Metafiction in the novels America, Al-I'tirafat, and Ralph Rizqallah fi Al-Mir'at of Rabee Jaber

Abstract

The novel is considered one of the most evolved literary forms capable of expressing human and societal issues. In the modern era, a new literary trend has emerged where the narrative reflects upon itself and its writing process, known as ‘metafiction’. This study examines the metafiction in the selected novels of Rabee Jaber (America, Al-I’tirafat, and Ralph Rizqallah fi Al-Mir’at) to reveal how the author employs this technique to break the barrier between the writer and the reader. Rabee Jaber, a laureate of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, is among the most prominent novelists whose literary project is distinguished by continuous experimentation and a unique ability to merge historical documentation with fiction. This study aims to observe and analyze the metafictional techniques employed by Rabee Jaber in the three selected novels and to clarify the concept and forms of metafiction. The research seeks to understand how the author manipulates the boundaries separating truth and fiction, and the underlying reasons for utilizing metafiction to serve the themes of his works. The researcher adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, which involves theoretically describing and contextualizing the metafiction phenomenon, followed by a precise textual analysis to extract these techniques and interpret their various functions and significance. The structural requirements of the research necessitated its division into four main parts. The first part provides the theoretical foundation of metafiction by explaining its concepts, its mechanisms within and outside the text's thresholds, and its critical, ontological, and ideological functions. The second part explores the historical roots and the evolution of metafiction in both Western and Arabic narratives. The third part is dedicated to introducing the life of Rabee Jaber, highlighting his uniqueness as an author, alongside a comprehensive reading of his literary works. The fourth part serves as an applied study, analyzing the employment of metafiction in America, Al-I’tirafat, and Ralph Rizqallah fi Al-Mir’at. The study concludes that metafiction in Rabee Jaber’s works is not merely a passing narrative technique, but a comprehensive structural strategy that turns the novel into a conscious meditation on the art of writing itself. Through mechanisms such as intertextuality and authorial intervention, the author successfully breaks the illusion of narrative realism and engages the reader in the creative arocess. Furthermore, the study proves that metafiction was masterfully adapted to the thematic core of each novel: in America, it questions official history through unreliable narration; in Al-I’tirafat, it exposes the inadequacy of individual memory and identity fragmentation; and in Ralph Rizqallah fi Al-Mir’at, it serves as an ontological confrontation dissolving the boundaries between author and subject. Ultimately, this study proves metafiction's ability to give a voice to the marginalized and raise complex questions about truth and reality.