Love and War in Ahmad Ardalan’s the Gardener of Baghdad

Abstract

The study sheds light on the importance of love and kindness during the hard times of wars. It aims to clarify that the two opposite concepts of ‘love’ and ‘war’ are essential parts of human life which exist in our communities as well as within ourselves. The two concepts are endless ,with no limits or boundaries. The study explores the cruelty of wars and political conflicts and their  impact on the civilians and their senses through an analytical reading to the historical novel under study Ahmad Ardalan’s The Gardener of Baghdad (2014). The novel demonstrates the impact of the political conflicts and wars on societies and depicts the characters’ suffering, struggle and resilience in the face of oppression and persecution. The study  proves that love can be found in conditions of war and survive the trials of time and distance besides killing ,destruction and death. The human emotions cannot be repressed or killed even by wars. Love can exist between individuals from different cultures or different races subjugated to political hegemony and persecution. Through love and kindness, the characters could survive their dreadful world whether it was a profound romantic passion or kindness and care granted by certain individuals to the protagonists of the novel. The study builds its theoretical analysis on sociopolitical approach that shows the impact of social and political factors on people concentrating on the global ramifications of World War II on individuals residing in various regions in the world. The study follows the APA writing style, the seventh edition, in formatting and documentation.