Character Types in the Tales of the Four Seasons
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Four Seasons Tales, published in 2024, are a rich source for exploring character types that reflect the impact of seasonal changes on human behavior. This study seeks to analyze and classify the character types within these tales, presenting a new model based on the interaction between nature and the psychological characteristics of individuals. The research focuses on how the four seasons shape the nature and roles of characters, and the extent to which they align with psychological traits known in personality science. This article examines character types in Muhammad Jibril's novel *The Four Seasons*, by analyzing the main character (the translator) as a rounded and complex model, embodying an internal struggle between a tired body and a reflective consciousness, oscillating between nostalgia and withdrawal. The article also highlights the role of secondary characters, who are used to perform framing functions without narrative shifts. They contribute to highlighting feelings of loneliness and aging, shaping the overall psychological climate in a style that does not sink into directness or declarativeness. The research uses literary and psychological analysis to study characters in selected tales, drawing on theories of literary psychology, such as Jung's theory of psychological archetypes, as well as studies that address the relationship between seasons and psychological changes in humans. The research relies on an analysis of literary models from different cultures to clarify how characters interact with their environment and the impact this has on their psychological and social development. The study highlights the importance of these archetypes in shaping the dramatic plot and the dynamics of interaction between characters, opening new horizons for studying the influence of nature on human behavior in narrative literature. The study also presents a new insight that can be applied to other studies to understand character archetypes in world literature, enhancing the literary and psychological analysis of folk tales in multiple cultural contexts. The research highlights the importance of classifications in understanding characters within modern novels.
Downloads
Metrics
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
References
Ibrahim Abbas, (2001). Narrative Structure Techniques in the Moroccan Novel, Watan, Algeria, National Institution for Communication, Publishing, and Advertising, Algeria, no edition.
Ibn Manzur, (1999). Lisan al-Arab, edited by Amin Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad al-Sadiq al-Ubaidi, Volume 7, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-Arabi, Lebanon, Beirut, 3rd ed.
Al-Jawhari, Abu Nasr Ismail ibn Hammad, (1987). Al-Sihah: The Crown of Language and the Correct Arabic, edited by Ahmad Abd al-Ghafour Attar, publisher: Dar al-Ilm LilMalayin, Beirut, 4th ed.
Al-Farahidi, Khalil ibn Ahmad (2003). Al-Ain, edited by Abd al-Hamid Hanzwan, Volume 3, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2nd ed.
Ismail, Izz al-Din (2013). Literature and its Arts, Dar al-Fikr al-Arabi, Egypt, Cairo, 9th ed.
Gerald Prince, (2003). Dictionary of Narratives, translated by Sayyid Imam, Merit Publishing and Information, Cairo, 9th ed.
Samia Hassan Hussein, (1983). Culture and Personality, 1st ed., Beirut, Dar Al Nahda Al Arabiya, no edition number.
Siza Qasim, (1984). A Comparative Study of Naguib Mahfouz's Trilogy, Egyptian General Book Organization, no edition number.
Salama, Muhammad Ali, (2004). The Secondary Character and Its Role in Naguib Mahfouz's Novelistic Architecture, Dar Al Wafa for Printing and Publishing, Alexandria, Egypt, 1st ed.
Saleh, Hamed Jassim (2015). Character in the Novels of Tahsin Karmiani, Dar Tammuz, Damascus, Syria, 1st ed.
Dia Ali Lafta, (2010). Narrative Structure in the Poetry of the Vagabonds, Dar Al Hamed for Publishing and Distribution, Amman, Jordan, 1st ed.
Abdul Khaliq, Nader, (2010). The Novelistic Character between Ahmad Bakthir and Naguib Al Kilani, Dar Al Ilm Wal Iman, Cairo, no edition number.
Abdul Malik Murtad, (1998). In The Theory of the Novel, Dar Alam Al Ma'rifa, Kuwait, no edition number.
Ishtar, Daoud (2005). Aesthetic Allusion in the Qur'anic Parable, Arab Book Union, Damascus, 1st ed.
Qadi, Muhammad (no publication year). Dictionary of Narratives. International Association of Palestinian Publishers, Palestine, no edition number.
Na'man, Mansour (1999). The Art of Writing Drama for Theater, Radio, and Television. Dar Al-Kindi for Publishing and Distribution, Jordan, no edition number.
Hilal, Muhammad Ghanimi (1973). Modern Literary Criticism. Dar Al-Thaqafa, Beirut, no edition number.