International Journal Of Literature And Languages
50
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
50-58
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue07-15
The Theme of Revenge in Saadawi's Frankenstein In
Baghdad: A Postcolonial Reading Through Said's
Perspective
Reem Mohsin Kadhim
Presidency of Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Iraq
Received:
22 May 2025;
Accepted:
18 June 2025;
Published:
20 July 2025
Abstract:
This paper explores the theme of revenge in Ahmed Saadawi’s novel Frankenstein in Baghdad and its
implications from a postcolonial perspective. Saadawi’s narrative tackles the consequences of reveng
e within a
colonized society struggling with identity reconstruction. Revenge is not portrayed as a liberating and just act but
rather as a vicious and futile cycle that only produces more oppression, darkness, and loss. Saadawi intertwines
the notions of colonizer, colonized, oppression, and revenge to highlight how the oppressed can become
oppressors in turn, and thus the cycle continues. Ultimately, Saadawi seems to warn against revenge in a
postcolonial context, on both individual and national levels, as it only reproduces the colonial trauma.
Frankenstein in Baghdad is situated within a discourse on trauma and (national) identity, and thus its
postcoloniality extends also to notions of identity. In a contemporary landscape troubled by questions of identity
and agency, Frankenstein in Baghdad is a highly relevant and necessary text. Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in
Baghdad presents a narrative in which construction becomes creation, and creation becomes a monster. Hadi,
the protagonist, stitches together dead div parts collected from the streets of post-war Baghdad, hoping to give
the victims a kind of life after death. Instead, this new creature, dubbed Whatsitsname, takes vengeance on those
responsible for his parts’ deaths, leading the narrative into
a horror story. On a closer reading, Whatsitsname’s
quest for revenge intertwines with the other characters’ narratives, who also become monsters after seeking
vengeance. The narrative expresses a concern with the consequences of revenge but knows a complexity of the
necessity of revenge.
Keywords:
Revenge, Frankenstein in Baghdad, A Postcolonial, Saadawi.
Introduction:
Ahmed Saadawi's "Frankenstein in
Baghdad," set against the backdrop of post-2003 Iraq,
provides a poignant critique of the consequences of
American occupation and sectarian conflict that
followed the U.S. invasion. The novel's central
character, Hadi al-Aasak, a scavenger and storyteller,
becomes the creator of a creature assembled from the
div parts of various bombing victims after the 2005
sectarian violence in Baghdad. This creature, initially
intended as a means to peace, ultimately seeks revenge
against those responsible for the deaths of its parts.
Through this narrative, Saadawi deftly weaves themes
of revenge and the consequences of U.S. colonization
in Iraq, echoing Mary Shelley's concerns in her original
text (for Translation & Literary Studies & Aziz
Mahmood 25).
The creature's insatiable desire for revenge takes
center stage in Saadawi's novel, transforming it from an
innocent being, as in Shelley's tale, into a relentless
pursuer of vengeance. While Shelley's creature,
wronged by its creator Victor Frankenstein, embarks on
a quest for revenge against him, Saadawi's creature
seeks retribution against its killers and all those who
spread terror and death in Baghdad. This examination
delves into the representation of revenge through
Saadawi's creature
—
a reflection of the consequences
of U.S. colonization and a critique of violence giving rise
to further violence
—
through a postcolonial lens
informed by (Abu Shehab 16).
Background of the Novel
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
51
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
"Frankenstein in Baghdad" is the second novel by the
Iraqi novelist Ahmed Saadawi, originally written in
Arabic in 2013 and later translated into English. The
novel is set in Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion and
combines elements of horror and dark comedy. It tells
the story of Hadi al-Attag, a disabled scavenger who
gathers div parts of bomb victims and has them
stitched together by a madman named Wafaa al-
Ninawi. When the creature comes to life, chaos ensues
in post-invasion Baghdad as it seeks revenge on those
who perpetrated violence. The novel touches on issues
of colonialism, nationalism, violence, and identity in
contemporary Iraq, ultimately presenting a critique of
the U.S. invasion and a defense of Iraqi identity (Abu
Shehab 22 ). In the novel, the character of Frankenstein
(the monster) created by al-Ninawi represents the
postcolonial subject, while Doctor Wafaa al-Ninawi is a
figure of colonial discourse. The novel raises questions
about the legitimacy of state-sponsored violence and
the complicity of the oppressed in their oppression. It
draws on the myth of Frankenstein to explore issues of
colonialism and identity in contemporary Iraq.
Saadawi's novel creatively appropriates and reworks
the themes and characters of Shelley's original novel to
convey his postcolonial concerns. He takes the original
story of Frankenstein and places it in the context of
Baghdad after the American invasion. Through this
appropriation, Saadawi critiques the American
conception of democracy and freedom imposed on
Iraq. The novel addresses important issues such as the
futility of revenge and the need for co-existence and
acceptance of the other in a deeply divided society (for
Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood 28).
