Conclusion

The Conclusion discusses the recent changes in Arabic literature following the wide migration, globalization, the deconstruction and fragmentization of the concept of identity, and the speedy development of Internet technologies (such as Facebook), that have done much to change the way culture is perceived and have changed dramatically the way literature in general – Arabic literature included – is created and consumed. The conclusion includes as well a discussion of the relevance of the notion of republic of letters to Arabic literature and the role of the modernist Arab intellectuals, such as Aḥmad Ḥasan al-Zayyāt (1885-1968), Salāma Mūsā (1887-1958), and Ṭāhā Ḥusayn (1889-1973), in the Arab Nahḍa (Renaissance).

Literary Dynamics in Synchronic Cross-section

This chapter looks at the literary dynamics of Arabic literature in synchronic cross-section. Inventories of canonized and non-canonized literary texts are presented separately in three subsystems: texts for adults, children’s literature, and texts in translation. The resulting six subsystems ― three canonized and three non-canonized ― are seen as autonomous networks of relationships and as interacting literary networks on various levels. The internal and external interrelationships and interactions between the various subsystems need to be studied if we want to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the modern Arabic literary system. The structure of the canonical center of the Arabic literary system is discussed referring to the phenomenon of Islamist literature and the reasons for its exclusion from the secular literary center.

The Modern Arabic Literary System

This chapter sets out the theoretical framework that underlies the Arabic literary system, outlining the scope of the research subject and the assumptions behind the operative theoretical model. It looks also at the question of how popular literature can be given aesthetic legitimation and refers to the delimiting factors between canonized and non-canonized texts as well as between aesthetic and non-aesthetic objects that are by no means static. The chapter shows how canonicity in Arabic literature generally depends on the language of production: The standard Arabic language (fuṣḥā) is the basic medium of canonized texts, whereas the vernacular language (‘āmmiyya) is that of non-canonized texts.

Introduction

The Introduction explains why the need for a new theoretical framework for the study of Arabic literature is so urgent. Its main outlines are based on the theoretical achievements of historical poetics, in particular those of Russian Formalism and its theoretical legacy. The basic assumption is that all potential inventories of canonized and non-canonized Arabic literary texts ― including children’s literature and translated texts ― are to be seen as forming one dynamic, autonomous literary system.

Literary Dynamics in Generic and Diachronic Cross-section

This chapter concentrates on the importance of referring to the historical, diachronic development each genre in Arabic literature has been undergoing underwent and the relationships that exist between genres. As with any scholarly treatment of genre, it refers to the developing innovations and discussions of genre theory and the question, “What is genre?” Crucial in this regard is the concept of periodization, that is, how one is to delimit and define “literary periods.” Since literary genres do not emerge in a vacuum, the issue of generic development cannot be confined to certain time spans, and emphasis is placed on the relationship between modern literature, on the one hand, and classical and medieval literature, on the other. The complete study of the historical, diachronic development of literary dynamics requires an analysis of every genre and sub-genre, of the interrelationships and interactions between the genres, as well as of the interactions and interrelationships between the genres and the sub-genres. For reasons of practicality, the chapter relates to only three main genres: poetry, fiction, and theatre.

Outlines of Diachronic Intersystemic Development

This chapter presents some outlines of the diachronic intersystemic development of the modern Arabic literary system. The space between the text, its author, and the reader is understood as constituting both an economic environment (e.g. literary markets, publishing) and a sociocommunicative system that passes the meaning potential of the text through various filters (e.g. criticism, literary circles, groups, salons, public opinion) in order to concretize and realize it. All other spaces related to literary production and consumption, including the linguistic, spiritual, social, national, and economic spaces, are also considered, together with looking at the interaction of literature with, for example, religion, territory, state nationalism, language, politics, economy, gender, electronic media, and philosophy, as well as foreign literatures and cultures and examples of reciprocal interference between Arabic and Western literatures in the twentieth century and the start of the twenty-first century.