about the pandemic, and each one offers a uniqueperspective on this global event. However, writing about pandemics in literature is somewhat
akin to writing about wars and natural disasters: writers often need the tragedies to end before
they can fully explore them in a literary way that is both profound and meaningful.1 This isespecially true for novels, which often deal with topics at length and in detail, and which require
more time to convey human emotions during such turbulent times. Likewise, great authors havewritten about pandemics and used them as symbols in their novels. Yet, the most interesting
literature about them has only emerged years after the end of crisis. According to Elizabeth
Outka, in her study of the novels written about 1918-1919 influenza, “as the pandemic becameless of an immediate threat and fears of its return started to recede, authors seemed more willing
to resurrect it: to represent its damage directly, to process its meaning, and to assess its lingering
effects” (Outka, 2019, p. 4). An example of this is the Great Plague of London of 1665 which
was revisited many decades later in works like Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year
(1722). Similarly, the deadly Spanish Flu of 1918-1919 found its way into literature years laterin works such as William Maxwell’s They Came Like Swallows (1937) and Katherine Anne
Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider (1939).
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a wave of public introspection among poets and novelists
in the Arab world, as well as in other parts of the globe. A survey of Arabic pandemic fiction
suggests that, amid the initial outbreak of Coronavirus, there has been a rush to publish novels
that explicitly put “Corona” on their cover pages – Running Away from Corona (2021), The
Illusion of Corona (2021), The Judgment of Corona (2021) – or use it as a backdrop to alreadyknown and familiar narratives – Love in the Time of Corona (2021) (Naef, 2020, p. 11). Whilesome novelists were able to capture the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic in their work,
the majority of fiction published during that time was lacking in depth (Ismail, 2021; Naef,
2020). However, the novels that have been published to date suggest that the pandemic has hada significant impact on Arabic literature and culture, and it is likely that this impact willcontinue to be seen in the years to come. Moreover, the full extent of the COVID-19’s impact
on the Arabic novel is not yet well-documented in the literary criticism (Alsabt, 2022, p. 273).
The current study aims to fill the gap in the research on post-Corona Arabic novels by offering
a nuanced paradigm for analyzing them. The study will explore how post-Corona Arabic fiction
makes meaning of the pandemic and how it has shaped the novels’ themes, characters, andstructures. To this end, textual analysis and close reading will be used as the primarymethodology to analyze both content and form of the selected works. Given the limited scope1

The impact of World War I (1914-1918) on Anglo-American fiction is just one example of the ways in whichliterature responded to war. There was relatively little fiction written about the dark side of the war during the war
itself and the immediate aftermath (Hynes, 1990, p. 424). However, in the 1930s, a new wave of novels began toemerge, exploring the psychological and social impact of the war. The 1930s saw a publication of some of themost important and influential works of Anglo-American fiction about World War I, including Virginia Woolf’s
To the Lighthouse (1927), F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) and Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell toArms (1929) (Peters, 2012, p. 34).

