Modern Arabic Short Stories

(4 Credits)

In this course we will explore the literary languages of Arabic and as well as various political and socio-economic issues via a selection of short stories that hail from geographically diverse authors. Being attentive to detailed readings of texts, their contexts, and the social and political environments within which the authors composed them, we will engage with these short stories via reading, analytical writing, debates, and listening activities. While aiming to avoid the monolithic approach of reading stories as social documents that reflect or mirror their societies, in this course will be concerned with the aesthetics of the Arabic literary narratives as well as how the socio-economic and political issues evoked in the stories will be of relevance to the broader realms of Middle Eastern Studies. Tradition vs. modernity, the individual in opposition to the state, and gender issues are just some of the themes that we will discuss. In addition to the short stories, the class will engage with complimentary materials such as open source online videos and articles to expand on our knowledge of specific Arabic cultural and sociological phenomena.