The Aesthetics of Place in Malek Bennabi’s Novel Pilgrimage of the Poor

Abstract

Place assumes a pivotal and essential role in the structure of Malek Bennabi’s novel Pilgrimage of the Poor ; Its presence is not confined to that of a static geographical frame; rather, it becomes an active narrative element that exerts a tangible influence on the dynamics of events. The contrast between open spaces, with their symbolism of openness, and closed spaces, with their isolating particularity, generates a distinct narrative rhythm whose effects are reflected in the trajectories of the characters and in their psychological and social development. The function of place does not stop at containing narrative events; it also appears as a semantic vessel that carries the intellectual and spiritual structures forming the backbone of the novel. This makes place an expressive device that Bennabi employs skillfully to consolidate the philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of his fictional text, transforming it from a mere physical setting into an imaginative space charged with meanings and symbols that reflect the intersections of the self with its surrounding world.