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The Ineluctable Chords of Forty and Ella’s Journey from Nausea to Madhab-i-Ishq to Eudaimonia: Prismatic Effects of Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love

Year 2022, Issue: 1, 47 - 54, 21.02.2022

Abstract

Elif Shafak’s novella, The Forty Rules of Love, published in March 2009, explores the identity of
one’s existence through a spiritual transformation. Sufi mysticism, which Ella has discovered, transports her on
an adventurous and exotic voyage of life. In this incredibly positive tale, a sense of belonging and purpose in
one’s life is instilled in the mind of the readers. A jar of Love will never be able to contain or define Love.
Everything about it is limitless and brimming with Rahma (mercy). It is a narrative of a lost soul discovering
serenity in Love, exploring the meaning of life, and re-inventing why she is still living. The recompensation for
every annihilation is a cleansing of the soul, according to Sufism. Through the prism of Sufism, this paper seeks
to understand Ella’s transition from Nausea to Madhab-i-Ishq to Eudaimonia and to bridge several of Tabrizi’s
rules with Islamic beliefs and understanding.

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Details

Primary Language English
Subjects British and Irish Language, Literature and Culture, Literary Studies, Literary Theory
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Najmul Huda Tareq This is me

Publication Date February 21, 2022
Submission Date September 12, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2022 Issue: 1

Cite

MLA Tareq, Najmul Huda. “The Ineluctable Chords of Forty and Ella’s Journey from Nausea to Madhab-I-Ishq to Eudaimonia: Prismatic Effects of Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love”. Overtones Ege Journal of English Studies, no. 1, 2022, pp. 47-54.