Saadawi explores the theme of monstrosity,
questioning who the real monster is. He depicts a
society where violence breeds more violence, with the
occupied becoming the occupiers. In "Frankenstein in
Baghdad," Saadawi's critique of American colonialism
and its disastrous consequences in Iraq reverberates in
his postcolonial retelling of the Frankenstein myth.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In an attempt to deal with violent colonial encounters,
Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad deals with a
patchwork monster comprised of blown-up div parts
collected by the Iraqi scavenger H. N. M. in the
aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. This novel
scrutinizes the colonial monstrous and the ruptured
colonial bodies and offers an aesthetic political
response to the postcolonial context of monstrous
becomings. H. N. M., in an attempt to piece together
the div parts of victims of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and
the subsequent violence, becomes a maker of a
monster. He brings together a series of div parts
blown apart by bombings and transgressively stitches
them together. This creature, like the colonial figures in
these classic texts, seeks revenge against his maker and
violently kills anyone who had a hand in his previous life
as a part of the colonized’s quest for vengeance against
the colonial settlers. Saadawi’s appropriation of
Shelley’s Frankenstein tale situates m
onstrous
postcoloniality in the context of 21st century U.S.
invasion of Iraq with the emergence of a patchwork
monster as a means to explore the colonial
unfinishedness of Saadawi’s Baghdad. The textual
representations of the patchwork monster in the
aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, as depicted in
Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad, interrogates the
historical violence's of colonial beheading, ruptured
bodies, and monstrous becoming (Abu Shehab 12). The
notion of innocence is repeated in the creators and the
creatures in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Saadawi’s
Frankenstein in Baghdad (for Translation & Literary
Studies and Aziz Mahmood 8). Shelley’s Frankenstein
major characters, according to common scholarly
opinion, for instance, is guilty. Based on absolute and
universal judgments, creating or animating the dead is
against the natural laws, which eventually will lead to
disastrous consequences. The Iraqi Frankenstein’s
creator and creature are adapted from Shelley’s work,
but in a way that could be interpreted in the same
fashion.
Postcolonial Theory and Literature
Post-colonialism by definition is an era that came into
existence post independence from colonizers. It can
also be understood as the effects and aftermath of
colonialism on the colonized. Nations like India, Africa,
Iraq, etc. shed the yoke of colonialism but had to deal
with the neo-colonial forces which manipulated them
by indirect ways and means. In fact with the neo-
colonialism the erstwhile colonizers and imperial
powers found themselves in a more comfortable
position to manipulate and control the colonized
nations. post-colonialism is taken as the aftermath and
effects of colonialism on the colonized countries and
peoples. Ahmed Saadawi’s novel “Frankenstein in
Baghdad” satirize
s and creates awareness regarding
the colonial manipulation by the west through the eyes
of a post-colonial Iraqi in Baghdad (Abu Shehab 27).
Colonialism is taken as the overlapping of one power’s
dominion over another power’s territory and peoples.
The lust for power made the European nations colonize
Asia, Africa and Latin America, which were rich in
natural resources. They manipulated the native
peoples and turned them into second rated beings and
imposed their culture, language and religion on them.
But the colonized nations revolted against colonialism
and were successful in overthrowing the western
powers post World War II. But even after independence
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
52
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
the colonized nations had to suffer the indirect
manipulations of colonialism in the form of neo-
c
olonialism. The famous quote of Fanon “the nation is
free but the character of oppression has changed” is
relevant in understanding neo-colonialism. The
erstwhile imperial powers colonized nations but now
have become their advisers. They created institutions
like IMF, World Bank, UNO, etc. and manipulated the
economies and sovereignty of the bordering nations
(for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood
19).
Edward Said's Contribution to Postcolonial Studies
Post colonialism is now a well-established critical
school with a well-defined agenda, methodology, and
canon. In the closing decades of the twentieth century,
the world’s colonial past, and native societies’ attempts
to grapple with it, became a common concern of many
nations. At the forefront of this interest, in large part
due to his global influence as a public intellectual, was
Edward Said (Muhaidat and Waleed 25). In 1978 Said
published Orientalism, a brilliant reading of the
Western subjugation of the East through culture,
representation, and imagination. Said argued that
Western imperialism created a static, fantasy version of
the East as “the Other,” portrayed as irrational, violent,
exotic, and feminized. This supported the West’s
material exploitation and domination, justifying a
civilizing mission to enlighten and reform these
backward nations through economic development,
military intervention, education, and the imposition of
democracy (Abu Shehab 23). In fictional and literary
discourse, the East was framed as a dangerous territory
in need of control. It was an imagined geography built
on Western anxieties and fears. The colonial encounter
was embedded with binary oppositions of power,
progress, masculinity, and civility versus subjugation,
backwardness, femininity, and barbarism. This
discourse created a moral narrative of empire as a
heroic mission to uplift the savages and tame the
wildlands. Speaking for the Other became a means of
exercising power over the colonized. The East was
denied the right to represent itself.
