Abstract

The current study explores depictions of Arabs in Isabella Hammad’s The Parisian. This article shows how Hammad adapts the Westerners’ perceptions of the Arabs; consequently, the author reinforces the continuously recycled stereotypical images of Arabs through the way she portrays her main character, Midhat. Instead of modifying the way the West perceives the East, Hammad emphasizes it and portrays the Arabs as backward and superficial people. As an Arabic writer addressing Western readers, Hammad enhances the incredible and distorted images of Arabs instead of discrediting them. There is a limited number of studies that analyze and tackle the literary works of Isabella Hammad, especially her novel, The Parisian, and there is a lack of a thorough discussion of the character of Midhat and the way he is used by Hammad to enhance the Westerners’ perceptions of the East and Arabs in particular. As a result, the article focuses mainly on the characterization of Midhat and his behaviors, conversations, and dialogues with people about his home country, Palestine, and the Palestinians while staying in France.