Temporal Paradoxes and the Dynamics of Narrative Time in Abdul Hamid Ben Hadouqa’s The South Wind: A Narratological Study of Retrospection, Anticipation, and Nonlinear Narrative Structure

Time represents one of the most fundamental structural components of narrative discourse, functioning not merely as a chronological sequence but as a dynamic framework that organizes events, meanings, and reader perception.In the modern novel, temporal construction plays a decisive role in shaping narrative coherence, psychological depth, and aesthetic impact.Narrative time extends beyond linear progression, often involving complex shifts between past, present, and future that redefine the relationship between story and discourse.Within this context, the Algerian novel The South Wind by Abdul Hamid Ben Hadouqa offers a rich example of non-linear temporal organization, where the narrative structure is shaped by multiple temporal movements that create what may be described as temporal paradoxes.This study aims to analyze the mechanisms of narrative time in the novel, with particular attention to the interaction between retrospection (analepsis) and anticipation (prolepsis).Through retrospective narration, the text reconstructs past experiences, memories, and socio-cultural contexts that deepen the psychological and ideological dimensions of the characters.These backward movements do not function merely as explanatory devices; rather, they reveal concealed motivations, historical tensions, and internal conflicts that influence present actions.At the same time, anticipatory techniques project the narrative forward, foreshadowing future developments and guiding readers' interpretive expectations.This forward orientation contributes to narrative suspense, thematic coherence, and the gradual construction of meaning.The coexistence and interaction of these temporal movements disrupt the conventional chronological order and generate a layered narrative structure characterized by fragmentation, circularity, and temporal overlap.Such a structure produces temporal paradoxes in which past events remain active within the present, and future possibilities influence current narrative interpretation.In this sense, time in the novel operates not as a passive background but as an active narrative force that shapes character development, thematic expression, and the reader's cognitive engagement with the text.Methodologically, the study adopts a narratological approach grounded in contemporary theories of narrative time and discourse analysis.It examines temporal sequencing, narrative rhythm, frequency, and duration, as well as the functional relationship between temporal shifts and the novel's social, cultural, and psychological dimensions.Particular emphasis is placed on how temporal strategies contribute to the representation of Algerian social reality and the broader transformation of the modern Arabic novel.Citation