ANALYZING REVENGE IN FRANKENSTEIN IN BAGHDAD
Revenge is a desire that can lead to the destruction of
a person. It is a reaction to a feeling of helplessness in
the face of bad treatment or injury from others. In
other words, revenge arises from the feeling of being
wronged. Over time, revenge can turn into obsession
and lead to self-destruction. Both individuals and
groups seek revenge. In today’s world, terrorism and
wars
–
and any number of past wrongs
–
arise from a
desire for revenge. (for Translation & Literary Studies
and Aziz Mahmood 16) depicts personal vengeance,
but, more importantly, societal vengeance. It shows
how the mass vengeance of a people can destroy not
only the perpetrator but also the whole society and
how efforts to escape from vengeance can turn into
even greater devastation. Peace can only be found
outside the realm of vengeance. Fantasy creatures
have been a vehicle for social criticism since the time of
(for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood
23)’s original literary i
nspiration, and they have played
a crucial role in her div of work. Frankenstein’s
fantasy creatures reflect the wounded modernity of
their world and provide a perspective from which to
observe its persistence.
(for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood
29) can be read as a postcolonial Frankenstein’s creator
in that he conceives a creature out of the atrocities of
the American invasion and its aftermath. However,
instead of creating, he attempts to cleanse the
vengeance spawned by his brutalized world and end its
own monstrosity. Hadi’s cleansing vengeance shapes
the horror of a becoming-monster encounter between
(for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood
14)’s Baghdad and Shelley’s Geneva. Hadi Frakensteins
a monster out of exhumed div parts in an effort to
reconstitute a loved one lost to the past-trained
vengeance of a bomb blast. The creature becomes a
vengeance machine and chooses to detonate the
vengeance it was animated to escape. Vengeance
detonates the creature’s volatile m
onstrosity and
unleashes an uncontrollable societal vengeance horror
that transforms Baghdad into a hell of ever-escalating
suicidal monstrosity (Abu Shehab 10).
Definition and Significance of Revenge in Literature
Revenge is a common theme in literature around the
world. It could be said that any theme that deals with
human feelings and emotions is a universal theme.
Revenge deals with a person’s feelings and emotions
when they garner hate towards another person due to
some wrongdoing that person has inflicted upon them.
When literature portrays revenge, it typically portrays
the extreme bounds of humanity and how far someone
can go to get even. Revenge can be as simple as a child
getting back at another child for stealing a toy, or as
complex as a nation going to war with another nation
to get retribution for the death of its leaders. No matter
the situation surrounding it, revenge is an instinct that
all living beings share (Abu Shehab 3). Universal themes
are important because they help give literature
meaning. Without meaning, literature would hold no
significance on either a personal or social level.
Literature with themes that go beyond the confines of
a culture help readers from different backgrounds
understand and empathize with that literature. This, in
turn, fosters an appreciation for the culture from which
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
53
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
the literature stems. Revenge is significant across
cultures because almost every culture has developed a
set of rules regarding revenge and how it should be
carried out (for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz
Mahmood 21). Cultures fiercely uphold the rights of
their members to take revenge against outsiders, yet
restrict the actions of their own members when they
wish to take revenge on one another. Thus, revenge
depicts the fragility and complexity of cultural
boundaries.
Revenge in the Context of Postcolonial Themes
In Frankenstein in Baghdad, Ahmed Saadawi
fictionalizes the plight of the War-torn Baghdad
through the major character Hadi al-Attar, who builds
a creature out of div parts salvaged from numerous
bomb explosions in the city. As Hadi’s creature comes
to life, he begins his revenge against the people who
made him the monster by killing them one after
another. In much broader view Saadawi also depicts
the creature as the representation of America, and the
very monster as an irony and satire on the very notion
of liberation that bring more deaths and catastrophes
in the city. Where the postcolonial theorist highlighted
the Western notion of Orient as the sign of
bac
kwardness and barbarism, Ahmed Saadawi’s
Baghdad also represents the so called civilized place
turned savage under colonial intervention. Looking
from the lens of theorization, this chapter seeks to
examine the very theme of revenge in Frankenstein in
Baghdad. While the monster itself comes back in
revenge against his creator in the canonical text,
Saadawi takes revenge to a broader level in the context
of the postcolonial and neo-colonial intervention by
America in Iraq; hence, through the very notion of
revenge, this chapter examines the plight and
misrepresentation of the colonized Baghdad under
colonial intervention.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
The theme of revenge in Frankenstein in Baghdad goes
through a meticulous character analysis of the Hadi al-
Athari character. This character is the postcolonial
creature who is created by the collective colonial
monstrosity in a fragmented and dead div character.
