Narrative resistance in the works of Ismail Kadare: Defying totalitarianism through storytelling

Abstract

This study analyzes the narrative resistance in two of Ismail Kadare’s most representative works, The Palace of Dreams and, The Siege exploring how the author employs allegory, historical symbolism, and polyphonic narration to construct a covert critique of totalitarian regimes. In a context where censorship and the ideology of socialist realism constrained literature, Kadare develops a dual discourse: an explicit narrative that adheres to the norms of the time and a subversive subtext that invites the reader to decipher its hidden message. In The Palace of Dreams, through a bureaucratic dystopia, the author presents an all-encompassing surveillance system where control extends even into the unconscious mind of the individual. This symbolic structure reflects the mechanisms of state repression in communist Albania, transforming the novel into an allegory of absolute power. On the other hand, The Siege utilizes historical narrative to address isolation and the manipulation of history by those in power. Kadare shifts the meaning of the castle from a symbol of medieval resistance to an allegorical representation of Albania in the 1960s-70s, where the external siege of the castle parallels the country's political isolation. Through strategies such as defamiliarization, narrative fragmentation, and temporal intertwining, Kadare challenges the constraints of socialist realism and creates a unique model of resistance literature. By adopting a multidimensional approach, this study confirms that his work is not merely a testimony to historical reality but also an active form of opposition against ideological control.