A Semiotic Analysis of Children’s Suffering in the Tragedies of Karbala and Gaza
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol22.Iss3/Pt1.1972Keywords:
children’s suffering, Karbala, Gaza, semiotic analysis, BarthesAbstract
Childrenʼs suffering in conflict texts has received limited semiotic attention, particularly in studies comparing historical and contemporary contexts. This study investigates the depiction of childrenʼs suffering in selected texts from the tragedy of Karbala and the Gaza crisis. It uses a qualitative methodology and examines four extracts, applying Barthesʼ (1968) semiological model at the sign, denotation, and connotation levels. The analysis focuses on the representation of thirst, deprivation, and destruction in the chosen texts and how these meanings are sustained through the repetition of semiotic patterns. The findings illustrate how suffering is represented in terms of the deprivation of basic resources and the loss of safe spaces. They also demonstrate that water is linked to availability and denial, while shelter is always related to human presence, displacement, vulnerability, and exposure in historical and contemporary contexts. The study highlights the continuity of suffering across historical contexts through semiotic representation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ranyah Faisal Hamzah1, Mazin Jasim Mohammed Al-Hilu2
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