Advanced Text Analysis, 7.5ECTS
Advanced Level, autumn semester 2016
Main teacher: Astrid Ottosson al-Bitar ([email protected])
Course description
This course provides in-depth training in reading and analysing advanced text in modern and
classical Arabic. The course focuses on a current theme, which will affect the choice of Arabic
texts as well as scientific literature. This semester the theme is Travel Literature.
Within the course students will read and analyse Arabic texts and study the authors, genres and
contexts of a number of chosen texts. The course will also deal with theory and method of
relevance for the Science of Literature, as well as theory specifically for the chosen theme.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student is expected to:
•
•
•
Independently read, understand and translate advanced modern and classical Arabic texts
to Swedish/English.
Show ability to, in a critical and scientific way, analyse advanced modern and classical
Arabic texts within a delimited research problem, including an ability to, in an
independent way, describe themes and discourses in the text and how these can be
highlighted by using existing theory.
Show knowledge about authors, genres and contexts of chosen Arabic texts
Lessons plan
Guest lecture 1 – An introduction to the Science of Literature
Teacher: Jennie Nell
Guest lecture 3 – An introduction to the Science of Literature
Teacher: Jennie Nell
Guest lecture 3 – An introduction to the Science of Literature
Teacher: Jennie Nell
Lesson 1: Ġassān Kanafānī: Rijāl fī al- ša ms - Theme Exile
Teacher: Astrid Ottosson al-Bitar
To read:
Ġassān Kanafānī: Rijāl fī al-šams
Magrath, D.R. ” A Study on Rijāl fī al-šams by Ġassān Kanafānī.”
Reference literature:
Allen, R. ”Mā tabaqqā lakum - Ġassān Kanafānī.” i The Arabic Novel, s. 147-153
Cooperson, M, ”Remembering the Future: Arabic Time- Travel Literature”.
McLarney, E. ”Empire of the Machine: Oil in the Arabic Novel.”
Said, E. ”Reflections on Exile”.
Lesson 2: Rifā‘a al-Ṭaḥṭāwī: Taḫlīṣ al ibrīz fī talḫīṣ Bārīz - Theme: Travelogue
To read:
Rifā‘a al-Ṭaḥṭāwī: Taḫlīṣ al ibrīz fī talḫīṣ Bārīz
Awad, L. The Literature of Ideas in Egypt, Part 1, s.25-32
Netton, I.R., art, ”riḥla” in EI
Öhrnberg, K., art. ” Rifā‘a Bey al-Ṭaḥṭāwī” in E.I.
Reference literature:
Euben, R.L., Journeys to the Other Shore, kapitel 1 och 4.
Newman, Daniel: Introduction I An Imam in Paris: account of a stay in France by an Egyptian cleric,
1826 -1831
Lesson 3: Yūsūf al-Qā’id: Mufākahat al- ḥillān fī riḥlat al- yābān – Theme: Travelogue
To read:
Yūsūf al-Qā’id: Mufākahat al-ḥillān fī riḥlat al-yābān
Korte, B. “Chrono-Types – Notes on forms of Time in the Travelogue”
Reference literature:
Starkey, Paul: “From the City of the Dead to Liberation Square: The Novels of Yūsūf al-Qā’id”
Lesson 4: Jamal al-Ġīṭānī: Rann - Theme: Travels within Sufism
To read:
Jamal al-Ġīṭānī: Rann
Knysh, A.: “Sufi Motifs in Contemporary Arabic Literature.” Lewisohn, L. art. “sulūk” i E.I.
Reference literature:
Art. “Taṣawwuf” i E.I
Mehrez, S., Egyptian Writers Between History and Fiction: Essays on Naguib Mahfouz, Sonallah Ibrahim
and Gamal al-Ghitani (kap. 3-5)
Meyer, S.G. The Experimental Arabic Novel
Lesson 5: Sinān Anṭūn: Yā Maryam - Theme: To resist Exile and belong to a minority
To read:
Sinān Anṭūn: Yā Maryam
Sinan Antoon: “On Dead and Living Characters”, Jadliyya, 2 september 2014
Reference literature:
Pannewick, Friederike: Dancing Letters. The Art of Subversion in Sinān Anṭūn’s novel Ī‘jām.
