Ironic Expression of Social Criticism in Modern Arabic Literature: A Study on Yūsuf Idrīs’s Short Stories

İslam Batur

Article Details

Ironic Expression of Social Criticism in Modern Arabic Literature: A Study on Yūsuf Idrīs’s Short Stories

Authors:

İslam Batur

Publisher:

Kütahya Dumlupinar University

Main Topics:

Arap Dili ve Belagatı

Journal:

İslam Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.262-284

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340790

pISSN:

2149-0872

Keywords:

Abstract:

 This study analyzes how irony has become a literary tool for social criticism in modern Arabic literature through the short stories of Egyptian writer Yūsuf Idrīs. Irony is a literary and rhetorical device that expresses the contrast between the apparent meaning of a situation, word or event and its real meaning. Like many other writers, Yūsuf Idrīs preferred this method in order to deepen the meaning of his short stories and to leave an effective impression on the reader, thereby reflecting social and psychological conflicts in his works and appealing to the intellectual and emotional world of the reader. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to examine the transformative role of irony as a literary device in modern Arabic literature, focusing on Yūsuf Idrīss short stories. The study is based on the short stories Arẖaṣu-leyālī The Cheapest Nights, Baytun min laḥm The House of Meat, and Rihān The Bet, as they best reflect Idrīs themes, style, and social criticism. The story Rihān is included in one collection, while the other two stories were published as separate collections with the same title. On the other hand, the article focuses on how Yūsuf Idrīs uses irony in his short stories, largely by combining it with the realities of life, and how he explains the complexity of social structures. As a result, the main conclusion of the article is that Yūsuf Idrīs presents a critical view of social realities by using irony as both a literary tool and a powerful method for social criticism.

 This study analyzes how irony has become a literary tool for social criticism in modern Arabic literature through the short stories of Egyptian writer Yūsuf Idrīs. Irony is a literary and rhetorical device that expresses the contrast between the apparent meaning of a situation, word or event and its real meaning. Like many other writers, Yūsuf Idrīs preferred this method in order to deepen the meaning of his short stories and to leave an effective impression on the reader, thereby reflecting social and psychological conflicts in his works and appealing to the intellectual and emotional world of the reader. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to examine the transformative role of irony as a literary device in modern Arabic literature, focusing on Yūsuf Idrīss short stories. The study is based on the short stories Arẖaṣu-leyālī The Cheapest Nights, Baytun min laḥm The House of Meat, and Rihān The Bet, as they best reflect Idrīs themes, style, and social criticism. The story Rihān is included in one collection, while the other two stories were published as separate collections with the same title. On the other hand, the article focuses on how Yūsuf Idrīs uses irony in his short stories, largely by combining it with the realities of life, and how he explains the complexity of social structures. As a result, the main conclusion of the article is that Yūsuf Idrīs presents a critical view of social realities by using irony as both a literary tool and a powerful method for social criticism.

 This study analyzes how irony has become a literary tool for social criticism in modern Arabic literature through the short stories of Egyptian writer Yūsuf Idrīs. Irony is a literary and rhetorical device that expresses the contrast between the apparent meaning of a situation, word or event and its real meaning. Like many other writers, Yūsuf Idrīs preferred this method in order to deepen the meaning of his short stories and to leave an effective impression on the reader, thereby reflecting social and psychological conflicts in his works and appealing to the intellectual and emotional world of the reader. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to examine the transformative role of irony as a literary device in modern Arabic literature, focusing on Yūsuf Idrīss short stories. The study is based on the short stories Arẖaṣu-leyālī The Cheapest Nights, Baytun min laḥm The House of Meat, and Rihān The Bet, as they best reflect Idrīs themes, style, and social criticism. The story Rihān is included in one collection, while the other two stories were published as separate collections with the same title. On the other hand, the article focuses on how Yūsuf Idrīs uses irony in his short stories, largely by combining it with the realities of life, and how he explains the complexity of social structures. As a result, the main conclusion of the article is that Yūsuf Idrīs presents a critical view of social realities by using irony as both a literary tool and a powerful method for social criticism.

 Bu çalışmada Mısırlı yazar Yûsuf İdrîsin kısa öyküleri üzerinden modern Arap edebiyatında ironinin nasıl edebî bir araç olarak toplumsal eleştiriye dönüştüğü analiz edilmektedir. İroni, bir durum, sözcük ya da olayın görünürdeki anlamı ile gerçek anlamı arasındaki karşıtlığı dile getiren edebî ve retorik bir araçtır. Birçok yazar gibi Yûsuf İdrîs de kısa öykülerinin anlamını derinleştirmek ve okuyucu üzerinde etkili bir izlenim bırakmak amacıyla bu yöntemi tercih etmiş ve bu suretle eserlerine toplumsal ve psikolojik çatışmaları yansıtarak okuyucunun düşünsel ve duygusal dünyasına hitap etmiştir. Dolayısıyla makalenin temel hedefi Yûsuf İdrîsin kısa öykülerine odaklanarak, ironinin modern Arap edebiyatında edebî bir araç olarak dönüştürücü rolünü incelemektir. Çalışma, İdrîsin temalarını üslûbunu ve toplumsal eleştiri anlayışını en iyi yansıtan örnekler olması açısından Arẖaṣu-leyâlî En Ucuz Geceler, Beytun min laḥm Etten Ev ve Rihân Bahis başlıklı kısa öyküleri baz alınarak hazırlanmıştır. Rihân öyküsü, bir koleksiyonun içinde yer alırken, diğer iki öykü ise aynı adı taşıyan farklı koleksiyonlar olarak yayımlanmıştır. Öte yandan makalede Yûsuf İdrîsin ironiyi büyük oranda yaşamın gerçekleriyle bir araya getirerek kısa öykülerinde ne şekilde kullandığı ve böylece toplumsal yapıların karmaşıklığını nasıl açıkladığı üzerinde durulmuştur. Netice itibariyle makalede ulaşılan temel sonuç Yûsuf İdrîsin, ironiyi hem edebî bir araç hem de toplumsal eleştiri için güçlü bir yöntem olarak kullanarak toplumsal gerçekliklere eleştirel bir bakış sunmasıdır.

Article Details

Ironic Expression of Social Criticism in Modern Arabic Literature: A Study on Yūsuf Idrīs’s Short Stories

Authors:

İslam Batur

Publisher:

Kütahya Dumlupinar University

Main Topics:

Arap Dili ve Belagatı

Journal:

İslam Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.262-284

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340790

pISSN:

2149-0872

Arabic Language and Rhetoric

Yūsuf Idrīs

Short story

Irony

Social criticism.Arap Dili ve Belâgatı

Yusuf İdris

Kısa öykü

İroni

Toplumsal eleştiri.

Issues

Article Details

Authors: İslam Batur

Publisher: Kütahya Dumlupinar University

Main Topics: Arap Dili ve Belagatı

Journal: İslam Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.262-284

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 4/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001340790

pISSN: 2149-0872

Issues

Authors:

İslam Batur

Publisher:

Kütahya Dumlupinar University

Main Topics:

Arap Dili ve Belagatı

Journal:

İslam Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 1, pp.262-284

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340790

pISSN:

2149-0872