The Concept of “Modern Arabic Literature” in the Context of English Orientalist Paul Starkey
The Concept of “Modern Arabic Literature” in the Context of English Orientalist Paul Starkey

Summary/Abstract: Modern Arabic literature is considered to have begun with Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, while the 19th century is referred to in sources as the century of Nahda (Awakening). Concrete steps toward modernization were actually taken during the rule of Muhammad Ali Pasha, who took control of Egypt in 1805 after Napoleon. The establishment of the Bulaq Press, the dispatch of students to Europe for education, the launch of translation activities, and especially the founding of the School of Languages were among the prominent reforms. In Arabic literature, literary works began to emerge particularly after the 1850s, but the appearance of the first literary products in a modern context dates back to the first quarter of the 20th century. Today, among the prominent scholars conducting contemporary studies on modern Arabic literature in the West, one of the most notable figures is the British Orientalist Paul Starkey. In his work Modern Arabic Literature, Starkey explains that the use of the term “modern” actually reflects the influence of Western modernity— marked by the emergence of the novel in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries and its peak in the 19th century—on the East. Furthermore, while the year 1798 is generally considered the starting point of modern Arabic literature, Starkey emphasizes that this Western influence did not have the same impact across all Arab countries. Starkey also notes that the term “Arabic” does not solely refer to works written in the Arabic language; rather, works authored by Arabs or writers of Arab origin in Western languages—particularly English, French, and Spanish—can also be considered part of Arabic literature. This perspective brings to mind the literature of the Mahjar, and the evaluation of this body of work introduces a new viewpoint. Contrary to claims that Mahjar literature ended in the 1960s but still continues to exert influence, this new approach considers publications written in Spanish by Arab descendants in South America as a continuation of the Mahjar tradition. Lastly, Starkey emphasizes that the word adab carries a much broader set of meanings than just “literature” in the modern sense. In fact, through the concepts he elaborates, Starkey adds a new dimension to the notion of Modern Arabic Literature and develops a fresh perspective to enhance its understanding. For this reason, this article opens the concept of Modern Arabic Literature, as presented by Starkey, up for discussion, and seeks to identify—within the limits of available possibilities—the meanings attributed or that should be attributed to this concept in the literature. In the related article, the descriptive method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used throughout the study, and the data obtained were evaluated through analytical methods. In this context, and in light of the aforementioned information, this article aims to explain the concept of Modern Arabic Literature within a broad framework based on Paul Starkey’s definition, and it attempts to present Starkey’s views on the subject in a detailed manner. Moreover, due to the interaction between modernity and Nahda, as well as between modernization and the novel genre, it has become essential to address both the concept of Nahda and the novel in detail. Paul Starkey has also pointed out that the aforementioned concept carries certain issues. It is hoped that this article can shed light on the problems inherent in the concept.

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