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Volume 12 – Issue 2 – 2023of the study, the focus will be on four Arabic novels that were published shortly after the
pandemic began and that offer a unique artistic perspective on this global crisis: Muhamad bin
Muhamad Salem’s novel Ala’ib Khalid ma’ Korona (Khalid’s Games with Corona, 2020),
Wasini Alaraj’s Layliat Ramada (Ramada’s Nights, 2021), Jasem Salman’s Korona alhub wa
alharb (Corona: Love and War, 2021), Sakina Aldakhil’s Nawbet Amal (A Fit of Hope, 2021).
This way the study will examine how the parameters of assessing the nature of the pandemic
are similar or different from one novelist to the other. By examining the diverse perspectivesof post-Corona Arabic novelists, the study will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of
the pandemic and its impact on the Arabic literature.
Coronavirus Between Myth and Reality
Pandemics and the plague have been a recurring theme in literature for centuries (Girard, 1974).
Pandemic in literature is not just a medical phenomenon, but also a powerful symbol that has
been used to explore complex themes like fear, isolation, solidarity, and resilience in the faceof death. In the Arabic novel, the representation of the COVID-19 pandemic takes two distinct
forms: mythical and realist. In mythical representations of COVID-19, the pandemic is seen asa manifestation of a deeper moral or social crisis. Through such representations the pandemic
is used as a metaphor for the challenges of modern life, such as capitalism, political corruption,and social alienation. Both Wasini Alaraj and Jasim Salman imagine a world in their novels inwhich the COVID-19 pandemic is just one of many catastrophes that have befallen humanity.
These novels explore the ways in which the pandemic has exposed the fragility of our world
and the need for new ways of thinking about our relationship to each other and to the world.
In realist representations, the pandemic is depicted as a natural disaster that has devastatingconsequences for human society. These novels often focus on the physical and emotional
impact of the pandemic, as well as the social and political challenges it creates. Good examples
of such realist representations are Salem’s Khaled’s Games with Corona and Aldakil’s A Fit
of Hope. Both texts follow the lives of their central characters as they grapple with the effectsof the pandemic. The novels vividly depict the chaos and fear that the pandemic unleashed, as
well as the resilience and compassion of the human spirit.
The Mythical Plague
Myth is a recurrent theme in much modern literature (Gentile, 2011). It can assume many
shapes, and the term “mythical” may conceal a variety of cultural phenomena (White, 1971, p.
3). James W. Menzies notes that there is no single form of myth and that it is constantly being
reinterpreted and reinvented in literature (2014, p. 23). However, there are some common
qualities that constitute the mythical attribute. Mythical literature often features mythicalcharacters, such as gods, epic heroes, demons, and monsters. These characters are often used
to explore themes of good and evil. There is also the mythical setting, such as lost cities, ancientforests, and magical realms. These settings can provide a symbolic perception of reality andthe different aspect of human society. However, this study will apply a specific understandingof myth that combines an approach of myth as reception (White, 1971) and the myth and ritualschool.

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Pandemic fiction often features a sense of mystery, in which the disease is given somesupernatural power (Girard, 1989). In literature the plague is often portrayed as a mythical orsupernatural force that brings about death and destruction. This is because the cause of thepandemic is often unknown, the speed with which it spreads is unbelievable, and the powerwith which it destroys is unprecedented (More, 2021, p. 3857). In Corona: Love and War,
Salman’s narrator reflects on the mysterious influence of Corona pandemic: “Corona, thedisease that baffled humanity with its tyranny […] is just like the Nimrod’s fly2 – its origins,departure, and potential consequences for humanity remain shrouded in uncertainty.” (Salman,
2021, p. 231). The novel draws a parallel between the mysterious and perplexing nature of the
COVID-19 pandemic and the enigmatic quality of Nimrod’s fly. By making this comparison,
the author highlights the sense of mystery and unpredictability surrounding the pandemic,
emphasizing that it has left humanity grappling with many unanswered questions anduncertainties. Moreover, the plague is often seen as a symbol of the dark side of human natureand the destructive power of evil (Schmitz, 2021). Thus, the mythical plague can be used to
explore different social, political, and psychological crises, reflecting the fear and uncertainty
experienced during epidemics. This section will examine how mythical literary representationsof COVID-19 in the Arabic novel reveal the complex social, political, and psychologicaldynamics that both shape and are shaped by this unprecedented global crisis.
The mythical representation of the pandemic is evident in both Alaraj’s novel Ramada’s Nights
and Salman’s novel Corona: Love and War. Both texts imbue the virus with mythical power,
depicting it as a force that destroys all aspects of life in a way that transcends scientificunderstanding. Additionally, both novels utilize imaginative and mysterious settings, as well
as recurring mythical motifs such as the “conjunction between the plague and the sacrificial
rituals in mythology” (Girard, 1974, p. 19). While Salman invokes mythical characters such as
jinn, devils, and demons, Alaraj draws on religious mythology. Despite their apparent
differences, both novels share these elements, which contribute to their respective
representations of the pandemic as a mythical phenomenon. The mythical portrayal of thepandemic in these two novels transcends mere incorporation of magical or supernaturalelements; it serves as a lens through which to delve into the pandemic’s profound meaning.
Within Alaraj’s Ramada’s Nights and Salman’s Corona: Love and War, COVID-19 emerges
as a manifestation of systemic societal issues. This section aims to elucidate how such narrative
approach facilitates a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s societal and politicalramifications and how it is employed to reveal the vulnerabilities inherent in civil and societal
structures.
In Ramada’s Nights, the author conjures up an imaginative city to serve as the backdrop of theoutbreak of the pandemic in the novel. The name of the city is Coviland which is derived fromthe name of the virus itself, Covid. The city, which lies on the coast of an unnamed sea in an
unnamed country, is represented as a land with a long history of diseases, droughts, and wars

