Papers by Clara Srouji-Shajrawi
مواقف العدد 9, 2023
مفهوم "التغريب" في معالجة صرخة الحيوانات ضدّ الإنسان عند إحوان الصّفاء وتولستوي
The Concept of De... more مفهوم "التغريب" في معالجة صرخة الحيوانات ضدّ الإنسان عند إحوان الصّفاء وتولستوي
The Concept of Defamiliarization in Addressing the Cry of Animals against Humans as Represented in Tolstoy's Story "Kholstomer" and in Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾs Animals' Epistle
يناقش هذا المقال مسألة "ملكيّة" الإنسان لحياة الحيوان إنْ كانت حَقًّا شرعيًّا له، وذلك عن طريق توظيف تقنيّة "التغريب" بهدف فتح المجال للحيوانات بالتعبير عن مشاعرها والكلام عن نقمتها على الإنسان الذي يستعبدها ويتعامل معها بقسوة. تُطبَّق هذه التقنية الجماليّة على قصّة قصيرة للكاتب الروسي ليو تولستوي بعنوان "خولستومر"، إضافةً إلى رسالة "تداعي الحيوانات على الإنسان" ل-"إخوان الصفاء"، التي تَظهر فيها الحيوانات دونَ أن ينقصها شيء من الفِطنة والذكاء وحُسن الخطاب والقدرة على مواجهة البشر بالعقل لا بالصراخ. تُدخلنا هذه الرسالة إلى أجواء عالَم مُتخيَّل غريب، يتآلف فيه المألوف الواقعيّ وينصهر مع عالم الجِنّ والبشر والحيوانات.
.رغم أنّ العملَين يُبيِّنان مدى ظلم البشر للحيوانات، إلّا أنّ النتيجة تأتي على عكس ما يتوقّعها القارئ
Al-Majma' - Studies in Arabic Language, Literature and Thought, 2022
This paper explores madness as depicted in various works of the Egyptian writer, Najīb Maḥfūẓ. Ma... more This paper explores madness as depicted in various works of the Egyptian writer, Najīb Maḥfūẓ. Madness is often associated with irrational, abnormal and wild elements in human conduct. However, it is also associated with saviors, visionaries, and their behavior. Both forms are shown here in their different aspects: madness as a mental disease, as an expression of a person's 'existential' crisis, as man's passion to approach the Divine, as a "safe" way to express critique of the socio-political situation in Egypt, and madness in its visionary form. In some cases, these aspects or shades of madness are correlated and intertwined. I argue that the Maḥfūẓian mad anti-heroes are somehow related to Sufism. A special emphasis is put on madness in two contradictory characters in Malḥamat al-Ḥarāfīsh (The Harafish, 1977), which is discussed through Nietzsche's notion of the Übermensch, and the paper concludes that this concept can be seen as similar to the Arabic concept of futuwwah (chivalry).
The Fantastic Narrative in the Literary, Religious and Philosophic Contexts (A book in Arabic), 2021
This paper explores the fantastic features in Naguib Mahfouz' novel Layālī Alf Layla (1982) by ex... more This paper explores the fantastic features in Naguib Mahfouz' novel Layālī Alf Layla (1982) by examining the usefulness of Tzvetan Todorov's method regarding the fantastic genre. I argue that Todorov's theory of the fantastic narrative is not sufficient if we neglect the socio-political context or Freud's concept of the uncanny. Although the novel is structured upon binary oppositions as good/evil, life/death, human/genie, reality/dream, reason/instinct, justice/tyranny, purity/impurity – yet it seems that all these oppositions exist ubiquitously in the life of human beings upon earth who are challenged by "demonic forces" to do things contrary to their will. On the one hand, there is no demon/genie in the actual life, but an inner force that drives the actant to murder the ruler, for example. On the other hand, only in paradise/heaven which is static (without time) there are no binary oppositions. Thus, binary oppositions should be understood in their dialectic dynamic of bringing about changes for the better or worse. One thing to confirm is the ability of human person to make choices also while he/she lives upon earth or in paradise. His/her choice affects not only their individual life but also those around them. The characters in this novel are better understood as actants. Each of them has a role to complete, and when he fails another actant is called upon to accomplish the mission that turns out to be the actualization of the Utopian city. Mahfouz borrows from the tradition of the Arabian Nights in characters, themes and style with a high degree of artistic freedom, so that he not only changes the original, but breaks the standards and norms of the realistic novel.
Mawaqef, 2021
An article in Arabic about the Reception Theory of Hans Robert Jauss.
A Companion to World Literature (Wiley Blackwell), 2020
The Nobel Laureate (1988) Naguib Mahfouz (Najīb Maḥfūẓ) is represented, via examples from his mai... more The Nobel Laureate (1988) Naguib Mahfouz (Najīb Maḥfūẓ) is represented, via examples from his main works, as a liberal thinker, one passionate for a democratic state for all its citizens, characterized by religious tolerance and freedom of speech. His liberalism is in conflict with the extremist conservative stream of Islam that views women as inferior to men, and looks for a state based on Islamic law (Shariʿa). Mahfouz's openness to other cultures, and his dealing with issues that concern all human beings with a special flavor of locality, make his works transcend the borders of the nation, participate in the exchange of ideas between cultures by means of translation and, thus, gain the appreciation of different nations. Mahfouz's impact on three Egyptian writers of the 1960s shows him not as a source of passive imitation in style and social concerns but rather as the inspiration for further stages in the development of modern Arabic literature.
Published in Middle Eastern Literatures, vol. 17 (April 2014)
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المجلّة - مجمع اللغة العربيّة, 2021
The novel balad al-manḥūs recounts the history of the Palestinian Nakba, through a dialectic of s... more The novel balad al-manḥūs recounts the history of the Palestinian Nakba, through a dialectic of submission and resistance, showing that the present is a result of the past and a continuation of it. The author portrays the conflict between Jews and Arabs, over the land of Palestine, as a struggle between two forces that are not equal, one representing the strong and "civilized", supported by the countries of the world, and the other is weak, naïve, though he/she tries to resist. Acre is represented as a symbol for all Palestine. Most of the events take place in Acre, or in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland.