In the utilization of Hadi al-Athari in a creature
character, the revenge theme proliferates and
continually grows against the domination of the other
monstrosity. Avoicing the revenge theme in a
postcolonial reading, Hadi al-
Athari’s character is
crippling through the effects of colonialism, and it
becomes derailed from its original goal of revenge to a
more monstrous one (Abu Shehab 18). On the other
hand, alongside the recommendation of how to deal
with revenge in postcolonial situations, an analysis of
the Hadi al-Athari character in how it proliferates the
revenge beyond the harder and more suction-monster
level.
The story of Frankenstein in Baghdad ultimately
revolves around the concept of revenge depicted
through the eye of a postcolonial reading methodology.
This revenge becomes the final resolution that ends the
story.
The
revenge
frenetically
proliferates
uncontrollably and aberrantly to the beyond
monstrosity degree. The discussion of revenge in the
postcolonial realm, on the other hand, hints at and
implies a more appropriate and moderated revenge
implementation to lessen the monstrosity and still
uphold humanity (for Translation & Literary Studies and
Aziz Mahmood 20). Hence, this character analysis of
Hadi al-
Athari would unravel the character’s arc of
revenge progression, which begins with a character
that is crippled due to an imperialism effect and derails
it to uncontrollable revenge. Meanwhile, this character
analysis would depict how this revenge theme goes
through the different implications of monstrosity in
colonialism, the other’s monstrosity, and the revenge
itself
throughout
the
character
adjustment
progression.
Hadi
Hadi is the character who is inspired by the situation in
Iraq to work as a frankenstein and bring the dead back
as a monster. In the very beginning of the novel it says,
"The world has changed. So I became a Frankenstein. A
creator of monsters..." Hadi lives in post-invasion Iraq,
destroyed by bombs and killings. He is one of the
thousands of innocent victims who have died without
any justification due to the violence and aggressions of
the US army. Like in Mary Shelley's novel, Hadi acts out
of love and concern for a society torn apart by war, and
for the innocent victims who have been killed and
remain lifeless on the streets. In addition, it reflects the
postcolonial context as colonized subjects were often
denied in Western discourses.
Hadi's words; "When a div is torn into pieces by a
bomb, the soul can't find a refuge anywhere. Even if it
wanders in the air for a while, it will eventually be lost,"
point to this belief. The dead must be gathered and
given the necessary care so that their souls may find
peace. Hadi's motivation for this work is the liberation
of the tortured souls of the dead, not revenge. Through
Hadi, Saadawi expresses the absurdity of one society
creating monsters in order to destroy another society
(for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood
21). One might think that the creation of the monster
by Hadi would be more justified in light of the "natural"
and "divine" right to revenge. Despite this, Hadi's action
is still condemned as it creates an even greater
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
54
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
monster.
Elishva
The next day, she visits the destroyed historic al-
Mutanabbi book market and laments the loss of books
and civilization. She encounters the creature, whom
she sees as a victim rather than a monster, not only
because of his scars and contorted div but because
his existence is a sad reminder of the destruction of
culture and language in Iraq (Abu Shehab 14). Her
vision resembles the Creature’s in Frankenstein: "She
saw all things as they had been at first
—
the world
beautiful and radiant, the rivers rushing through trees
and flowers and temples." The creature’s desire for
comfort and beauty drives Elishva to mourn literature
and the loss of her people’s humanity. She urges him to
kill the men responsible for the destruction of culture
and civilization in Iraq: "They are not human beings.
They are devils. Don’t you want to kill them? Don’t you
want revenge?" The question of whether revenge will
bring peace recalls the discussion of vengeance
between the Creature and Frankenstein. Although the
creature yearns for compassion, he realizes that
revenge is the only way to freedom (for Translation &
Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood 26). As she speaks,
Elishva’s voice quakes with bitterness and hatred,
distorting her beauty and grace. The language and
imagery used to depict her suggest that she is
succumbing to rage rather than seeking vengeance on
behalf of the innocent. Paradoxically, the discourse of
vengeance, like a virus, infects the creature, suggesting
that the text does not advocate vengeance as the only
means to achieve peace but rather wishes to illuminate
its destructive nature, even in the case of the innocent
seeking vengeance.
