From the Authority of the Text to the Authority of the Reader: Deconstructing Narrative Structure in Interactive Literature Shadows of the One by Mohammed Sanajleh as a Model

Abstract

This study aims to explore the transformations of contemporary narrative in light of the emergence of interactive literature by examining its concept, characteristics, and its relationship with digital developments that have reshaped the nature of the literary text and the function of the reader. It also seeks to analyze the shift in the centrality of meaning from the author to the reader in light of modern critical theories, highlighting its impact on the construction of new narrative texts. The study adopts the novel “Shadows of the One” as an applied model to reveal the features of these transformations, analyzing its narrative structure in terms of the fragmentation of temporal linearity, the multiplicity of voices, and the prominence of symbolism; particularly the symbol of the “shadow” as a signifier of the division of the self. The study also relies on two main critical approaches: a semiotic approach aimed at uncovering the semantic structures and organizing binaries of the text, and a deconstructive approach that seeks to highlight the destabilization of meaning and its openness to multiple interpretations. Thus, the study aspires to provide a critical reading that demonstrates the interaction of contemporary narrative with digital and theoretical transformations and reveals the dynamic nature of the literary text as an open space for meaning production.