2

In Jewish and Islamic mythology, Nimrod is depicted as a powerful tyrant who incurred divine punishment
leading to his death. This punishment is said to have resulted from a tiny fly entering his nose, causing him to fall
ill and ultimately killing him (Furayhah, 1992, p.174).

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and is dominated by anarchy and corruption. Salman’s Corona: Love and War, on the other
hand, features an unnamed city which is also dominated by anarchy and corruption. Salman’scity is described as a land of “fear”, “wars” and “arm trade” where people are constantly“looking over their shoulders” (Salman, 2021, p. 13). The virus is seen as a punishment from
God, and the people of the city are in a state of constant restlessness and anxiety. Suchunexplained, excessive forces at work in both cities suggest a mythological approach. The
utilization of unnamed settings in the novels can be interpreted in two ways. First, the location
may be irrelevant in itself but rather a symbol of places in which inequalities and injusticeprevail. By avoiding naming specific places, the writers are able to make their criticisms ofsuch injustices more universal and gives the place a wide symbolism as if talking about theworld. Second, in their critique of such injustices – whether political, capitalist, religious, or
social – the writers may be avoiding pointing the finger at a particular place in order to avoid
censorship or persecution. This allows them to express their criticism of these powers without
directly implicating any specific individuals or institutions. For example, the unnamed coastal
city in Corona: Love and War has a lot in common with the planned city of NEOM built on
the Red Sea in northwest Saudi Arabia. Salman’s novel describes a city that rises economicallyin record time for unclear reasons, as if it was chosen by hidden forces to be a site for larger
and wider works than its inhabitants could imagine. This suggests that the city, according to
the author, is controlled by capitalism, which grows and controls everything, becomingmonolithic and unstoppable. However, the pandemic interrupts the progress of this grand plan,and the city and its neighboring towns and villages are hit by a sudden stoppage of life andwork. Eventually, the economic inflation that affected the place comes to an end.
In Salman’s and Alaraj’s novels, the mythical plague is never present alone. It is part of a“thematic cluster” (Girard, 1974, p. 840–1) that includes the motif of ritual sacrifice, which isa significant element of mythological narratives. This element is present in both texts, but it isdepicted more explicitly in Salman’s novel. In Corona: Love and War, there is a clear
interweaving of reality with “ancient Arab mythology” of jinn, lost treasures of Aladdin, andstories of the sudden rise from rags to riches (Salman, 2021, p. 73). The story of Amer, a poor
shepherd from the village, who meets the jinn during his regular trips to the desert
while tending to his flock of goats evokes stories of fantasy and allegory (Menzies, 2014, p.
33). Amer is represented as meager, mean man who is determined to rid himself of his “bitter
poverty” in any way possible (Salman, 2021, p. 31). He finds in the jinn’s fantastic power andknowledge an opportunity to escape his reality. Amer approaches the jinn and makes a contract
with their leader, “a half-human-half-demon creature” (Salman, 2021, p. 36), in which heagrees to sacrifice the body of a young girl and present it to the jinn in return for power, wealth,and the marriage to the most beautiful girl in the village, Layla. Amer’s wish is granted and inno time, he becomes the wealthiest, most powerful man, not only in his village, but in the wholecountry. However, this prosperity is interrupted with the spread of the pandemic, which takes
the life of Amer’s young bride as well.
While there are no ritual sacrifices explicitly made in Alaraj’s novel, there is a similar
representation of the trope of ritual sacrifice in the death of Ramada’s mother, Zahra.. Her
illness is initially approached with superstitious and religious treatments by the father, who

