This study aims to shed light on the dominant themes in the novel "Bidoun, without" by the Omani novelist Younis Al-Akhzami, in order to uncover the main subject that serves as the fundamental cornerstone and the primary nucleus from which the narrative text emerges. This is achieved by employing the tools of the thematic methodology, following the approach of Jean-Pierre Richard. This approach enables us to identify the dominant themes through their repeated appearances in the narrative world as continuous variations, representing partial themes of the larger, overarching themes. These are interconnected through hidden links and relational networks that connect them to one another on one hand, and to the overarching theme on the other. This allows the researcher to delve deeply into the text and reveal the logical, relational, and dialectical connections that bind the major themes together, ultimately leading to the primary theme of the novel. The process is conducted within a precise and cohesive system where the elements interlink and align under the laws of similarity, coherence, and interrelation, giving the text a unique and distinct structure.
This study employs a thematic approach to explore the issue of gender identity disorder and its psychological and existential repercussions on the affected individual in the novel "Bidoun, without." The text’s themes are diverse and varied, revealed through thematic analysis based on Jean-Pierre Richard’s mechanisms. The study aims to identify the major themes of the text, uncover the primary theme, and determine the core from which the novel emerges. Accordingly, the research is divided into several sections: the manifestations of the theme of "alienation" at the level of the title and the alienation of the self in the novel "Bidoun, without," the appearances of the theme of "suffering" within the title and its formations in the narrative space, and the overarching theme of "difference."