Lesson 6: Ġāda al-Sammān: al Sibāḥa fī buḥa yrat a l- šayṭān - Theme: An inner travel
To read:
Ġāda al-Sammān: al Sibāḥa fī buḥayrat al-šayṭān
Reference literature:
Powrie, P.: “Automatic Writing: Breton, Daumal, Hegel”.
Awad G.: Arab Causes in the Fiction of Ghadah al-Samman (1961-1975).
Lesson 7: Classical texts 1
What is text? – Qur’ān (1)
Dictionaries
To read:
Sūrat al Fātiḥa (1: 1-7)
Lesson 8: Classical texts 2
Sīrat al Nabī
To read:
Ibn Isḥāq: Sīrat al Nabī. – Tazwīj ‘Abdallāh bin ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib
Lesson 9: Classical texts 3
Qur’ān (2) - Ḥadīth
To read:
Sūrat al-Ikhlās (112: 1-4)
Sūrat al Baqara (2: 255)
Sūrat al Falaq (113: 1-5)
Sūrat al-Nās (114: 1-6)
Ibn Isḥāq: Sīrat al Nabi Ḥadīth
Examination
The course is examined by a written essay.
Course literature
All literature will be available on Mondo, except for the reference literature
Modern Arabic Texts
Ġassān Kanafānī: Rijāl fī al-šams
Rifā‘a al-Ṭaḥṭāwī: Taḫlīṣ al ibrīz fī talḫīṣ Bārīz
Yūsūf al-Qā’id: Mufākahat al-ḥillān fī riḥlat al-yābān Jamal al-Ġīṭānī: Rann
Sinān Anṭūn: Yā Maryam
Ġāda al-Sammān: al Sibāḥa fī buḥayrat al-šayṭān
Classical Arabic Texts:
Sūrat al Fātiḥa (1: 1-7)
Sūrat al-Ikhlās (112: 1-4)
Sūrat al Baqara (2: 255)
Sūrat al Falaq (113: 1-5)
Sūrat al-Nās (114: 1-6)
Ibn Isḥāq: Sīrat al Nabi Ḥadīth
On Narratology:
Bal, M. (1985), Narratology: Introduction to a Theory of Narrative, Toronto, Toronto University Press,
s. 133-145, s. 77-79
Culler, J. (2000), Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, Oxford university Press, s.121132
Fludernik, M. (2009), An Introduction to Narratology. New York, Routledge, s.21-44
Other texts
Awad, L. (1986), The Literature of Ideas in Egypt, Part 1, s.25-32
Magrath, D.R. ” A Study on Rijāl fī al-šams by Ġassān Kanafānī.”
Korte, B. (2008) “Chrono-Types – Notes on forms of Time in the Travelogue” I Zilcosky, J.
(ed.) Writing Travel: The Poetics and Politics of the Modern Journey, Toronto, University of Toronto
Press, s.25-53
Knysh, A. (1996): “Sufi Motifs in Contemporary Arabic Literature.” I The Muslim World. 1996,
LXXXVI, no. 1, Harford, Hartford Seminary, s. 33-49.
Lewisohn, L. art. “sulūk” in Encyclopaedia of Islam
Netton, I.R., art, ”riḥla” in Encyclopaedia of Islam
Sinan Antoon: “On Dead and Living Characters”, Jadliyya, 2 september 2014
Öhrnberg, K., art. ” Rifā‘a Bey al-Ṭaḥṭāwī” in Encyclopaedia of Islam
Reference literature (not obligatory reading)
Allen, R. (1982) ”Mā tabaqqā lakum - Ġassān Kanafānī.” i The Arabic Novel, Syracuse University
Press s. 147-153.
Awwad G. (1983): Arab Causes in the Fiction of Ghadah al-Samman (1961-1975), Maison Naaman,
Junieh Libanon.
Cooperson, M, (1998) ”Remembering the Future: Arabic Time- Travel Literature” i Edebiyat:
Journal of Middle Eastern Litteratures. June 98, vol. 8, issue 2, s. 171-189.