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keeps her locked in and refuses to allow her to be hospitalized or receive any medical treatment.
His resources in this approach are what Ramada calls “the superstitions of the Imam,
Shamsuddin” whom the father considers as “the savior of all humanity” (Alaraj, 2021, p. 17).
The father’s superstitious and religious treatments for Zahra’s illness indicate a belief in the
power of these rituals to heal or protect. On the other hand, the mother, who is depicted ashaving made all sorts of sacrifices throughout her life, adheres to her husband’s wish as if
making her final sacrifice to both patriarchal figures, the father and the Imam. The narrator
declares that the reason behind the father’s sacrifice of Zahra is “his fear of the death devils”(Alaraj, 2021, p. 14), which once again emphasizes the role of superstitious beliefs inaddressing the illness. This portrayal suggests that the father is giving away Zahra as ascapegoat in an attempt to save his own life. Immediately after Zahra’s death, his fear of death
disappears, and he starts a new life. He marries a woman half his age and revives his business,
which has temporarily collapsed during quarantine.
Examining the ritual sacrifices depicted in the selected novels provides valuable insight into
how certain individuals’ deaths, as Judith Butler has argued, are considered less “grievable”
than others (2022, p. 4). Pandemic fiction has consistently uncovered the unequal impact ofcrises on marginalized and oppressed groups revealing the harsh reality that those who are
already disadvantaged face heightened challenges during times of crisis, such as the COVID19 pandemic (Burkert, 2021, p. 39). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the high rates of deathamong marginalized groups, such as disabled individuals and people from racial minorities andethnic communities, can be attributed to several factors, including structural racism anddisparities in healthcare access (Krishnadas and Taha, 2020, p. 50). Their death is not perceived
as important or worthy of grieving because they are considered as others (Butler, 2022, p. 4).
Butler’s concept of “grievability” can be extended to show that the deaths of women, in thenovels under discussion, are also considered less “grievable” than those of other groups. In
both Salem’s and Alaraj’s novels, only women are sacrificed not as an inevitable tragic
consequence of the pandemic, but because their lives are devalued within the patriarchal
societies depicted in both works. The representations of the sacrificial acts of women charactersby men are used to explore and expose the gendered inequalities pervasive in society. The
sacrifices of the young girl and Zahra, the mother, are ultimately futile, as they do not preventthe spread of the pandemic or bring about any lasting happiness for the survivors. However,these sacrifices do serve to highlight the vulnerability of women’s lives in communities
controlled by gender inequalities.
The mythical representation of the pandemic in these two novels is not simply a matter ofadding magical or supernatural elements to the story. Rather, it is a way of exploring the deeper
meaning of the pandemic. It provides a framework for understanding the pandemic and its
social and political implications. COVID-19 in Alaraj’s novel Ramada’s Nights and Salman’s
novel Corona: Love and War is seen as a manifestation of the underlying problems in society.
The prevailing inequalities and injustices that are present in the depicted cities are seen as
equally significant, if not more so, than the pandemic itself. The pandemic is used to reveal thefragility of civil, societal, and humanitarian structures as a whole.

