Migration Exile Mod Arab Lit

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Modern Arabic literature has long sought to come to terms with issues of home, migration, displacement, exile, and diaspora. From the colonial era to the age of decolonization; following the loss of Palestine and the trauma of the Lebanese civil war; and in the wake of the more recent tragedies of Iraqis and Syrians fleeing their countries—Arab writers have examined, questioned, mourned, metaphorized, and mythologized notions of belonging, loss, alienation, and estrangement. In addition, other forms of displacement and dislocation, whether caused by intra-regional migration, minority issues in the Arab world, or the advent of modernity, have also inspired key works in Arabic literature. This course examines the ways in which these themes have been approached in modern Arabic literature. The course will focus on the novel as the most significant literary medium to approach such themes. A tentative list of authors may include Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, Ibrahim Abdel Meguid, Abdel Rahman Munif, and Tayib Salih. This course will be taught in Arabic. In addition to reading primary texts in Arabic, students will read relevant critical and historical articles in both Arabic and English.