Ali Khezri

Cultural criticism, as envisioned by Abdullah Al-Ghathami, emerges as an analytical methodology concerned with deconstructing the implicit discourses produced by literary and artistic texts. It transcends aesthetic evaluation to uncover the mechanisms of cultural hegemony. The implicit cultural paradigm is defined as a system of symbolic norms and values that operate covertly to reinforce power relations by reproducing social and gender hierarchies. Within this framework, this study aims to apply Al-Ghathami’s experimental paradigmatic approach to Bushra Khalfan’s novel Dilshad. This methodology involves analyzing three textual layers: the surface narrative structure, underlying cultural symbols, and the mechanisms of societal reception and interpretation.