“Sidra’s Adventure in AlUla”: A Case Study of the Translated Children's Book in Exploring Saudi Cultural Identity through Genette’s Paradigm of Paratexts A Case Study of the Translated Children’s Book Sidra’s Adventure in AlUla

Abstract

Using Sidra’s Adventure in AlUla (Alaqeel, 2023) as an exemplar, this paper examines how paratextual elements facilitate cultural identity in translations of children’s literature. This analysis will apply Genette’s (1997) paratextual theory – specifically peritextual features such as the title, cover design, illustrations, and publisher logos and notes – to examine how the text communicates Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage (particularly that of the ancient city of AlUla). Specifically, this research will explore how these elements symbolize and cultivate the cultural heritage of AlUla and Saudi Arabia and promote and reconcile cultural identity for young readers (both locally and globally). In this study, a qualitative, product-oriented approach is adopted to establish how peritextual features operate as thresholds of interpretation to fashion the reader’s expectations and fortify cultural and ideological narratives. Additionally, this research posits that the peritextual elements of translated children’s literature are fundamental to the advancement and enablement of national identity and cross-cultural understanding. Via its comprehensive analysis of the pedagogical, symbolic, and ideological importance of visual and textual framing in cultural narratives, this study makes significant contributions to the expanding domain of paratextual analysis in translation.