An atmosphere of oppression, injustice and tyranny prevails in the chapters of the novel, commensurable with the threshold provided by the title, resulting in a feeling that the road is blocked.
Through the concept of "binary oppositions", as used by structuralism and then developed by poststructuralism, we could better understand the internal structure of the literary work, by uncovering the conflicting axes in it.
This paper aims to show how sex is represented in this novel as an inner great energy that shapes the human attitude and behavior towards the "other", and as a catalyst to trigger events. Sexual behavior is characterized by violence and aggression, or by love and sincere emotional desire, depending on the identity of the other.
Also, the women's sex-strike of Acre (echoing Aristophanes' play Lysistrata) is a form of passive resistance. Likewise, the dilemmas of sexual identity, circumcision, and the musical instrument (Oud) as an erotic symbol, are all treated through the political lens.
مواقف, 2021
أبيّن في هذا المقالنقاط التشابه والاختلاف بين الفيلسوفَين أبي نصر الفارابي وكارل ماركس في مسألة ا... more أبيّن في هذا المقالنقاط التشابه والاختلاف بين الفيلسوفَين أبي نصر الفارابي وكارل ماركس في مسألة السعادة والاغتراب (alienation).
ترتبط السّعادة في الفلسفة المَدَنيّة عند الفارابي بمدى تحقيق الإنسان لِذاته ولقدراته التي فُطِر عليها في "المدينة الفاضلة"، مِمّا يُتيح للمواطِن التغلُّب على الشعور بالاغتراب. في المقابل، من خلال دراسة كارل ماركس لشكل الإنتاج في النظام الرأسماليّ، يتحوّل العملُ إلى سِلعة، فيؤدّي ذلك إلى ابتعاد الإنسان عن جوهره عندما "يُستَلَبُ" منه الشيء الذي أنتجه، فتكون النتيجة شعور الإنسان بالاغتراب عن ذاته.
يلتقي الفيلسوف الألماني كارل ماركس مع الفارابي عند فكرة أنّ العملَ يُمثِّلُ طبيعةَ الإنسان وجوهره، دون أن يتّفقا حول ضرورة الإبقاء على استعباد شريحة معيّنة في المجتمع، للحفاظ على أمن الدولة وهرميّتها، فذلك يتضارب مع مفهوم النظام الاشتراكي الذي نادى به.
مواقف، العدد 3, 2021
The Search for the Virtuous City in the Novels of Naguib Mahfouz
(Article in Arabic).
Al-Majma': Studies in Arabic Language, Literature and Thought, 2020
The Precursor of the Novel as a Sequence of Fantastic Short Stories in Arabian Nights: "The Tale ... more The Precursor of the Novel as a Sequence of Fantastic Short Stories in Arabian Nights: "The Tale of the Porter with the Ladies" as a Paradigm
Clara Srouji-Shajrawi
This paper aims to show that the novel, a relatively new genre, has its roots in the long tales of Arabian Nights, constructed as a coherent sequence of short stories with an overarching frame story. This will be demonstrated through “The Tale of the Porter with the Ladies” (ḥikāyat al-ḥammāl maʿ al-banāt). This long tale presents several characters and deals with different themes using what is known today in fiction as "cross-genre writing" (or hybrid genre). This technique blends elements and characteristics from different genres, and thus opposes the conservative view of "pure genre". The text discussed here features elements of the short story and poetry, alongside the fusion of realistic and fantastic writing. Elements of tragi-comedy, i.e., an erotic scene followed by a painful one, are also apparent. The ladies' house becomes a theatre with actors (those who tell their stories) and an audience, accompanied by music and poetry.
Each story can be read as a separate construction, yet its aesthetical significance is much more profound when read as related to the context of the other stories in this complex system of the novel. Hence, this literary work realizes the condition of "emergence" in philosophy, science and art, that speaks of an entity having properties its parts do not have, due to interactions among the parts.
Shahrazād as the narrator, in the third-person form, unites the different stories that are told in the first-person form by the main character in each story. These stories, at the integrative level, are based on the principle of contradictions, comparisons, the interaction between the real and imaginary, and the encounter of humans with the supernatural (magic, genies, a flying horse). The themes dealt with are relevant to the twenty-first century, such as love, brothers' envy, incest, belief in God and Islam being challenged by disbelievers (kuffār), free will confronted by the power of fate and destiny, and military coups against the ruling power.
The overlap of the real and the imaginary is presented through the notion of the uncanny (Freud) and the fantastic (Todorov).
This paper was published in al-Majalla, vol. 9, 2018, pp. 69-101(in Arabic).
"Dancing at the Edg... more This paper was published in al-Majalla, vol. 9, 2018, pp. 69-101(in Arabic).
"Dancing at the Edge of the Precipice of Sex and Violence: A Reading of Au Revoir Acre by ʿAlāʾ Ḥleḥel".
In his novel Au Revoir Acre (2014), the Palestinian writer ʿAlāʾ Ḥleḥel reconstructs the siege of Acre by the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte (1799), during the rule of Aḥmad Pasha al-Jazzār. The novel reveals the horrors of war, violation of social taboos, rape of women, subjugation of human-beings, the cruelty and brutality of leaders and their agents towards the oppressed class.
By applying the Freudian's concepts of 'Eros' and 'Thanatos' to the behavior of al-Jazzār and other characters in the novel, this paper aims to offer an explanation of the duality and the conflict of contradictory aspects in the nature of the characters. Eros represents actions and emotions of love, creativity, construction, and preservation of one's life, while Thanatos represents the drive towards death and destruction. Though Eros and Thanatos appear to be opposing forces, they are closely intertwined, and one can even turn into the other.
Al-Jazzār is represented by the author as a lover of a woman called Darinka but at the same time also as a dictator and killer of many innocent people. When he is alone he is weak, afraid, and suffers from horrible hallucinations, so he wishes to leave Acre and return to his native Bosnia. His departure at the end of the novel can be interpreted as the realization of the death instinct, which means aspiring to a state of tranquility and peace that eliminates the sufferings of life. Only Farḥī, the Jew, survives at the end of the novel. Though a minor character, he is the only one who possesses a collective vision rather than being driven by personal interest. He succeeds due to his rational thinking and constructive behavior. His survival and his futuristic plans for Acre, after the departure of al-Jazzār, may symbolize the triumph of the Jews and the establishment of the State of Israel.