SYMBOLISM AND IMAGERY
Throughout the narrative, Saadawi employs a range of
symbols and images with multiple interpretations. The
imagery of corpses is prominent in the novel, often
evoking thoughts of destruction and death. However,
within the cauldron, the div's remains gradually
transform from something repugnant into a symbol of
hope, light, and life. As the old bodies dissolve in the
acid, a space emerges for new realities to take shape
and evolve. The reconstructed div of the Monster,
which incorporates parts from diverse backgrounds,
symbolizes national unification, transcending ethnic
and sectarian divisions. This becomes particularly
urgent in the aftermath of the American invasion of
Iraq in 2003, a time when the country is depicted as a
fragmented entity, torn apart by the brutality of war,
sectarianism, and the quest for power. Saadawi
expresses a belief in the possibility of coexistence and
harmony through unification (Abu Shehab 29).
Saadawi's "Frankenstein in Baghdad" tackles the
postcolonial condition of Iraq and the colonial desires
of the United States in the aftermath of the 2003
invasion. It criticizes American colonialism directly and
ironically, exposing its hidden nightmares and
unintended consequences. The Babylonian Monster
embodies the desire for revenge and retribution
against the oppressor, ultimately turning upon its
creator, Hadi al-Atham. This appropriation of Shelley's
scientist is deeply political and aligns with Said's
definition of postcolonial literature as a response to the
colonial encounter. Saadawi's narrative features a
going-deadness, being-trap, and addiction, where both
the creator and Monster are entrapped by the revenge-
myth, mirroring Iraq's entrapment in the colonial-myth
and the Monster's double-myth (for Translation &
Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood 30).
The Monster
Saadawi’s novel Frankenstein in Baghdad shows the
anxieties of postcolonial societies haunted by violence,
fear, and illusions of diaspora through a new creature,
the monster, trodden by and challenging a
colonial/imperial hegemony. A junk dealer in post-war
Baghdad stitches together div parts of deceased
victims of violence to create the monster as a private
transgressive act against the colonial/provincial
dismemberment
inspired
by
the
Western
enlightenment reason. The monster comes alive and
declares a mission to seek his murdered creator (Abu
Shehab 27). The postcolonial monster, instead of
instilling fear, mediates anxieties in a traumatized
society through the colonial/imperial monstrosity logic.
The monster’s growth into a vengef
ul murderer mirrors
the unfortunate creatures of a catastrophized
postcolonial
society,
questioned
under
the
enlightenment cruelty of reason. The beheading of
Saadawi’s creature is a misreading of the monstrous
vengeance, a supposed fidelity to the Great Narrative
of Freedom and Democracy in the colonial/provincial
dissemination
of
enlightenment
reason.
The
postcolonial providence of a doomed monster ideal
emerges from Saadawi’s co
-
textuality with Shelley’s
enlightenment quest intertext. Still, salvation lies in
transgression from the Eurocentric framing outside the
primal monstering. The creature’s vengeance assumes
an
imperial
monstrosity
interrogating
the
enlightenment reason’s universality into a Eurocentric
culture that only ferments its obsession, denial, and
fear at the outside’s mimicry of the inside. The
postcolonial monster takes revenge not on its creator
but the Eurocentric culture at the primal Wellington of
the ruin and greed, in keeping with the transgressively
monstrous enlightenment that reconstructs the
primordial outside as the raw other.
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
55
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE
The setting of Frankenstein in Baghdad can be viewed
on both geographical and temporal levels. On
geographical level, it is in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq,
and this setting is significant as the narrative events
emerge from the socio-political milieu of Iraq. The city
of Baghdad bears witness to horrific bomb blasts during
the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, which give birth to the
creature of Frankenstein. The protagonist of the novel,
Hadi al-Attag, also becomes a victim of such bomb blast
as he loses his friend, Ellis. Hadi is an Iraqi newspaper
reporter who exposes the cruelty and violation of
human rights by the US army in Baghdad. He has seen
all that is despicable in world and wants to expose and
ridicule the inhuman acts of the occupiers in his
writings. However, spirits of the dead rise from grave
to take revenge on the occupiers and the creature
wants Hadi to become its creator. This entire chain of
events and the postcolonial predicament of the
colonized nation is projected through the creature’s
journey from death to life, innocence to consciousness,
creation to rebellion, and being monster to becoming
the redeemer.
On temporal level, the novel is set between the years
2005-2007 when a new wave of violence took over
Baghdad as the aftermath of US invasion. The narrative
tracks the time span between 2005, the year when
creature is brought to life to 2007, the year when it is
confronted face-to-face with Hadi. Frankenstein in
Baghdad is largely depicting the conditions, events and
repercussions of this particular time period in Iraq. The
creature becomes the embodiment of the dead buried
in the time span of the narrative, who needed justice
for their souls to rest in peace (Abu Shehab 26). The
narrative discourse of creature’s chain of events reflect
the brutality of occupation, retaliation, revenge and
postcolonial gaze in the quest for justice. This need of
justice and therefore describing the events from death
to life c
reature’s perspective has justified the
destruction of places and people in Baghdad in the
narrative. In order to expose the locale and atmosphere
of destruction, prejudice and monstrosity, the narrative
begins with the description of a bomb blast in the city
of Baghdad. A bomb blast is the point of view from
which the narrative unfolds its settings over the period
of twenty-two months. The narrative can be read
through the temporal sequences of bomb blasts that
take place in Baghdad. The creature is created from the
dismembered div of victim of a bomb blast and
creatures first encounter with the world is also a bomb
blast. Creatures journey from death to life unfolds after
a narrative description of a bomb blast where it sees
beyond chaos and wreckage, the
“city.”
