Contemporary Arabic Literature: An Analysis of Naguib Mahfouz’s Contributions to Modernism.

Abstract

This study examines the contributions of Naguib Mahfouz, an Egyptian writerand Nobel laureate, to modernism in contemporary Arabic literature. Itinvestigates his role in defining, challenging, and redefining literary trendsin Arabic literature through a comprehensive analysis of his major works. Aqualitative research method was applied, combining textual analysis of Mahfouz’snovels with extensive literature reviews of both primary and secondarysources. This study also incorporates discourse analysis and comparativeliterature studies to further understand the distinctive features of Mahfouz’swritings and his influence on Arabic modernism. The analysis uncovers Mahfouz’sunique narrative style, characterized by a blend of social realism andphilosophical existentialism, a cornerstone of Arabic modernism. His themespredominantly revolve around social issues, class struggles, and the humanexistential quest.