Rumor in Wared Badr Al-Salim’s The Birth of Ghurab

Abstract

     This paper addresses rumor as a socio-literary event in modern Iraqi fiction, with a particular emphasis on Wared Badr Al-Salim’s The Birth of Ghurab. Firstly, rumor is defined as to origin, function, significance, and impact in daily life. Then, The Birth of Ghurab is elaborated on as to themes, structure, and sense. This Iraqi novel, in fact, reflects on modern-day political developments in Iraq as the characters stand for politicians and statesmen under the pre-2003 long-serving Baathist dictatorship. The course of this narrative touches politics indirectly which justifies the choice of rumor as a key theme. The paper uncovers these various themes hinted at the novel.