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Realist Representation of the Pandemic
Realist representations of the pandemic typically focus on the physical and emotional effectsof the pandemic. In such representations, the narratives often draw on deep research and theauthor’s reporting skills to create a vivid and realistic depiction of the pandemic. Both Salem’sGames with Corona and Aldakhil’s A Fit of Hope represent the epidemic in a matter-of-fact
way, drawing on facts and scientific evidence in an attempt to bring to life a contemporary
world of pestilence and death. The notion of what constitutes real evidence both scientific andsocial in both works is fundamental. They emulate genres of factual reports of the pandemic
based on available data, epidemiological variables, and the reports from the World HealthOrganization.
Khaled’s Games with Corona by Salem tells the story of a Mauritanian child who is displaced
from his home country due to his father’s work. Khaled is forced to adapt to his new life in the
United Arab Emirates, where he cautiously makes new friends and tries to enjoy the city
atmosphere. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forces Khaled to stay indoors
and limits his social interactions. Khaled finds it difficult to adjust to these restrictions, and he
begins to devise plans to go against the rules. The novel chronicles Khaled’s daily efforts tocircumvent the quarantine rules, and it explores the psychological and emotional toll that the
pandemic takes on Khaled and his family. The novel is divided into four chapters, each ofwhich corresponds to one week of full quarantine. The chapters are written in a simple anddirect style, and they provide a clear and concise account of the outbreak of the pandemic, thegovernment precautions against its spreading and the way people reacted to these precautions.
The following passage is a clear example of this:That night, Khaled learned that the Emirate’s government had implemented a numberof measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures included
the closure of mosques and the suspension of jama’ah prayers. The number ofconfirmed cases had reached 93, and it was likely that more measures would be
implemented soon. Social gatherings of all types would be banned, and stores andshopping areas would be required to enforce strict social distancing measures (Salem,
2020, pp. 45–46).
The narrative style here provides a detailed perspective of the early measures taken in responseto the spread of COVID-19 by the Emirate’s government. These measures are listed in a matterof-fact way, and they are followed by the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The use ofstatistical facts in this passage serves to create a sense of reality and provides a clear perspectiveon the impact of the COVID-19 on contemporary life in that particular moment of history.
In her novel Fit of Hope, Aldakhil tells the story of a nurse who must choose between quitting
her job to care for her sick newborn daughter or returning to work to save lives. The novel
explores the challenges faced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as wellas the personal and professional sacrifices that they make. The novel’s protagonist, Dalilah, isa dedicated nurse who is passionate about her work. However, when she gives birth to her sick42

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daughter, she stays at home to attend to her. With the outbreak of the pandemic, Dalilah isforced to make the difficult decision of going back to work, but she does so with great
reluctance. She knows that she is putting her daughter and her family at risk, but she also knowsthat she will be saving other people’s lives. The novel follows Dalilah as she struggles tobalance her personal and professional obligations, and it explores the emotional and physicaltoll that the pandemic takes on her. In her daily interaction with the sick and ill, Dalilah reports,
almost in a scientific matter-of-fact way, the signs, symptoms, and consequences of getting
infected with COVID-19: “The symptoms were similar, almost identical: high temperature,difficult breathing, pain in the chest, severe headache, lack of oxygen and signs of delirium”(Aldakhil, 2021, p. 47). This vivid description becomes even clearer when the narrator gets
infected with the virus herself: “Her breath becomes erratic, her chest muscles fatigue, her heart
rate quickens, her blood oxygen levels drop, and she teeters on the edge of fainting” (Aldakhil,
2021, p. 93). The narrative focuses on the observable and tangible aspects of the pandemic.
Furthermore, it depicts how it is even more challenging for emotional and mental health. The
following passage creates an intense sense of claustrophobia and despair:She had lost track of time in that small, suffocating room, in which she was trapped.
The ceiling was her only companion, and she had come to know its every crack andcrevice. She learnt by heart which lights go on first before the others (Aldakhil, 2021,
p. 146).
Having submitted to medical isolation care, Dalilah cannot see her family anymore. The
passage effectively conveys her emotional state in the small isolation room. Dalilah, who has
previously nursed so many infected patients and attended to them in their time of isolation,
now knows for real what it is like to be sick, isolated and separated from her loved ones in thetime she needs them the most.
Both realist and mythical representations of the COVID-19 pandemic offer valuable insights
into the human experience of this global crisis. Realist representations help us to understandthe physical and emotional impact of the pandemic, while mythical representations help us to
see the pandemic as a symbol of deeper moral and social challenges. By exploring thesedifferent perspectives, the selected novels help us to reflect on how individuals navigate a
profound reevaluation of their self-conceptions and interpersonal dynamics within the
backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is the central theme of the following section.
Social Lockdown: Rethinking Self and Others
The social lockdown imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a central theme
in much of the pandemic-related fiction. It is impossible to discuss the pandemic in fiction
without discussing the social lockdown, as it is one of the most defining features of thepandemic and a powerful metaphor that runs through the post-Coronavirus novels. The social
lockdown has a profound impact not only on society and life but also on the literature andculture of the time. This period exposes the vulnerability of individuals to social and economic
consequences, while also prompting a reevaluation of how individuals relate to themselves and43

