Polyphony in the Novel “Tarmawan” from Mikhail Bakhtin’s Perspective

Abstract

Polyphony holds a significant role in literary criticism and novel theories. This technique is associated with "Mikhail Bakhtin", the Russian literary critic and the theorist who conceptualizes and applies it in the analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s works. Later, polyphony is embraced by postmodernist critics and novelists and as a technique of narration, it dismantles the principle of singular authoritative voice in classical novels where all events, ideologies and character perspectives are filtered by the author or the main narrator. Conversely, polyphonic techniques offer independence to a variety of voices, each showing different ideologies, worldviews, and styles of speech without being subordinated to a main narration power. The study, titled (Polyphony in the Novel "Tarmawan" from "Mikhail Bakhtin"’s Perspective), aims to uncover the employment of polyphonic techniques in the novel by novelist "Karwan Kakasur". Based on Bakhtin’s principles of "plurality of characters, language, and ideology, dialogism". The research study finds out that the author integrates this technique to represent these views and tenets in the novel, where characters are not only instruments of narration but also have dynamic roles in meaning building who independently express their beliefs, and embrace part of event narrations.