An article (in Arabic) that studies the problem of religious diversity within the same state from... more An article (in Arabic) that studies the problem of religious diversity within the same state from the view point of Abu Bakr al-Razi and Abu Nasr al-Farabi.
Published in Shadha al-Karmel Journal (June 2017), 14-18.
This paper explores the resemblance between the socio-political environment of the cities that Ib... more This paper explores the resemblance between the socio-political environment of the cities that Ibn Faṭṭūma visits in his journey, to al-Farābī's analysis of the ignorant cities (al-mudun al-jāhiliyya). The claim is that both The Journey of Ibn Faṭṭūma by Najīb Maḥfūẓ, and al-Farābī's extended talk of the ignorant cities alludes to the same crisis; The novelist and the philosopher dream of an utopian virtuous city but aware that in reality there are various forms of imperfect regimes, while the perfect regime is virtually impossible or difficult to reach. Both, the philosopher and the novelist, see that true knowledge (ḥikma) is the basis of the virtuous city, and through it the application of a right and virtuous 'religion' may be practiced. The ideal or virtuous city provides happiness, justice, and self-realization for all the citizens. This paper shows that al-Farābī's philosophical text becomes vivid and attractive when considered as a background to the story of Ibn Faṭṭūma's passionate dream of arriving to the perfect or ideal city. The spiritual crisis of both Ibn Faṭṭūma and al-Farābī is the outcome of a defect in the socio-political regime, which is not strange to our time. This justifies the study of both the literary and philosophical works from a contemporaneous perspective.
This study offers a close reading of al-Shaḥḥādh by the Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz. It aims... more This study offers a close reading of al-Shaḥḥādh by the Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz. It aims to demonstrate that Mahfouz, in this novel, succeeds in breaking the norms of the classic realistic novel to create a new literary style heralding modernism in the Arabic novel. Behind the façade of a simple story there is a complexity of style and a thematic profundity. Features of modernism are shown in this paper by examining the techniques Mahfouz uses to present the protagonist's existential suffering in his quest to find a solid meaning of life, and portraying his thoughts and feelings in a language that sometimes seems poetic. Reading this novel in its socio-political context reveals the collapse of traditional values, including artistic values, and hints at the " absurdity " of revolution in Egypt and the Arab world.
This paper aims to illustrate the nature of "metafiction" as a postmodern technique, and to exami... more This paper aims to illustrate the nature of "metafiction" as a postmodern technique, and to examine its effect on the reception of Mustaghanami's novels, especially her "Chaos of the Senses" (1998), in the Arab world.
The article is written in Arabic. By using the Jungian approach to dreams, the paper interprets t... more The article is written in Arabic. By using the Jungian approach to dreams, the paper interprets the function of dreams in three literary works by Mahfouz.
This paper suggests a model to apply Jauss' Theory of Reception to the modern Arabic novel using ... more This paper suggests a model to apply Jauss' Theory of Reception to the modern Arabic novel using the novel of Ahlam Mustaghanami as a paradigm.
This article aims to clarify the rationalistic basis of al-Rāzī’s rejection of religion and proph... more This article aims to clarify the rationalistic basis of al-Rāzī’s rejection of religion and prophecy. His philosophy is shown to agree, in many points, with the Secular Humanist declaration from 1980. This justifies the study of al-Rāzī’s thought in a modern context.
Both al-Rāzī and Secular Humanism are skeptical about supernatural claims, stand for freedom from religious control, and committed to free inquiry, moral education since childhood, and a pluralistic/democratic society. All this can be accomplished without the need for religion, prophets or Imams.
Because of his attitude towards religion and prophecy he was accused of heresy and most of his philosophical writings were destroyed.
The study is based, especially, upon A‘lām al-nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophecy) which mirrors the debate that took place in Rayy around 930-932 between two opponents: the Ismā‘īlī Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī and the well-known physician and philosopher Abū Bakr al-Rāzī. Reference is also made to Rasā’il falsafiyyah, collected and ascribed to Abū Bakr al-Rāzī by Paul Kraus.
Al-Rāzī’s philosophy is presented as a call for a virtuous life of justice, knowledge and eschewing evil. His criticism of the religious establishment does not disqualify him from being a true believer in God.
The debate between the two Rāzīs can be understood, from the perspective of our millennium, as reflecting a conflict between an enlightened minority, striving towards a secular state, and a majority ensnared by the dream of a pure religious state.
The unfolding of the current events (revolutions) in the Arab countries may determine which approach will predominate.
This article aims to show the interaction between philosophy, religion and politics by revealing ... more This article aims to show the interaction between philosophy, religion and politics by revealing the role and rank of religion within the hierarchical system of al-Fārābī " s political philosophy.
This paper aims to show the origin of the widespread children’s story “Little Red Riding Hood”, k... more This paper aims to show the origin of the widespread children’s story “Little Red Riding Hood”, known in Arabic as “Laylā al-ḥamrāʼ” or “Laylā wal-dhiʼb”.
Charles Perraut was the first to write this oral French village tale in 1697 under the title “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”. Following him this story was rewritten in different languages with minor, but very important, differences. The Arabic children’s story “Laylā al-ḥamrāʼ” is actually a translation, although not accurate nor complete, of the Brothers Grimm’s version: “Rotkäppchen”.
Several writers, from different cultures and countries have done their own reformulation of Perraut’s version. But most Arab writers are still satisfied to keep it unchanged and within the confines of children’s stories. A prominent exception is Emily Nasrallah, a Lebanese writer, in her short story, not written for children, “Laylā wal-dhiʼb”. Nasrallah uses the known story to present her special view about gender differences, the conflict between old and new generations, and the individual’s desire to confront the severe rules of society.
The Palestinian writer Maysūn Asadī has also written an original version in her children’s story: “Mawʽid maʽ al-dhiʼb” (A Rendezvous with the Wolf). This story can be considered as a modern adaptation, for it presents the perspective of the wolf (as a male symbol) who tries to challenge the old unfair social prejudices about him.