Newman, Daniel: (2011) “Introduction” i An Imam in Paris: account of a stay in France by an Egyptian
cleric, 1826 -1831, Saqi.
Euben, R.L. (2006) , Journeys to the Other Shore, Princeton University Press, kapitel 1 och 4.
McLarney, E. (2009) : ”Empire of the Machine: Oil in the Arabic Novel.” i Boundary 2,
Summer 2009, vol. 36, Issue 2, USA, Duke University Press, s.177-198.
Mehrez, S.,(1994) Egyptian Writers Between History and Fiction: Essays on Naguib
Mahfouz, Sonallah Ibrahim and Gamal al-Ghitani, AUC (kap. 3-5).
Meyer, S.G. (2000) The Experimental Arabic Novel, State University of New York.
Pannewick, Friederike: “Dancing Letters. The Art of Subversion in Sinān Anṭūn’s novel Ī‘jām.” i
Milich, Pannewick, Tramontini (eds.) (2012), Conflicting Narratives: War, Trauma and Memory in Iraqi
Culture, Wiesbaden, Reichert, s. 65-79. – finns nedladdad på Mondo
Powrie, P.: “Automatic Writing: Breton, Daumal, Hegel” i French Studies (1988) XLII (2), Oxford
Journals, s.177-193.
Said, E. (2002), ”Reflections on Exile” i Reflections on Exile and Other Essays. Harvard University
Press, s.173-186. – finns nedladdad på Mondo
Starkey, Paul (1993): “From the City of the Dead to Liberation Square: The Novels of Yūsūf alQā’id” i Journal of Arabic Literature, vol. 24 no. 1 (March 1993), Leiden Brill, s.62-74
Art. “Taṣawwuf” in Encyclopaedia of Islam
Grading Critera
Grades will be set according to the following seven-point scale related to the learning objectives
of the course:
A The student has shown a very good ability to independently read, understand and translate
advanced modern and classical Arabic texts and a very good ability to, in a critical and scientific
way, analyse advanced modern and classical Arabic texts within a delimited research problem,
including very good ability to, in an independent way, describe themes and discourses in the
text and how these can be highlighted by using existing theory. Furthermore the student has
shown very good knowledge about authors, genres and contexts of chosen Arabic texts.
B The student has shown a good ability to independently read, understand and translate
advanced modern and classical Arabic texts and a good ability to, in a critical and scientific way,
analyse advanced modern and classical Arabic texts within a delimited research problem,
including good ability to, in an independent way, describe themes and discourses in the text and
how these can be highlighted by using existing theory. Furthermore the student has shown good
knowledge about authors, genres and contexts of chosen Arabic texts.
C The student has shown ability to independently read, understand and translate advanced
modern and classical Arabic texts and ability to, in a critical and scientific way, analyse advanced
modern and classical Arabic texts within a delimited research problem, including ability to, in an
independent way, describe themes and discourses in the text and how these can be highlighted
by using existing theory. Furthermore the student has shown knowledge about authors, genres
and contexts of chosen Arabic texts.
D The student has shown ability to independently read, understand and translate advanced
modern and classical Arabic texts and ability to, in a critical and scientific way, analyse advanced
modern and classical Arabic texts within a delimited research problem, including ability to, in an
independent way, describe themes and discourses in the text and how these can be highlighted
by using existing theory. Furthermore the student has shown knowledge about authors, genres
and contexts of chosen Arabic texts. The student has shown some minor
The student fulfils the criteria above, but in a somewhat superficial way and/or with some minor
flaws.
E The student has shown ability to independently read, understand and translate advanced
modern and classical Arabic texts and ability to, in a critical and scientific way, analyse advanced
modern and classical Arabic texts within a delimited research problem, including ability to, in an
independent way, describe themes and discourses in the text and how these can be highlighted
by using existing theory. Furthermore the student has shown knowledge about authors, genres
and contexts of chosen Arabic texts. The student has shown some minor
The student fulfils the criteria above, but in a superficial way and/or with some flaws and/or
misunderstandings.
Fx: The student has not fulfilled some of the criteria for a passed grade.
F: The student has not fulfilled the criteria for a passed grade.