The Motives Behind Malik’s Actions in the Novel “Dzatu Faqdin”: An Analysis Based on Max Weber’s Social Action Theory

Abstract

This study aims to explain the motives behind the actions of Malik, the main character in Dzatu Faqdin by Atheer Abdullah al-Nashmi, using Max Weber’s theory of social action. This study employs narrative analysis to examine the construction of Malik's actions throughout the novel. Data were collected through close reading and note-taking techniques and analyzed interpretively using Max Weber's theory of social action. The analysis reveals that Malik’s actions are shaped by three forms of social action: affective action, instrumental rational action, and traditional action. Affective action is reflected in Malik’s spontaneous emotional responses, such as panic, anxiety, and sudden changes in behavior when his affair is at risk of being exposed. Instrumental rational action appears in his deliberate efforts to maintain his image as a good husband, manage Yasmin’s emotions, and conceal his infidelity. Meanwhile, traditional action is reflected in Malik’s deep attachment to his mother, rooted in his childhood experiences, which forms the basis of his emotional vulnerability and influences his later actions. These findings indicate that the novel’s conflict is driven by the interaction between emotional impulses, calculated rationality, and deeply rooted habitual experiences that shape Malik’s decisions in preserving his marriage. Thus, Weber’s theory effectively reveals the complex motives underlying Malik’s actions and the relational dynamics portrayed in the novel.