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each other in the context of illness and death. These themes are particularly relevant given thevarious forms of social lockdowns – such as isolation, quarantine, curfew, and social distancing– that test the inherent sociability of human beings. The novels under discussion delve deeply
into these overarching themes. They serve as powerful metaphors, intricately woven into thepost-Coronavirus narratives, symbolizing the profound societal shifts and personaltransformations brought about by the pandemic. This section explores ideas of social lockdown,
quarantine, isolation, and social distancing as narrative tools used to represent the impact ofthe pandemic on notions of individuality, community and belonging.
In Khaled’s Games with Corona, the author explores the impact of social distancing on Khaled,
who is already familiar with social isolation. As mentioned previously, Khaled is displaced
from his home country of Mauritania and he experiences social isolation in the city where hisfamily settled. The few friends he made were merely distractions, as the dream of returninghome to his old friends and extended family has always been with him. In the wake of the
COVID-19 quarantine, Khaled’s limited social life comes to a halt, and his feeling of
estrangement is further intensified. The lockdown causes him to reconsider his place in thisalien community. In one scene, Khaled packs his bags and tells his parents that he is going toflee the country exclaiming: “I’m basically jailed in the house here. I can’t go out, I can’t play... I’m suffocating and I will die” (Salem, 2020, p. 84). This childish idea of fleeing the country
in a time of lockdown and air travel curfew shows how social distancing can be morechallenging for people who are already alienated and displaced. Furthermore, the novel also
explores the impact of social distancing on different individuals and in various geographic
contexts, providing an insightful understanding of this issue. Khaled’s experience in the United
Arab Emirates differs from his cousins’ experience in Mauritania. In the crowded cities of theUnited Arab Emirates, social distancing is strictly enforced, and Khaled is warned that he could
be arrested if he violates the rules. In his hometown, a village south of Mauritania, social
distancing and the government’s precautionary measures are not strictly enforced or followed.
Khaled makes video calls to his cousins back home, where they mockingly assert their freedom
to wander the streets and visit each other without any concerns about Corona; they insist,“there’s no Corona here!” (Salem, 2020, p. 85). This illustrates the notion that in some regions,
Corona is seen as an illusion imposed by lockdown. These geographic disparities in theenforcement of social distancing measures not only contribute to diverse pandemic experiences
but also present distinct challenges and opportunities.
In Khaled’s Games with Corona, the narrative centers around Khaled’s experience of social
lockdown while placing those of his mother and sisters in the background, despite them sharing
the same challenging circumstances. Unlike Khaled, his sister does not exhibit any resistanceto the lockdown. She is depicted spending her time locked in her room “as usual” (Salem, 2020,
p. 13), as if the lockdown has had no discernible impact on her, except for Khaled’s increased
presence at home, which occasionally leads to more annoyance than before. The mother’s
response to the lockdown receives minimal mention, with her main concern being Khaled’s
potential rule-breaking and venturing out onto the street. The author’s deliberate omission of
the mother’s and sister’s experiences may convey the notion that in certain Arab countries,
women already contend with various forms of confinement, rendering the concept of social