This study compares six versions of the story “Little Red Riding Hood” using the method of Vladimir Propp. It shows how this apparently “simple” children’s story is actually not only for children, neither in its original oral form nor in its subsequent developments. Actually it reflects the attitude of society, in different places and periods, towards women and the relation between genders.
Two supplements follow the article: 1) My own translation of four versions of the story: the French, the German, the Italian and the Chinese (from English). 2) A summary of V. Propp’s enumeration of the functions of Dramatis Personae. These functions are useful in directing the mind of the interpreter in the process of analyzing the folk tale or the children’s story, but, as claimed in this paper, must not be taken too literally.
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Papers by Clara Srouji-Shajrawi
The Concept of Defamiliarization in Addressing the Cry of Animals against Humans as Represented in Tolstoy's Story "Kholstomer" and in Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾs Animals' Epistle
يناقش هذا المقال مسألة "ملكيّة" الإنسان لحياة الحيوان إنْ كانت حَقًّا شرعيًّا له، وذلك عن طريق توظيف تقنيّة "التغريب" بهدف فتح المجال للحيوانات بالتعبير عن مشاعرها والكلام عن نقمتها على الإنسان الذي يستعبدها ويتعامل معها بقسوة. تُطبَّق هذه التقنية الجماليّة على قصّة قصيرة للكاتب الروسي ليو تولستوي بعنوان "خولستومر"، إضافةً إلى رسالة "تداعي الحيوانات على الإنسان" ل-"إخوان الصفاء"، التي تَظهر فيها الحيوانات دونَ أن ينقصها شيء من الفِطنة والذكاء وحُسن الخطاب والقدرة على مواجهة البشر بالعقل لا بالصراخ. تُدخلنا هذه الرسالة إلى أجواء عالَم مُتخيَّل غريب، يتآلف فيه المألوف الواقعيّ وينصهر مع عالم الجِنّ والبشر والحيوانات.
.رغم أنّ العملَين يُبيِّنان مدى ظلم البشر للحيوانات، إلّا أنّ النتيجة تأتي على عكس ما يتوقّعها القارئ
An atmosphere of oppression, injustice and tyranny prevails in the chapters of the novel, commensurable with the threshold provided by the title, resulting in a feeling that the road is blocked.
Through the concept of "binary oppositions", as used by structuralism and then developed by poststructuralism, we could better understand the internal structure of the literary work, by uncovering the conflicting axes in it.
This paper aims to show how sex is represented in this novel as an inner great energy that shapes the human attitude and behavior towards the "other", and as a catalyst to trigger events. Sexual behavior is characterized by violence and aggression, or by love and sincere emotional desire, depending on the identity of the other.
Also, the women's sex-strike of Acre (echoing Aristophanes' play Lysistrata) is a form of passive resistance. Likewise, the dilemmas of sexual identity, circumcision, and the musical instrument (Oud) as an erotic symbol, are all treated through the political lens.
ترتبط السّعادة في الفلسفة المَدَنيّة عند الفارابي بمدى تحقيق الإنسان لِذاته ولقدراته التي فُطِر عليها في "المدينة الفاضلة"، مِمّا يُتيح للمواطِن التغلُّب على الشعور بالاغتراب. في المقابل، من خلال دراسة كارل ماركس لشكل الإنتاج في النظام الرأسماليّ، يتحوّل العملُ إلى سِلعة، فيؤدّي ذلك إلى ابتعاد الإنسان عن جوهره عندما "يُستَلَبُ" منه الشيء الذي أنتجه، فتكون النتيجة شعور الإنسان بالاغتراب عن ذاته.
يلتقي الفيلسوف الألماني كارل ماركس مع الفارابي عند فكرة أنّ العملَ يُمثِّلُ طبيعةَ الإنسان وجوهره، دون أن يتّفقا حول ضرورة الإبقاء على استعباد شريحة معيّنة في المجتمع، للحفاظ على أمن الدولة وهرميّتها، فذلك يتضارب مع مفهوم النظام الاشتراكي الذي نادى به.
Clara Srouji-Shajrawi
This paper aims to show that the novel, a relatively new genre, has its roots in the long tales of Arabian Nights, constructed as a coherent sequence of short stories with an overarching frame story. This will be demonstrated through “The Tale of the Porter with the Ladies” (ḥikāyat al-ḥammāl maʿ al-banāt). This long tale presents several characters and deals with different themes using what is known today in fiction as "cross-genre writing" (or hybrid genre). This technique blends elements and characteristics from different genres, and thus opposes the conservative view of "pure genre". The text discussed here features elements of the short story and poetry, alongside the fusion of realistic and fantastic writing. Elements of tragi-comedy, i.e., an erotic scene followed by a painful one, are also apparent. The ladies' house becomes a theatre with actors (those who tell their stories) and an audience, accompanied by music and poetry.
Each story can be read as a separate construction, yet its aesthetical significance is much more profound when read as related to the context of the other stories in this complex system of the novel. Hence, this literary work realizes the condition of "emergence" in philosophy, science and art, that speaks of an entity having properties its parts do not have, due to interactions among the parts.
Shahrazād as the narrator, in the third-person form, unites the different stories that are told in the first-person form by the main character in each story. These stories, at the integrative level, are based on the principle of contradictions, comparisons, the interaction between the real and imaginary, and the encounter of humans with the supernatural (magic, genies, a flying horse). The themes dealt with are relevant to the twenty-first century, such as love, brothers' envy, incest, belief in God and Islam being challenged by disbelievers (kuffār), free will confronted by the power of fate and destiny, and military coups against the ruling power.
The overlap of the real and the imaginary is presented through the notion of the uncanny (Freud) and the fantastic (Todorov).
"Dancing at the Edge of the Precipice of Sex and Violence: A Reading of Au Revoir Acre by ʿAlāʾ Ḥleḥel".
In his novel Au Revoir Acre (2014), the Palestinian writer ʿAlāʾ Ḥleḥel reconstructs the siege of Acre by the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte (1799), during the rule of Aḥmad Pasha al-Jazzār. The novel reveals the horrors of war, violation of social taboos, rape of women, subjugation of human-beings, the cruelty and brutality of leaders and their agents towards the oppressed class.