Baghdad as a Postcolonial Space
Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad explores
the theme of revenge. Taking a postcolonial approach,
this study argues that Saadawi’s novel is a commentary
on revenge as a cyclical and self-defeating act for the
individual and the society in postcolonial spaces. The
narrative in Saadawi’s novel illuminates the futility of
revenge on both the individual and the collective levels.
It embarks on a quest for explaining the emptiness of
revenge and the necessity to replace it with co-
existence. Through the character of the Monster,
victims of colonial violence in Baghdad turn into
vengeful subjects seeking to kill their aggressors.
However, Saadawi displays how vengeance begets
more violence and chaos. The Monst
er’s revenge fails
to bring justice, instead falsely recreating binaghdadian
atrocities. In binaghdad, revenge only leads to its own
self-defeat, chaos, and emptiness.
Frankenstein in Baghdad clearly depicts a society in
chaos where colonial violence has propelled its victims
into a state of vengeance. Taking revenge against the
colonial aggressors, however, leads only to
disillusionment and despair. This savage cycle of
colonial violence and revenge defies linearity; the
postcolony riddled with vengeance descends into an
abyss of chaos. The Monster is a patchwork corpse
composed of bodies found in the rubble of a bombed
building. All of these bodies were victims of the 2003
American invasion of Iraq. Frankenstein’s Monster
attempts to recreate its fathe
r’s horror in the
binaghdadian space, where the imposed imperial order
brings nothing but decimation. The Monster resurrects
the fallen souls murdered by the invaders and
reconstructs them into one div, blurring the line
between life and death (Abu Shehab 22). When their
dismembered bodies are patched together, the
Monster gives it life in order to grant agency to its
victims and bestow them with an ability to speak.
However, the only speech it grants them is the
language of vengeance.
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES
The fictional narrative of Frankenstein in Baghdad is
handled through an interior monologue, letters, and
dialogues between characters. The novel opens with an
interior monologue by an old man, who watches the
chaotic scenes in Baghdad after the bombings. In the
chaos of the streets, he tries to find meaning in the
destruction and death caused by the bombs. These
interior monologues reflect his despair and frustration
with the current situation in Iraq post-invasion. The
selection of an old man's perspective in Frankenstein in
Baghdad is significant. The old man's character
represents the intellectuals in Iraq who grapple to
make sense of the events, history, and the land. It
illustrates that they could be highly educated yet fail to
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
56
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
comprehend the prevailing madness that takes hold of
Iraq (Abu Shehab 29). The inability of an educated mind
to unravel the knots of madness speaks to the deep-
rooted insanity that envelops Iraq. Moreover, the old
man expresses his concerns about the impact of time
and death on memories and the storytelling tradition in
Baghdad. He laments that memories may vanish
entirely if they fail to be shared and recounted. In this
sense, Frankenstein in Baghdad is a narrative account
that reflects on the brutality that transpired in
Baghdad.
The narrative also comprises letters and dialogues
between characters. The novel includes event
dialogues, which capture in detail the scenes of
bombing, death, and dismemberment. These scenes
allow readers to envision the burden of death,
madness, and horror carried by the streets of Baghdad.
Death is a recurring theme in these scenes, instilling
fear in the characters and readers alike. An illustration
of this is a character's response to hearing about a
bombing incident in the streets: “Fea
r returned, a fear
more stupid than the previous one.” In another scene,
a character listens to the news of a bombing incident,
attempting to guess the location of the explosion. The
character reflects, “If it wasn’t al
-Mustafa mosque, it
was al-Sadr, then
Karada, or…,” highlighting how the
probability of a bombing in a Shiite area exceeds that
of a bombing in a Sunni area, given the ongoing
sectarian violence.
Multiple Perspectives
Saadawi wrote "Frankenstein in Baghdad" as a
response to the effects of colonialism and the War on
Terror in Iraq. The story features a watchman named
Hadi who scavenges div parts from bombings to
create a corpse that comes to life. This creature seeks
revenge on its creators and the novel explores themes
of revenge, identity, ethnicity, and the consequences of
the War on Terror. The intent behind the creature's
creation differs from previous Frankenstein tales and
postcolonial implications are revealed through the lens
of (Abu Shehab 17).