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distancing relatively inconsequential for them. This perspective sheds light on the complex
interplay between gender roles and societal norms during the pandemic. It highlights how
gender dynamics can shape individuals’ responses to crises like the pandemic, influencing theirperceptions of what constitutes confinement and the impact it has on their lives.
In Ramada’s Nights, the narrator declares in the opening chapter, “lockdown has exposed us
all [...] our secrets, ailments, and human frailties” (Alaraj, 2021, p. 21). This quotation sets thetone for exploring the impact of lockdown on the main characters’ lives. It indicates that
lockdowns have forced individuals to confront hidden aspects of themselves or their lives thatthey may not have previously acknowledged. This could refer to personal struggles, familial
issues or psychological problems that have come to the forefront due to isolation. Alaraj’s
central character, Ramada, who is unhappily married to a mentally abusive husband, finds
solace in her relationship with Shadi, a middle-aged musician who constantly travels between
countries to perform. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forces the two lovers toseparate, as Shadi is unable to travel back to Coviland. When the government of Coviland
imposes full lockdown measures and sends people back to the safety of their homes, Ramada
is frightened by the idea of being locked in at home with her abusive husband. Alaraj’s narrative
is a thought-provoking exploration of the ways in which homes are not always safe spaces for
women. For many women, homes can be sites of violence, abuse, and control. The COVID-19
pandemic has made this issue even more pressing and has exposed how “home is not, and has
never been, a place of safety” (Krishnadas and Taha, 2020, p. 47). According to a report from
UN Women, the global lockdowns implemented in response to the pandemic led to a surge indomestic violence targeting women. The lockdown orders aimed at controlling the spread of
COVID-19 inadvertently trapped women in close spaces with their abusers, creating perilous
conditions that often resulted in violence against women, sometimes with tragic consequences(UN Women, 2021).
Before the quarantine, Ramada struggles against the cruelty of traditional patriarchy,
personified in two main characters: her selfish father and her unbalanced husband. Ramada’s
father, who names her after the year of the great drought when the land turns to ash in thethirteenth century AH, is disappointed that his firstborn is a female. He expresses his
disappointment by giving her a name that means ashes. Ramada’s husband is described as
infected with an inferiority complex, and he takes revenge by torturing Ramada and trying toenslave her. Ramada is not able to resist either of them. She submits to her father’s will to getmarried to Karem and later submits to Karem’s violent subjugation, continuing in a hopelessmarriage. The social lockdown is depicted as threatening, not only for Ramada’s safety but
also for her husband’s mental stability. During quarantine, he becomes paranoid andincreasingly hostile towards Ramada, beating and violating her in every way possible. The
escalating violence that Karem inflicts on her leads Ramada to rethink the whole idea of her
situation and reevaluate her priorities. Ramada confronts the cruelty and violence of her
husband and her place as subservient to abusive patriarchy. During quarantine the proximity
between Ramada and Karem becomes suffocating, and she eventually pushes him off thebalcony of their seventh-floor apartment to his death.

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I took a deep breath and held it in as I ran towards him with all my strength. In thatmoment, I felt like a lioness attacking its prey. I was powerful. I was a beast. I didn’t
hear anything. I threw myself at him with all my weight and pushed him off the seventh
floor. All I remember is the sound of his body hitting the ground and exploding like a
trash bag. I couldn’t tell if I was awake or if it was all just a nightmare (Alaraj, 2021,
p. 299).
In the above passage, Ramada describes herself in terms like “lioness”, “powerful” and a“beast”, all of which have connotations of empowerment, strength, and autonomy. Thisphrasing avoids the negative connotations of the murder and leaves the interpretation of
Ramada’s self-descriptions up to the reader. The novel suggests that quarantine can be acatalyst for change, as it can force people to confront difficult truths about themselves and theirrelationships. This is also true about Ramada’s prodigal brother, who starts to distance himself
from the family during social distancing. He becomes involved in criminal activities,
smuggling medicines and pain killers. Eventually, he becomes a prominent figure in theneighborhood, providing people with essential goods and services, albeit through illicit means.
Clearly, the quarantine is also giving him a new sense of power and authority which he could
not experience before when he was overshadowed by his father’s authority.
In Salman’s Corona: Love and War, the chapter titled “Quarantine” opens as follows: “Dayswent slowly; everything was locked down. People were imprisoned in life’s large prison, notknowing what to do. Problems and social issues escalated” (Salman, 2021, p. 278). While theopening of Salman’s chapter sets the stage for the atmosphere of confinement and uncertainty
during the pandemic, the novel as a whole delves deeper into the impact of social distancing
on relationships. The novel examines the impact of social distancing on the young lovers
Gibran and Layla, illustrating how quarantine and social distancing leads to the reevaluation ofrelationships and fundamentally reshapes the very nature of physical intimacy. Thistransformation can also give rise to new desires and needs. Gibran, the son of the coastal city,
is in a long-distance relationship with Layla, who lives in the village. Prior to the pandemic,
Gibran seems content with this type of relationship, spending his time in prolonged
conversations with Layla on the phone, with whom he shares interests in literature, poetry, andart. However, with the implementation of social distancing, Gibran, who is already distant fromhis beloved, becomes terrified by the idea of distance and runs to Zeina, his neighbor, because
she is more easily accessible. The novel suggests that social distancing can awaken in people
the urgent desire for physical intimacy. Moreover, it underscores the irreplaceable significanceof physical presence and touch in human interaction, echoing Julia Obermayr’s insightful
observation that virtual connections, while helpful, cannot substitute for the value that physicalpresence and touch hold for humans (Obermayr, 2023, p. 278). Obermayr’s insights into theeffects of isolation highlight that the most profound form of loneliness arises from the absenceof physical touch, which cannot be adequately addressed through the “virtualization of ourrelationship with the world via technological media” (2011, p. 278). This observation sheds
light on the complex interplay between physical and emotional intimacy during times of social
distancing, showing how human beings yearn for physical closeness as a means of combating
the emotional challenges of isolation and the virtualization of relationships. In Salman’s novel,

