The Thesis Novel between Two Modernities: Louay Abdul-Ilah’s "Zero Gravity" as a Model

Abstract

Narration in the present time is regarded as a procedural means of understanding existence, rather than a mere imaginative device whose function is limited to influence or entertainment. This perspective motivates researchers to further explore the boundaries of intertextual overlap between literary and epistemological genres. The deep entrenchment of discourse studies, along with their acknowledgment of intertextual mechanisms between the humanities and the philosophy of science on the one hand, and the discourse of imagination on the other, has granted the novel epistemological dimensions that continue to unfold, positioning it as the most comprehensive and refined model of the imaginative genre. The emergence of new patterns is not simply the result of the broad scope of interrelations, but also of the re-examination of novelistic forms previously discussed, among them the concept of the “thesis novel” which is the focus of this study. The aim of this research is to bring this concept back to the forefront of critical inquiry and to systematize it within a contemporary methodological perspective that transcends traditional treatments of the term, granting it an active presence within the field of intertextuality and interdisciplinary studies. In light of its application to the novel Gravity of Zero, the study found in it the most mature representation.