Ahmed Saadawi’s “Frankenstein in Baghdad” functions
as a postcolonial text that interrogates the
consequences of colonialism and its aftermath through
multiple perspectives. It takes place in Baghdad and
tells the tale of a creature who seeks revenge on those
who created him and subsequently abandoned him.
This narrative is interwoven with the perspectives of
Hadi, a watchman scavenging for div parts, and the
journalists and politicians shaping public perception of
the War on Terror. On the surface, the tale of this
creature resembles past tales of revenge, but upon
further inspection, profound differences become
apparent. While these past Frankensteins became
monstrous and sought vengeance against their
creators, the intent behind this creature’s creation is
not to enact devastation (for Translation & Literary
Studies and Aziz Mahmood 13). The postcolonial
implications of this difference are revealed through
Saadawi’s imagined text and the concept of Othering
and the Occident's gaze upon the Orient. Rather than a
nameless victim, Saa
dawi’s creature embodies the
desire to reconstruct a fragmented identity and
challenges the Occident's perceptions in a dilapidated
Baghdad, brimming with monstrosities.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
The theme of revenge is salient in "Frankenstein in
Baghdad," and it plays a significant role in shaping the
characters' motivations and actions. The narrative, set
against the backdrop of post-invasion Iraq, depicts a
society fractured by bombings and violence. The
protagonist, Hadi, witnesses the dismemberment of a
man by an unexploded bomb, and this event sets off a
chain of retaliatory actions. Hadi creates an artificial
creature from the victim's div parts, hoping to give it
life and a sense of revenge against the perpetrators of
violence. However, the creature, dubbed "the Ghost,"
instead seeks revenge indiscriminately, killing anyone it
perceives as connected to its creator. This chain of
revenge ultimately leads to Hadi's death and the
continuation of violence in society.
The portrayal of revenge as a social dynamic expanding
beyond individuals is reminiscent of views on
postcolonial societies. In postcolonial environments,
social dynamics turned to revenge, leading to brutality
and the ultimate destruction of the society itself (Abu
Shehab 25). In "Frankenstein in Baghdad," the failed
and misguided revenge perpetuates violence, echoing
the vision of social revenge as a self-destructive act in
postcolonial contexts. The Ghost's rampage raises
questions about the nature of life and existence itself,
rather than redressing the grievances of the dead. In
this sense, the creature diverges from Shelley's, as the
Ghost becomes an agent of chaos, akin to a demon
summoned from hell rather than a misplaced human
being. This divergence solidifies the message that
revenge, once initiated, spirals out of control,
ultimately annihilating the vengeful actors themselves
(for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood
19).
Comparing with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
In Ahmed Saadawi's Frankenstein in Baghdad, there is
a clear connection to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in
terms of the theme of revenge. Shelley's monster seeks
revenge against Victor Frankenstein for creating him
and then abandoning him. Similarly, Saadawi's
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
57
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
creature, Hadi's monster, seeks revenge against those
who have wronged him and the victims of the
bombings in Baghdad. Both characters experience deep
emotional pain and loss, which drives them to seek
vengeance (Abu Shehab 24).
However, it is important to note that Hadi's intentions
in creating the monster are vastly different from
Victor's. While Victor's ambition stems from a desire for
glory and recognition, Hadi's creation comes from a
place of grief and a desire to give the victims of the
bombings a voice. This distinction raises questions
about the true nature of monstrosity. Despite Hadi's
good intentions, the consequences of his actions lead
to chaos and revenge in Baghdad, echoing the tragic
outcomes of Victor's creation in Geneva (for
Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood 6).
Ultimately, both novels serve as cautionary tales about
the potential dangers of creation and the
uncontrollable nature of revenge.
CONCLUSION
A
critical
examination
of
Ahmed
Saadawi's
Frankenstein in Baghdad reveals the deeper
understanding of the theme of revenge in the novel
through a careful postcolonial reading. The novel, set
against the backdrop of the 2006 Iraq War, follows Hadi
al-Attag, an eccentric bar owner, as he collects div
parts of bomb victims to create a creature that seeks
revenge on its killers. Saadawi's novel highlights the
absurdity of revenge in postcolonial societies, where
colonial powers perpetuate violence despite promises
of peace and healing. Analyzing the narrative,
characters, and setting reveals how revenge haunts
both the victim and the perpetrator, ultimately
portraying it as a fruitless endeavor. While seeking
justice through revenge is human nature, the novel
questions the effectiveness of revenge as a means of
redress (Abu Shehab 27). Ahmed Saadawi introduces
the theme of revenge in postcolonial societies plagued
by cycles of violence. As the colonizer departs, violence
escalates among the colonized, who are left
traumatized and desperate for healing. Yet colonial
powers, through new forms of imperialism, persistently
ignite violence. This pattern is evident in the characters
of Saadawi's novel, who suffer under a dictator's rule
and seek vengeance, only to unleash greater havoc
following his downfall.
