OPPRESSIVE MECHANICS IN THE NOVEL "TODAY IS FRIDAY AND TOMORROW IS THURSDAY" BY THE NOVELIST SOFIAN RAJAB

Abstract

The current research selected the novel Today is a Friday and tomorrow is a Thursday by the Tunisian novelist Sofian Rajab as a subject of its study. The selected novel draws attention to the excluded minority in Tunisia, which is a sensitive issue that may face rejection and reprisals from some. The research sought to analyze the content through the narrative construction, and to consider oppression and its mechanisms. This novel is really a multilayer tale since it has two stories that intersect and intervene for the pivotal character, (Hero/Irella), where both characters seek to be (a revelation) that tells of a religious message, there are as well changes and secondary increases in both, for instance, Irela al-Qamrani could not complete her message, which caused her to be repudiated by the group that sheltered her, so Irilla Al-Malih took it upon herself to preach her ambitions of missionary purposes. By this behavior, she was able to achieve her desires through persuading Moses to implement a number of orders and adapt it to the new situation, It was like Moses's time reported by his message, therefore she was able to change and adapt. This multi-layer narrative that is composed of two paths each specified to one of the two characters, (Irela alQamrani and Irela al-Maleh), that are both located inside the narrative tale, (the self of action/Irela al-Qamrani) and (the self of reverse/ Irela al-Maleh), and were made to be separated. The first appears in the middle of the novel, the second dominates all over the narrative until the end, they meet and overlay at the moment of the travels, where they were given the space for confrontation, that spread between reciprocity or conflict, also to regard the relationships of the human structure towards (the conflict of masculinity and femininity, the class conflict, the ...). This text goes beyond the process of defending that oppressed, suppressed and rebuked group, becoming a record that effectively addresses religious dialogue and peaceful coexistence among communities of religious faith and minorities of specific sect, and how it transcends the age-old conflict between religions and sects, and an attempt to demonstrate that all religions are divine and serve humanity. This paper discusses two important themes across two pillars of research: persecution from the other, which is different in its religion, and social support between the two as a reaction to persecution. We introduce a descriptive analytical approach so that we can investigate the manifestations and mechanisms of oppression and support in the selective narrative text and pursue it as we consider it under the microscope of drilling and interpretation.