By applying the Freudian's concepts of 'Eros' and 'Thanatos' to the behavior of al-Jazzār and other characters in the novel, this paper aims to offer an explanation of the duality and the conflict of contradictory aspects in the nature of the characters. Eros represents actions and emotions of love, creativity, construction, and preservation of one's life, while Thanatos represents the drive towards death and destruction. Though Eros and Thanatos appear to be opposing forces, they are closely intertwined, and one can even turn into the other.
Al-Jazzār is represented by the author as a lover of a woman called Darinka but at the same time also as a dictator and killer of many innocent people. When he is alone he is weak, afraid, and suffers from horrible hallucinations, so he wishes to leave Acre and return to his native Bosnia. His departure at the end of the novel can be interpreted as the realization of the death instinct, which means aspiring to a state of tranquility and peace that eliminates the sufferings of life. Only Farḥī, the Jew, survives at the end of the novel. Though a minor character, he is the only one who possesses a collective vision rather than being driven by personal interest. He succeeds due to his rational thinking and constructive behavior. His survival and his futuristic plans for Acre, after the departure of al-Jazzār, may symbolize the triumph of the Jews and the establishment of the State of Israel.
Published in Shadha al-Karmel Journal (June 2017), 14-18.
Both al-Rāzī and Secular Humanism are skeptical about supernatural claims, stand for freedom from religious control, and committed to free inquiry, moral education since childhood, and a pluralistic/democratic society. All this can be accomplished without the need for religion, prophets or Imams.
Because of his attitude towards religion and prophecy he was accused of heresy and most of his philosophical writings were destroyed.
The study is based, especially, upon A‘lām al-nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophecy) which mirrors the debate that took place in Rayy around 930-932 between two opponents: the Ismā‘īlī Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī and the well-known physician and philosopher Abū Bakr al-Rāzī. Reference is also made to Rasā’il falsafiyyah, collected and ascribed to Abū Bakr al-Rāzī by Paul Kraus.
Al-Rāzī’s philosophy is presented as a call for a virtuous life of justice, knowledge and eschewing evil. His criticism of the religious establishment does not disqualify him from being a true believer in God.
The debate between the two Rāzīs can be understood, from the perspective of our millennium, as reflecting a conflict between an enlightened minority, striving towards a secular state, and a majority ensnared by the dream of a pure religious state.
The unfolding of the current events (revolutions) in the Arab countries may determine which approach will predominate.
Charles Perraut was the first to write this oral French village tale in 1697 under the title “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”. Following him this story was rewritten in different languages with minor, but very important, differences. The Arabic children’s story “Laylā al-ḥamrāʼ” is actually a translation, although not accurate nor complete, of the Brothers Grimm’s version: “Rotkäppchen”.
Several writers, from different cultures and countries have done their own reformulation of Perraut’s version. But most Arab writers are still satisfied to keep it unchanged and within the confines of children’s stories. A prominent exception is Emily Nasrallah, a Lebanese writer, in her short story, not written for children, “Laylā wal-dhiʼb”. Nasrallah uses the known story to present her special view about gender differences, the conflict between old and new generations, and the individual’s desire to confront the severe rules of society.
The Palestinian writer Maysūn Asadī has also written an original version in her children’s story: “Mawʽid maʽ al-dhiʼb” (A Rendezvous with the Wolf). This story can be considered as a modern adaptation, for it presents the perspective of the wolf (as a male symbol) who tries to challenge the old unfair social prejudices about him.
This study compares six versions of the story “Little Red Riding Hood” using the method of Vladimir Propp. It shows how this apparently “simple” children’s story is actually not only for children, neither in its original oral form nor in its subsequent developments. Actually it reflects the attitude of society, in different places and periods, towards women and the relation between genders.
Two supplements follow the article: 1) My own translation of four versions of the story: the French, the German, the Italian and the Chinese (from English). 2) A summary of V. Propp’s enumeration of the functions of Dramatis Personae. These functions are useful in directing the mind of the interpreter in the process of analyzing the folk tale or the children’s story, but, as claimed in this paper, must not be taken too literally.
The Concept of Defamiliarization in Addressing the Cry of Animals against Humans as Represented in Tolstoy's Story "Kholstomer" and in Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾs Animals' Epistle
يناقش هذا المقال مسألة "ملكيّة" الإنسان لحياة الحيوان إنْ كانت حَقًّا شرعيًّا له، وذلك عن طريق توظيف تقنيّة "التغريب" بهدف فتح المجال للحيوانات بالتعبير عن مشاعرها والكلام عن نقمتها على الإنسان الذي يستعبدها ويتعامل معها بقسوة. تُطبَّق هذه التقنية الجماليّة على قصّة قصيرة للكاتب الروسي ليو تولستوي بعنوان "خولستومر"، إضافةً إلى رسالة "تداعي الحيوانات على الإنسان" ل-"إخوان الصفاء"، التي تَظهر فيها الحيوانات دونَ أن ينقصها شيء من الفِطنة والذكاء وحُسن الخطاب والقدرة على مواجهة البشر بالعقل لا بالصراخ. تُدخلنا هذه الرسالة إلى أجواء عالَم مُتخيَّل غريب، يتآلف فيه المألوف الواقعيّ وينصهر مع عالم الجِنّ والبشر والحيوانات.
.رغم أنّ العملَين يُبيِّنان مدى ظلم البشر للحيوانات، إلّا أنّ النتيجة تأتي على عكس ما يتوقّعها القارئ
An atmosphere of oppression, injustice and tyranny prevails in the chapters of the novel, commensurable with the threshold provided by the title, resulting in a feeling that the road is blocked.
Through the concept of "binary oppositions", as used by structuralism and then developed by poststructuralism, we could better understand the internal structure of the literary work, by uncovering the conflicting axes in it.
This paper aims to show how sex is represented in this novel as an inner great energy that shapes the human attitude and behavior towards the "other", and as a catalyst to trigger events. Sexual behavior is characterized by violence and aggression, or by love and sincere emotional desire, depending on the identity of the other.