The character of Frankenstein embodies this cycle,
initially created for justice but transformed into an
instrument of revenge. Through the lens of postcolonial
discourse, Saadawi's novel confronts the absurdity of
revenge. Although postcolonialism finds common
ground with the desire for vengeance, it ultimately
derides its futility. This sentiment is echoed in both
Saadawi and Shelley, where the revenge that initially
consumed the creature leads only to despair and
annihilation (for Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz
Mahmood 23). The theoretical framework of this
criticism draws on the assertion that all texts must
remain open to examination and reinterpretation,
delving into how characters and events engage with
and address historical realities.
Summary of Findings
A post-colonial reading of Saadawi's Frankenstein in
Baghdad examines how revenge operates in the
context of postcolonialism and how it is exploited by
the colonizers and then by the colonized themselves to
develop into an obsessive or systematic process.
Through the character of Frankenstein, who is created
to take revenge on the brutal killing of innocents, it
dramatically shows that revenge results in more
killings, chaos, and destruction despite its initial
justification. The reading also argues about the futility
of revenge, especially in the context of colonization and
re-
colonization. Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad
seeks sympathy for the victims rather than the
executioners, despite taking revenge on Colonel
McNulty. In opposition, it argues revenge is an
obsession fixated on colonizers as if it were the only
way to free the victim. Frankenstein takes revenge on
the colonizer’s creature, but it keeps killing even after
liberating itself (Abu Shehab 21). Hence colonized’s
attempt to take revenge and liberate itself would only
develop into more chaos and killings as the text shows
the creature is uncontrollable and leads to the
destruction of Bagdad.
Frankenstein in Baghdad critiques this obsessive
process of revenge, taking the point of view of the
victim in post-invasion Iraq. Though concerned with the
victims of a crazed colonial zeal, it also critiques the
systematic revenge killings by the newly formed Islamic
courts in the aftermath (for Translation & Literary
Studies and Aziz Mahmood 22). The reading situates
Saadawi’s nov
el in the context of post-invasion Iraq
considering its imperial past, the earlier Ottoman rule,
and the subsequent invasion and re-colonization by the
U.S. To explore the theme of revenge, its justification
as a right or natural need to reunite the victims and
colonized against the colonizer is also discussed. The
subject might justify bringing vengeance on those
executioners of the innocents as the newly formed
Islamic court in Bagdad seek, however, it would
question the obsessive approach as in Frankenst
ein’s
case, the revenge with the purpose to liberate acts as a
systematic massacre and chaos.
Implications for Postcolonial Studies
Frankenstein in Baghdad is a post-colonial novel that
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
58
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
sheds light on the impact of the neo-colonial era on the
colonized nation and the repercussions of the 2003 war
on Iraq. The novel critiques the so-called liberators of
Iraq and their widespread destruction rather than
liberation. Despite the passing of time, the wounds and
suffering of Iraqis have yet to heal as they continue to
struggle for safety and normalcy in a ruined nation. The
characterization of the hybrid creature stands in stark
contrast to the pompous character of the American
giant transplanted with high-tech weapons, depicting
the chaos and absurdity of a land torn apart by bombs
and bereft of humanity (Abu Shehab 19). This monster,
reconstructed from the div parts of victims, brings to
light the stories of the dead and seeks revenge against
the heartless killers. It embodies the collective trauma
and anguish of a nation, as well as its yearning for
justice, resonating with the post-colonial voice of the
other.
This paper analyzed the theme of revenge in the hybrid
creature against the American soldiers, diabolical
Frankenstein figures, through the lens of Said's Other.
The appropriation of the Euro-American Frankenstein
tale in the post-colonial setting of Baghdad highlights
the perverse monstrosity of the colonizers in contrast
to the newly created monster as the Natives. The rage
against
injustice,
inferiority,
and
humiliation
transforms into a collective desire for revenge,
struggling to reclaim dignity and humanity (for
Translation & Literary Studies and Aziz Mahmood 28).
Through the post-colonial appropriation of a spectral
intertext, the author opposes the hegemony of the
colonial discourse and empire and is intricately woven
with the monstrous, dehumanizing, heartless machine
of oppression in the now immortal tale.
REFERENCES
Studies, A. W. E. J., and Aziz Mahmood. The
Appropriation
of
Innocence:
From
Shelley’s
Frankenstein to Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in
Baghdad. 2021.
Shehab, Abu. Post-Colonialism Ahmed Saadawiu27s
Frankenstein in Baghdad : Textual Representations and
Depths and the Aftermath Phrasing. 2022.
Muhaidat, F., and L. Waleed. The Psychological Plight of
the Colonized in Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to
the North. 2018.
