Unveiling Double Consciousness and Unsettling Hegemonic Economies in the Iraqi Free Verse Poetry of Badr Shaker al-Sayyāb’s The Blind Prostitute

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore DuBois’ concept of double consciousness as it applies to colonized Iraq, using Badr Shaker al-Sayyab’s poem, The Blind Prostitute, as an example. When viewed as an allegory of Iraq after the colonization of Great Britain, the poem gives the reader a significant sense of how to double consciousness affects the Iraqi mindset and economy. In The Blind Prostitute, the main character is exploited like the colonial oppressors who exploited Iraq and its resources. The prostitute’s name is Salima, but when she becomes blind, her name changes to Sabah, which reflects the double consciousness of the main character as well as the nation of Iraq, whose people see themselves through their own eyes but also the lenses of their oppressors. This paper brings awareness to the plight of Iraq and its capitalistic exploitation by exploring the concept of double consciousness by analyzing The Blind Prostitute.