Also, the women's sex-strike of Acre (echoing Aristophanes' play Lysistrata) is a form of passive resistance. Likewise, the dilemmas of sexual identity, circumcision, and the musical instrument (Oud) as an erotic symbol, are all treated through the political lens.
ترتبط السّعادة في الفلسفة المَدَنيّة عند الفارابي بمدى تحقيق الإنسان لِذاته ولقدراته التي فُطِر عليها في "المدينة الفاضلة"، مِمّا يُتيح للمواطِن التغلُّب على الشعور بالاغتراب. في المقابل، من خلال دراسة كارل ماركس لشكل الإنتاج في النظام الرأسماليّ، يتحوّل العملُ إلى سِلعة، فيؤدّي ذلك إلى ابتعاد الإنسان عن جوهره عندما "يُستَلَبُ" منه الشيء الذي أنتجه، فتكون النتيجة شعور الإنسان بالاغتراب عن ذاته.
يلتقي الفيلسوف الألماني كارل ماركس مع الفارابي عند فكرة أنّ العملَ يُمثِّلُ طبيعةَ الإنسان وجوهره، دون أن يتّفقا حول ضرورة الإبقاء على استعباد شريحة معيّنة في المجتمع، للحفاظ على أمن الدولة وهرميّتها، فذلك يتضارب مع مفهوم النظام الاشتراكي الذي نادى به.
Clara Srouji-Shajrawi
This paper aims to show that the novel, a relatively new genre, has its roots in the long tales of Arabian Nights, constructed as a coherent sequence of short stories with an overarching frame story. This will be demonstrated through “The Tale of the Porter with the Ladies” (ḥikāyat al-ḥammāl maʿ al-banāt). This long tale presents several characters and deals with different themes using what is known today in fiction as "cross-genre writing" (or hybrid genre). This technique blends elements and characteristics from different genres, and thus opposes the conservative view of "pure genre". The text discussed here features elements of the short story and poetry, alongside the fusion of realistic and fantastic writing. Elements of tragi-comedy, i.e., an erotic scene followed by a painful one, are also apparent. The ladies' house becomes a theatre with actors (those who tell their stories) and an audience, accompanied by music and poetry.
Each story can be read as a separate construction, yet its aesthetical significance is much more profound when read as related to the context of the other stories in this complex system of the novel. Hence, this literary work realizes the condition of "emergence" in philosophy, science and art, that speaks of an entity having properties its parts do not have, due to interactions among the parts.
Shahrazād as the narrator, in the third-person form, unites the different stories that are told in the first-person form by the main character in each story. These stories, at the integrative level, are based on the principle of contradictions, comparisons, the interaction between the real and imaginary, and the encounter of humans with the supernatural (magic, genies, a flying horse). The themes dealt with are relevant to the twenty-first century, such as love, brothers' envy, incest, belief in God and Islam being challenged by disbelievers (kuffār), free will confronted by the power of fate and destiny, and military coups against the ruling power.
The overlap of the real and the imaginary is presented through the notion of the uncanny (Freud) and the fantastic (Todorov).
"Dancing at the Edge of the Precipice of Sex and Violence: A Reading of Au Revoir Acre by ʿAlāʾ Ḥleḥel".
In his novel Au Revoir Acre (2014), the Palestinian writer ʿAlāʾ Ḥleḥel reconstructs the siege of Acre by the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte (1799), during the rule of Aḥmad Pasha al-Jazzār. The novel reveals the horrors of war, violation of social taboos, rape of women, subjugation of human-beings, the cruelty and brutality of leaders and their agents towards the oppressed class.
By applying the Freudian's concepts of 'Eros' and 'Thanatos' to the behavior of al-Jazzār and other characters in the novel, this paper aims to offer an explanation of the duality and the conflict of contradictory aspects in the nature of the characters. Eros represents actions and emotions of love, creativity, construction, and preservation of one's life, while Thanatos represents the drive towards death and destruction. Though Eros and Thanatos appear to be opposing forces, they are closely intertwined, and one can even turn into the other.
Al-Jazzār is represented by the author as a lover of a woman called Darinka but at the same time also as a dictator and killer of many innocent people. When he is alone he is weak, afraid, and suffers from horrible hallucinations, so he wishes to leave Acre and return to his native Bosnia. His departure at the end of the novel can be interpreted as the realization of the death instinct, which means aspiring to a state of tranquility and peace that eliminates the sufferings of life. Only Farḥī, the Jew, survives at the end of the novel. Though a minor character, he is the only one who possesses a collective vision rather than being driven by personal interest. He succeeds due to his rational thinking and constructive behavior. His survival and his futuristic plans for Acre, after the departure of al-Jazzār, may symbolize the triumph of the Jews and the establishment of the State of Israel.
Published in Shadha al-Karmel Journal (June 2017), 14-18.
Both al-Rāzī and Secular Humanism are skeptical about supernatural claims, stand for freedom from religious control, and committed to free inquiry, moral education since childhood, and a pluralistic/democratic society. All this can be accomplished without the need for religion, prophets or Imams.
Because of his attitude towards religion and prophecy he was accused of heresy and most of his philosophical writings were destroyed.
The study is based, especially, upon A‘lām al-nubuwwah (The Signs of Prophecy) which mirrors the debate that took place in Rayy around 930-932 between two opponents: the Ismā‘īlī Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī and the well-known physician and philosopher Abū Bakr al-Rāzī. Reference is also made to Rasā’il falsafiyyah, collected and ascribed to Abū Bakr al-Rāzī by Paul Kraus.
Al-Rāzī’s philosophy is presented as a call for a virtuous life of justice, knowledge and eschewing evil. His criticism of the religious establishment does not disqualify him from being a true believer in God.
The debate between the two Rāzīs can be understood, from the perspective of our millennium, as reflecting a conflict between an enlightened minority, striving towards a secular state, and a majority ensnared by the dream of a pure religious state.
The unfolding of the current events (revolutions) in the Arab countries may determine which approach will predominate.
Charles Perraut was the first to write this oral French village tale in 1697 under the title “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”. Following him this story was rewritten in different languages with minor, but very important, differences. The Arabic children’s story “Laylā al-ḥamrāʼ” is actually a translation, although not accurate nor complete, of the Brothers Grimm’s version: “Rotkäppchen”.
