Masculinity of the Narrative Ego; A Psychological Reading of the Pleasure Principle between Dominance and Submission in Najeeb Mahfoudh's "Al-Shahat (The Beggar)"

Abstract

This research explored the narrating ego as the foundation upon which the structure of psychological identity relies. The study presented the masculine aspect of this narrating ego as a crucial component, contributing to guiding its narrative based on the memory supply of both its conscious and unconscious dimensions. The research delved into the emanations of the pleasure principle, imprinting this masculinity with a passionate character that generates oscillation between dominance and submission. It also introduced several theoretical resources, paving the way to address these propositions in light of insights drawn from the accomplishments of psychoanalytic theory. This theory has been an effective tool in deciphering narrative structures within a novelistic model, exemplified by Nagib Mahfouz's novel "Al-shahath." The research concluded several findings, including the assertion that the masculinity of the narrating ego is fundamental to its psychological identity. It posited that expressing its true face outside a direct context that aligns it with its feminine counterpart is challenging, and it is often subject to oscillations between dominance and submission imposed by the pleasure principle. Finally, the study concluded with the significance of the need and desire as two principal criteria in the growth or decline of the dominance of the masculine narrating ego.