The Rituals of the Sea in “AlNajdi” Novel by Taleb Al-Rifai

Abstract

tenting himself with modest educational attainment to win the sea. Furthermore, he rejects any future This research aims to get to grips with the world of the sea: its secrets, rituals, horrors, and implications in the novel “Al Najdi” by Kuwaiti novelist Talib Al-Rifai, in which he evokes a famous and influential realist figure in the popular conscience in Kuwait. This character is namely a character of the sea, or the “Nokhatha” Ali Nasser Al-Najdi by narrating the details of the last hours of how His life is swallowed up by the sea, along with his companion Abdel-Wahhab and his brother Suleiman, during a treacherous storm. The novelist is not satisfied with the depiction of Al-Nokhatha’s struggle with the storm only but also traces his relationship with the sea, his family, and his companions, starting from his childhood and that does not touch him directly, the insistence on embracing him early, and attachment to everything related to him, of people Stories and adventures in addition to Documents and references related to the historical values of the sea aiming at shedding light on many projections that affect Kuwaiti society directly. This is due to that they touch upon the prevailing customs and traditions, and the issue of the state and society’s transformation from the pre-oil stage and the connection with the sea and simple life to the civil state stage. The novelist also reveals his in-depth knowledge of the culture of sailing, diving, and the search for pearls, their tools, experiences, and rituals