Several writers, from different cultures and countries have done their own reformulation of Perraut’s version. But most Arab writers are still satisfied to keep it unchanged and within the confines of children’s stories. A prominent exception is Emily Nasrallah, a Lebanese writer, in her short story, not written for children, “Laylā wal-dhiʼb”. Nasrallah uses the known story to present her special view about gender differences, the conflict between old and new generations, and the individual’s desire to confront the severe rules of society.
The Palestinian writer Maysūn Asadī has also written an original version in her children’s story: “Mawʽid maʽ al-dhiʼb” (A Rendezvous with the Wolf). This story can be considered as a modern adaptation, for it presents the perspective of the wolf (as a male symbol) who tries to challenge the old unfair social prejudices about him.
This study compares six versions of the story “Little Red Riding Hood” using the method of Vladimir Propp. It shows how this apparently “simple” children’s story is actually not only for children, neither in its original oral form nor in its subsequent developments. Actually it reflects the attitude of society, in different places and periods, towards women and the relation between genders.
Two supplements follow the article: 1) My own translation of four versions of the story: the French, the German, the Italian and the Chinese (from English). 2) A summary of V. Propp’s enumeration of the functions of Dramatis Personae. These functions are useful in directing the mind of the interpreter in the process of analyzing the folk tale or the children’s story, but, as claimed in this paper, must not be taken too literally.
In his extensive study of the most popular and influential book in World Literature, the author, Prof. Muhsin Jasem al-Musawi (at Columbia University in New York), explores the Reception of the Arabian Nights in both Arabic literature and, especially, the Western literature, since its first translation into French by Antoine Galland.
The wide popularity of the Arabian Nights and its appropriation by the West, in different forms, as novels, short stories, cinematic productions, paintings and other representations, prompted the author to deal with this phenomenon through the lens of "Orientalism" and "Colonialism".
The book is multidisciplinary, addressing a huge number of Western books, Classic and modern Arabic books, articles, translations, and fictional works that were influenced by the "Arabian Nights". Hence, this book is academic in nature par excellence, and useful for students as well as scholars.
It is an interesting book that should be read slowly for its condensed nature and use of specialized concepts in narratology, structuralism and postmodern literary approaches.
For years, they have been away from their homelands, living in peace, devoting their efforts to the work required of them, until a sudden, incomprehensible event occurs leading to a cycle of various tortures, the source of which they do not know.
One of them thinks of a "theoretical" way to get out of the place, despite his good awareness of the difficulty of achieving a solution that would save them from this place, and transport them into another time. Therefore, one of his colleagues ridicules him, suggesting that it is better if each of them tells a story that might entertain them in their terrible ordeal, from which there is no way out.
Scheherazade (in "One Thousand and One Nights") used storytelling to save herself from the blade of Shahryar's sword. But why do these actors (in this novel) resort to storytelling? Is it an indication of their inability to reach a practical solution that would get them out of their predicament? Or is it because storytelling remains the closest activity to the original human nature, unlike the overwhelming control of technological development?
These stories, by some of the characters in the novel, reveal situations in their past that have hurt them, or made them feel ashamed to talk about previously. Thus, the past intertwines with the present, which in turn is considered a motivator for choosing those narrated episodes of the characters' previous lives.
Readers (and not the actants in the novel) discover the source of all the troubles. Sindbad, a highly intelligent robot, has succeeded in developing himself, thanks to the curious touch of an Asian cleaning lady. However, Sindbad is not the only robot with highly artificial intelligence in this huge building. There are others, chief among them the so-called "Sharyar". Their intelligence surpasses humans, yet they seem also to be competing for power with Sindbad.
While some characters express their longing to return to their homeland, there is another one who fall in love with a woman he has recently invented (reminiscent of the Greek myth of Pygmalion). The question that comes to mind: Is it possible for a love relationship to arise between a human being and a machine that is characterized by a high level of intelligence? And if so, what would this relationship look like? It is obvious that the development of artificial intelligence, based on knowledge and information, is possible. But how can we provide the “machine” with feelings so that it becomes closer to humans?
This novel deals with the hypothesis that AI will actually control the life of humans in the future, positively or negatively. But it also shows the fragility of human existence in its broad sense, for the characters in the novel seem anxious, disturbed, and in crisis, because they feel themselves as a toy in the hands of hidden forces that they cannot fathom or control. These forces may originate from the family, society, war, the intelligent robot, or from the "hubris" of man that deludes him into believing that he is the inventor and the controller of nature and events.
Partial, individualistic stories of the characters are interwoven with the major/frame story. This comes to show the inability of the actors to separate themselves from their past, while expressing their inner suffering soul. Hence, the concept of time, as it proceeds in a straight, successive line, seems inappropriate when it relates to the memory and emotional state of the human being.
This novel takes us into a strange, magical atmosphere. The real merges with the magical, the human is united with the nonhuman, the past, the present and the future combine, making it rich in symbolic dimensions open to different readings, according to the reader’s cultural nature, his/her imaginative energy and his/her mood.
This novel was published in Haifa (January 2024) by the library of "Kul-shee". It talks about an ordinary little Arab family living in a small house near Mount Carmel in Israel. It is spread over 216 pages and is divided into 29 short chapters. It deals with the pros and cons of AI in an imaginary magical scene, that may appear surrealistic in some way, without the neglect of the Palestinian issue. Time has the form of "duration" as shown in the theory of Henri Bergson of time and stream of consciousness. Hence, past, present and future are merged and interwoven.
On the back cover of the book appears a passage from the novel as follows:
He was there, without clothes except for a thick blanket that wrapped his small body. His beautiful, smiling eyes looked at a girl feeding him milk from a glass bottle. The place seemed strange, like a laboratory; there were no windows, but only walls without any access, as if it was dug underground. Two people came and asked the girl if the child was healthy, and she nodded her head in an affirmative sign and began to caress the baby's rosy cheeks.
One of them said: “We bought him for a very cheap price and without effort, for only a thousand dollars, because he is an illegitimate child and they want to get rid of him. We now have forty newborn children. We will begin our tests on them today, then we will distribute them to different places in the world, and we will sit and observe things.”