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the pandemic has made Gibran feel more isolated and alone, which has led to a greater needfor intimacy and connection.
In the final novel of this study, A Fit of Hope, Aldakhil titles the opening chapter “Curfew”.
This chapter examines the repercussions of social distancing on the central character, Dalilah.
Her unique situation as a new mother to a baby girl born with a congenital heart defect compels
her to adopt a rigorous form of self-imposed quarantine and social distancing, effectively
confining herself to what the narrator describes as “a jail-like existence, where she
simultaneously takes on the roles of both the jailed and the jailer” (Aldakhil, 2021, p. 15). This
cautious approach arises from her profound concern for the health of her new-born, as she fears
that any infection could endanger her child’s life. However, shortly after the governmentimposed lockdown, the protagonist’s self-imposed quarantine becomes part of a broader,
enforced isolation experienced by the entire community. At this point, Dalilah disregards her
self-imposed quarantine and returns to her work as a nurse due to her sense of responsibility
toward the broader community. In a desperate effort to save lives, Dalilah ultimately loses her
own life. She is portrayed grappling with isolation as she lies dying in the intensive care ward,
lonely and separated from her family. However, she finds comfort in the knowledge that her
daughter’s heart condition has been cured. The ending of the novel suggests that even in the
midst of pain and loss, there is always hope for new beginnings. Dalilah’s death and herdaughter’s healing at the same time can be seen as a symbolic representation of the cyclicalnature of life. The pain of the pandemic is often followed by hope, and new beginnings canemerge even in the wake of tragedy.
Conclusion
In mapping the representations of the pandemic in the Arabic novel, this paper offers insight
into how authors respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The selected novels offer a range ofperspectives on how the pandemic challenges traditional notions of community and belonging,as well as how characters view themselves and the world in the wake of lockdown, isolation,
quarantine, and social distancing. It is noteworthy that the use of different narrative modes,
including the mythical and the realistic, allows authors to provide diverse perspectives on the
pandemic’s impact. In some novels, the pandemic is seen as a symbol of social inequalities andeconomic discrepancies that already exist in society. In other novels, the pandemic is viewed
as a global health crisis that claims the lives of so many people and divides and isolates manyothers. Moreover, some novels regard the pandemic as a reminder of the fragility of humanexistence and of social and political systems. Others argue that the pandemic can also be acatalyst for positive change, as it forces people to re-evaluate their priorities and re-think theirsituations. Overall, these novels offer a rich tapestry of responses to this unprecedented eventand underscore the significance of narrative choices in conveying the complexities of the
COVID-19 outbreak.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic is a relatively recent and ongoing event that continues toshape the literary landscape. As a result, the representation of the pandemic in Arabic fiction
is still evolving. Writers are still in the process of interpreting and representing this47

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transformative experience. Through various narrative modes, such as the mythical and therealistic, they offer diverse perspectives on the current state of the world. We are only starting
to see the first wave of pandemic-themed novels, and it is likely that we will encounter abroader array of narratives exploring the COVID-19 pandemic in different ways in the future,reflecting the ever-evolving nature of this global crisis in Arabic fiction.

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Corresponding author: Manal M. Almehaidly
Email: malmuhaidly@ut.edu.sa50