The Representations of the Self and the Other in the Novel The Third Image by Ali Lafta Saeed

Abstract

This research examines the duality of the "self and the other" in the novel "The Third Image" by Ali Lafta Saeed as a central element in shaping narrative and intellectual identity in contemporary fiction, The study is based on the assumption that the novel reflects a crisis-ridden self confronting multiple images of the other, whether political, social, or internal. The research adopts an analytical-interpretive using the tools of cultural and narrative criticism to analyze the textual structure and characters, the study reveals that the self appears as a fragmented entity, struggling with itself and its surroundings, while the other emerges as a dominant authoriry, a revealing mirror, or an existential threat. The research concludes that the novelist presents a narrative discourse that offers a new understanding of the relationship between the self and the other. moving beyond traditional perspectives toward an open interpretive space.