NML415H1

The Arabic Short Story

This course examines the origins and development of the modern Arabic short story as a literary genre by reading selected works in Arabic of major figures in the genre. The course historicizes the emergence of the short story, exploring the genre’s consolidation as a major literary form in Arabic in the early 20th century. As part of an exploration of modern narrative in Arabic, students will read literary criticism that theorizes the emergence of modern Arabic narrative prose, paying close attention to questions of language, form, style and theme. The course also focuses on issues such as innovations in narrative technique, plot structure, complexity of characterization, and point of view. Authors include Mahmud Tahir Lashin, Yusif Idris, Zakariyya Tamir, Ghada al-Samman, Hanan al-Shaykh, and Fu’ad al-Takarli.