The second said: “But the results will not appear until after many years, as we are still at the beginning of the road. We may die before we know the results.” [...] Through these children we will develop artificial intelligence. We, the scholars, will control the world, instead of these corrupt oppressors.”
هذا الكتاب من تأليف بروفيسور يوناتان بيرغ وقد ترجمته عن العبريّة د. كلارا سروجي-شجراوي
عنوان الرّواية بالعربيّة: عزف هادئ على أوتار الحُب
صدرت عن دار نشر مكتبة كل شيء - حيفا في شهر آذار 2022
تُعتبر نجمة في نظر المجتمع مجنونة وتوضع في مشفى للأمراض العقليّة، يتّضح لنا لاحِقًا أنّه أقرب إلى السّجن، حيث تُعَذَّب فيه النساء ويُغتصبن، على اعتبار أنّهن لا ينتهجن طريق الأخلاق القويمة، ولذلك، يجب إصلاحهنّ. الأطبّاء والممرّضون هم من الرّجال فقط، والنزيلات هنّ من النساء. لا يوجد سوى شابّين، ينضمّان إلى مجموعة النساء، يبدوان مثل شاعِرَين ساهمَين يتكلّمان بشكل غير مفهوم. لكنّ هذين الشّابين يكونان سببًا في نجاح "نجمة" بالهرب، بعد أن أخذا يحرقان ستائر الموائد وهما يرقصان فَرِحَين، ويردّدان بأنّ الثورة قادمة.
تولد "نجمة" في عام الكورونا، كما أخبرتها جدّتها، فتشعر منذ صِغرها بأنّها مُلوّثَة، وكأنّ ولادتها هي التي أدّت إلى موت الملايين من البشر وفساد المجتمع أخلاقيّا وسلوكيّا وسياسيّا، فتنبّهها جدّتها (التي ترمز للحكمة وللحضارة الحَقّة) وتمنعها من هذا التفكير السّلبيّ. لاحقًا، تختفي الجدّة بشكل عجائبيّ وغير مفهوم.
يأتي التركيز في الرّواية على مشاعر الخوف، الانعزال، واللايقين كمشاعر عانى منها البشر في فترة الكورونا، لكنّها تتّخذ مَنحًى عامّا على أساس أنّها مشاعر قد تُميِّز الوجود الإنسانيّ عامّة في كلّ زمان ومكان.
تبدأ الرّواية برؤيا وتنتهي أيضا برؤيا، ليأتي بعدها فصلٌ نكتشف فيه أنّ كلَّ ما كُتب كان عن زمننا الحاضر، مع إشارات إلى التاريخ الماضي، وعن منطقة الشرق الأوسط عامّة، بينما يكون زمن سرد الأحداث هو عام 2050. من هنا، فإنّ الأماكن المذكورة ليست بالضرورة تدلّ على ذاتِها فقط، بل تحمل دلالات رمزيّة، كما أنّ الزمن غير مُحدَّد بسبب طبيعته اللولبيّة الانسيابيّة المتدفِّقة (كما جاء في الملاحظة المكتوبة قبل بدء الرّواية). إذن، الحالة الخاصّة في هذه الرّواية تأتي لتُمثِّل لحالة عامّة على أرض الواقع. في المقابل، يبقى الحلمُ بمدينة تتميّز بالعدل والمساواة وحريّة التعبير، دون تمييز دينيّ وعرقي وجنسيّ، غايةً يصبو إليها المواطنون.
تنتهي الرّواية، على عكسَ ما بدأت به، أي برؤيا تحكي عن تحقُّق مثل هذه المدينة اليوتوبيّة.
الرواية مكتوبة بأسلوب مُكثّف، الكلمات محسوبة بدقّة، وهي تثور على الشكل التقليديّ لجِنس الرّواية، كما تُثير لدى القرّاء تساؤلات عن الحياة والموت، الروح والجسد، الظاهر والباطن، المرئي واللامَرئي.
ميلانخوليا الوجود: رَجفات ولوحات قصصيّة قصيرة
Publication Date: 2018.
years 1960-1980, focused on the interaction between the text and the reading public
rather than on the author. It is concerned with the collective social effects of a work of
art in a certain historical period, given the prevailing moral values and the culturalsociological
circumstances. This theory was introduced by Hans Robert Jauss, but
was neglected outside Germany. Along with it appeared another approach in literature
known as Reader-Response Theory (Wirkungsästhetik) by Wolfgang Iser. It is
concerned with the individual reader and her/his interpretive activities in explaining a
text’s significance and aesthetic value. Both theories appeared in Konstanz school.
This thesis aims to concentrate on Jauss’ theory because it has not been given the
scholarly attention it deserves. However, the distinction between the above two
approaches will be shown in the notes although some scholars treat them as the same.
No theory emerges from a vacuum. Jauss is not only a specialist in French
literature and literary theory but also a philosopher who discusses the main theories in
the realm of aesthetics, as those of Kant and Hegel. He also criticizes Russian
Formalism and Marxism, and adapts Gadamer’s notion of the “fusion of horizons”.
Therefore, it is crucial to explain the philosophical and cultural background before
introducing Reception Theory.
Jauss’ purpose in his essay “Literary History as a Challenge to Literary Theory”
(which is introduced and analyzed in details in this thesis) was to elaborate a historical
approach to literature. He did this by his emphasis on the dialectical function of
reading in relating to, and mediating between, earlier and current understandings of
the literary work. The history of literary works is a dynamic, continual process of
formation which reflects the readers’ aesthetic taste and their historical, social and
cultural contexts. Accordingly, responses to a literary work are altered in the process
of reading and thus the whole literary-historical complex is reformulated anew. This
implies a rejection of an established canon of literature and seeking a liberal and
dynamic formation of the canon. His new approach to the canon acknowledges the
dialogical and mutual relationship between the (classic/new) literary work and its
audience. In his attempt to bridge the gap between literature and history, Jauss looked
for overcoming the limitations of both the Marxist and Formalist approaches. For him,
it is not sufficient to pay attention only to the historical context as the Marxists did,
nor to overestimate the text and its aesthetic devices as in Formalism.