The novel “Koche Ma” by Akram Othman is one of the prominent and well-known works of Afghan Persian literature. This novel narrates the life of the ordinary people of Kabul in the previous decades in a realistic way and with a simple and understandable language.
In this work, Akram Osman portrays the social and cultural atmosphere of the Afghan society in a certain era and introduces the reader to the problems, hopes, and concerns of the people of that era.
Kabul 24: The main theme of this novel is the narration of a story that takes place in a small alley in Kabul. The author uses the daily life of the street people to depict the characters and different social classes of the Afghan society. Life in this alley is a symbol of the larger society, and Akram Osman has dealt with the class, cultural, and political and social problems of Afghanistan with his keen eye.
Akram Othman has managed to create various characters in this novel, each of which represents a part of the Afghan society. These characters, with their different lives and problems, show a picture of the conditions of the society at that time and also represent human values such as love, friendship, betrayal and loyalty.
“Our Alley” is a work that, despite the simplicity of the narrative, has deep layers of social and cultural analysis, and for this reason, it has been noticed by readers and critics. In addition to being a literary narrative, this novel is also considered a historical and cultural document that well depicts the atmosphere of life in Kabul and Afghanistan in a certain period.
As it was said, “Our Alley” by Akram Othman is one of the important and significant works in the contemporary literature of Afghanistan. Using the style of social realism, this novel presents a detailed and detailed view of the life of the ordinary people of Afghanistan, especially in the city of Kabul. In criticizing this novel, we can pay attention to several key aspects:
1. Spatialization and localization
One of the most outstanding strengths of this novel is its accurate and localistic spatialization. Akram Othman has been able to depict the atmosphere of the streets of Kabul and the daily life of the people by using detailed descriptions in such a way that the reader can easily feel himself in the middle of this atmosphere.
The alley where the story takes place is a symbol of the Afghan society, where the culture, traditions, and social behaviors of the people are well displayed.
2. Characterization
One of the other features of this novel is accurate and realistic characterization. Each of the characters of “Koche Ma” represent a part of the Afghan society and their social and psychological characteristics have been well discussed.
The characters of this novel are ordinary people from different social classes who struggle with their daily problems and internal and external conflicts. By dealing with these characters, the author has been able to partially reflect the social and class conflicts of Afghanistan.
3. A critical look at society
“Our Alley” as a realistic novel, has a critical look at the social and cultural issues of Afghanistan. By narrating the life of the street people and the contradictions between them, the author points out some of the problems of the Afghan society.
These problems include poverty, social injustice, class inequality and even corruption at different levels of society. Osman dealt with these issues with a humane and empathetic perspective and placed them in the story in a way that makes the reader think.
4. Simple but deep narrative
The simple and fluent language of the novel “Koche Ma” is one of the reasons for its success. By using an understandable language and an intimate narrative, the author has succeeded in presenting a meaningful and deep story to the audience.
However, under the layers of this simplicity, there are complex social and cultural critiques that the reader can discover with more care and reflection. This feature has made “Kuche Ma” attractive to both general and special audiences.
5. Symbolism
“Alley” in this novel is a symbol of Afghan society. Each of the houses in this alley and the people who live in it represent a part of Afghanistan’s society and history. For this reason, the story of this alley and the problems of its residents somehow reflect the larger social and cultural problems in the country.
By choosing this small and limited space, Akram Osman has been able to display a big and general picture of a larger society.
6. The rhythm and structure of the story
“Our Alley” is a coherent and continuous story in terms of rhythm and structure. Although some critics may criticize it because of the slow progress of the story in some parts of the novel, this slow rhythm has allowed the author to depict more details of the characters’ lives and the social atmosphere. Osman uses the sequence of events and diverse characters to show social interactions and this has helped to deepen the story.
Last chat:
“Our Alley” is one of the important works of contemporary Afghan literature, which represents the Afghan society with a realistic and critical approach.
This novel, with its strong characterization, accurate atmosphere and critical view of social problems, has been able to find a special place in the Persian literature of Afghanistan.
However, its simple language and smooth narration have made it possible for a wide range of audiences to communicate with it.
Saboor Bayat
