OVERVIEW

Arabic Literature II aims to address some of the main themes of modern and contemporary Arabic literature: the Nahḍa period, the continuity of some traditional literary genres as well as the emergence and the affirmation of others such as the novel and the short story. The course will focus on literary movements and genres, notable exponents and significant works of twentieth-century Egyptian literature.

This is a one-year course (54 hours - 9 CFU) and is divided into three teaching parts.

Students who choose Arabic literature II worth 6 CFU are required to take the second and third parts which will be held in the second semester.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

- It intends to provide an overview of the main narrative trends in the twentieth century in relation to the political and socio-cultural evolution, analyse the most representative and relevant themes, authors and works of that period, as well as identify their specificity in the modern and contemporary Arabic literary context.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This module aims to:

• provide students with basic knowledge of modern Arabic literature, especially the Egyptian one, their main literary trends and texts;
• offer students methodological knowledge and critical thinking that enable the understanding of other authors and works from the same period;
• develop analytical and interpretation skills;
• broaden the knowledge of lexicon, phraseology and syntactic structures of Standard Arabic through the reading and analysis of some passages in original language;
• encourage students to reflect on literary, cultural and socio-political issues.

- At the end of the course the student will:

• have an in-depth knowledge of the historical, political and literary context which characterised the Arab world in the 19th and 20th centuries;
• know the main trends, authors and texts of modern Arabic and Egyptian literatures;
• be able to identify texts in the context of the history of Arabic literature, to link them to historical events, and other works and authors;
• be able to analyse the themes and the stylistic features of the literary texts dealt with;
• acquire the specialised literary, historical and political lexicon related to the topics discussed in the course.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and seminars. Texts and audiovisual materials, such as films and documentaries, will be provided in class. Students will be asked to participate in class discussions, to read and comment on several texts, both in Italian and in Arabic, as well as to prepare summaries and oral presentations.

The lessons will be held in the first semester according to the university teaching timetable.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

This is a one-year course (54 hours - 9 CFU) and is divided into three teaching parts.

Students who choose Arabic literature II worth 6 CFU are required to take the second and the third parts which will be held in the second semester.

1. Part I (18 hours in the first semester):

- Introduces the historical, cultural and literary context of the nahḍa period. Particular attention will be paid to the literary elements of continuity and rupture with the classical and pre-modern periods, to the nahḍa pioneers and their works; and to the role of the press and translations in the literary and cultural "renaissance".

- Includes reading in the Arabic language and the analysis of some passages taken from:

• Taḫlīṣ al-ibrīz ilā talḫīs Bārīz (The Extraction of Gold or an Overview of Paris) by Rifā‘a al-Ṭahṭāwī (d. 1873);
• al-Sāq ‘alà al-sāq fī mā huwa al-Fāryāq (Leg over Leg) by Fāris al-Šidyāq (d. 1887);
• Ḥadīṯ ‘Īsà ibn Hishām aw fatra min al zaman (What ʿĪsā ibn Hishām told us) by Muḥammad al Muwayliḥī (d. 1930).

- Covers the historical-literary context of the Arab world at the beginning of the twentieth century, the rise of the novel and the short story, particularly in Egypt.

The following works will be analysed:

• Zaynab by Muḥammad Ḥusayn Haykal (d. 1956);
• Fī l-qiṭār (By train) by Muḥammad Taymūr (d. 1921);
• ‘Ammī Mitwallī by Maḥmūd Taymūr (d. 1973);
• Ḥadīṯ al-qarya (Village small talk) by Maḥmūd Ṭāhir Lāšīn (d. 1954).

2. Part II (18 hours in the second semester):

- This module deals with the evolution of the novel in Egypt and in other Arab countries in the first half of the twentieth century. It will focus on the most relevant themes such as: the relationship between the Arab world and the European colonial powers; the national, cultural and religious identity; the relationship between tradition and modernity; the social and female emancipation. In the context of the historical and socio-literary framework of that period, particular emphasis will be given to the analysis of the first modern autobiographical narrative works:

• al-Ayyām (The Days) by Ṭaha Ḥusayn (d. 1973);
• Adīb by Ṭaha Ḥusayn;
• Yawmiyyāt nā’ib fī l-aryāf (Diary of a Country Prosecutor) by Tawfīq al-Ḥakīm (d. 1987).

3. Part III (18 hours in the second semester)

This module deals with the Egyptian Nobel Prize winner Naǧīb Maḥfūẓ (d. 2006) and his contribution to the evolution of the novel, especially in relation to the crucial events that have shaped the contemporary history of the Arab world: the process of decolonisation, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the crisis of the post-colonial regime in Egypt.

- The following works will be covered:

• Zuqāq al Midaqq (Midaq Alley 1947);
• Mirāmār (1967);
• al-Karnak (Karnak Café - 1971/74);
• Yawm maqtal al-zaʿīm (The Day the Leader was Killed 1985).

N.B .: Students must read at least two works of their choice (novels or anthologies of short stories or poems), translated from Arabic into Italian or English, and must be able to present and analyse them in depth in the exam.

- The syllabus is the same for non-attending students. Bibliographical material and texts covered during the course will be available on Aulaweb.

- The learning of foreign languages and the knowledge of the respective cultures help increase employment and mobility opportunities, foster communication and promote peaceful and inclusive societies. These goals are included in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Isabella Camera d’Afflitto, Letteratura araba contemporanea. Dalla nahdah a oggi, Carocci, Roma, 2007;
• Isabella Camera d’Aflitto, Scrittori arabi del Novecento, Bompiani, Milano, 2002;
• Toelle H., Zakaria K., Alla scoperta della letteratura araba. Dal vi secolo ai nostri giorni. Argo, Lecce, 2010;
• Avino M, Camera d’Afflitto I, Salem A. (ed.), Antologia della letteratura araba contemporanea, Carocci, Roma, 2015;
• Starkey, Paul, Modern Arabic Literature, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2006.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

NASSER AHMED ISMAIL AHMED (President)

MARCO AMMAR

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The lessons in the second semester will start on 22/02/2024, according to the following timetable:

• Thursday 3-4pm Room 18 Albergo dei Poveri;

• Friday 3-5pm Room 11 Albergo dei Poveri.

Class schedule

ARABIC LITERATURE AND CULTURE II

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination: the examination will last approx. 15 minutes for each student. It will consist of a number of questions on the various topics dealt with during the course, regarding the history and the most important genres, authors and works in modern Arabic literature, and particularly Egyptian.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student’s learning will be evaluated based on a clear, accurate and comprehensive presentation of the historical and literary topics of the course. The student's ability to place the movements, authors and texts in the history of modern and contemporary Arabic literature as well as their ability to analyse the works chosen will also be evaluated.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with certified special educational needs are advised to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the course