Free Officers’ Revolution and the Criticism of the Totalitarian Regime in the Egyptian Novel Under the Light of the Works of Naguip Mahfouz, Abd al-Rahman Sharqawi, and Alaa Al Aswany

Asiye Çelenlioğlu

Article Details

Free Officers’ Revolution and the Criticism of the Totalitarian Regime in the Egyptian Novel Under the Light of the Works of Naguip Mahfouz, Abd al-Rahman Sharqawi, and Alaa Al Aswany

Authors:

Asiye Çelenlioğlu

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Kültürel çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal:

Şarkiyat Mecmuası Issue 46, pp.39-57

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349048

pISSN:

1307-5020

Keywords:

Abstract:

 In Egyptian literature, the art of novel that records the dairy of life has been formed by social life, and since its early examples, which are accepted as the first steps of modern prose, it has undertaken such a duty to shape social and political structure. Pieces with a national independence theme substitute for the early novels, which were trying to find answers to the problems occurred by westernization, after Egypt retrieve its native rulers with the 1952 revolution, democratic life became the main theme of the novels. The revolution that was welcomed by society due to reforms such as land reform and free education evolved theocracy after some time, and its legacy kept influencing Egypts present political life. At a time when denouncements and arrestments spread fear, novel writers generally avoided politics and were occupied with improvements in individuals or society. In that period, while Naguip Mahfouz was criticizing the regime with his symbolic novels Abd al-Rahman Sharqawi, who was crossing the line of politics, was trying to find excuses for the existing problems with his novel Fellah which was greeting reforms with great excitement. Alaa Al Aswany, who contemporarily problematized Egypts political history, was also among the few writers who out loudly expressed their opinions about the revolution. This study will examine the period mentioned by these three writers and point out how the issue of autocracy, which became a legacy in Egyptian politics, found place in their novels.

 In Egyptian literature, the art of novel that records the dairy of life has been formed by social life, and since its early examples, which are accepted as the first steps of modern prose, it has undertaken such a duty to shape social and political structure. Pieces with a national independence theme substitute for the early novels, which were trying to find answers to the problems occurred by westernization, after Egypt retrieve its native rulers with the 1952 revolution, democratic life became the main theme of the novels. The revolution that was welcomed by society due to reforms such as land reform and free education evolved theocracy after some time, and its legacy kept influencing Egypts present political life. At a time when denouncements and arrestments spread fear, novel writers generally avoided politics and were occupied with improvements in individuals or society. In that period, while Naguip Mahfouz was criticizing the regime with his symbolic novels Abd al-Rahman Sharqawi, who was crossing the line of politics, was trying to find excuses for the existing problems with his novel Fellah which was greeting reforms with great excitement. Alaa Al Aswany, who contemporarily problematized Egypts political history, was also among the few writers who out loudly expressed their opinions about the revolution. This study will examine the period mentioned by these three writers and point out how the issue of autocracy, which became a legacy in Egyptian politics, found place in their novels.

 In Egyptian literature, the art of novel that records the dairy of life has been formed by social life, and since its early examples, which are accepted as the first steps of modern prose, it has undertaken such a duty to shape social and political structure. Pieces with a national independence theme substitute for the early novels, which were trying to find answers to the problems occurred by westernization, after Egypt retrieve its native rulers with the 1952 revolution, democratic life became the main theme of the novels. The revolution that was welcomed by society due to reforms such as land reform and free education evolved theocracy after some time, and its legacy kept influencing Egypts present political life. At a time when denouncements and arrestments spread fear, novel writers generally avoided politics and were occupied with improvements in individuals or society. In that period, while Naguip Mahfouz was criticizing the regime with his symbolic novels Abd al-Rahman Sharqawi, who was crossing the line of politics, was trying to find excuses for the existing problems with his novel Fellah which was greeting reforms with great excitement. Alaa Al Aswany, who contemporarily problematized Egypts political history, was also among the few writers who out loudly expressed their opinions about the revolution. This study will examine the period mentioned by these three writers and point out how the issue of autocracy, which became a legacy in Egyptian politics, found place in their novels.

 Mısır edebiyatında hayatın güncesini tutan roman sanatı toplumsal yapıya içkin şekillenmiş, modern nesrin ayak sesleri kabul edilen ilk örneklerinden itibaren siyasi ve sosyal yapıyı şekillendirme görevini üstlenmiştir. Batılılaşmanın getirdiği sorunlara cevap arayan ilk dönem romanlar, yerini ulusal bağımsızlık temasını konu edinen eserlere bırakmış, Mısırın yerel yöneticilerine kavuştuğu tarih olan 1952 devriminden sonra demokratik yaşam romanın ana temasını oluşturmuştur. Toprak reformu ve ücretsiz eğitim gibi birtakım reformlar nedeniyle entelektüel camianın alkışlarla karşıladığı askeri devrim, bir müddet sonra teokrasiye evrilmiş, bıraktığı miras, günümüz Mısır siyasi hayatında da etkili olmaya devam etmiştir. Jurnal ve tutuklamaların korku saldığı söz konusu dönemde roman yazarları genel olarak siyasetten uzak durmuş bireyin ya da toplumun tekamülüyle meşgul olmuştur. Bu dönemde siyasi gündemi konu edinen yazarlardan Abdurrahman eş- Şarkâvî devrimin gerçekleştirdiği reformları büyük bir heyecanla karşıladığı Fellâh Çiftçi fellah1967 adlı romanda olumsuzluklara bahane bulmaya çalışırken Necîp Mahfûz yazdığı sembolik romanlarla iktidarı eleştirmiştir. Günümüzde Mısır siyasi tarihini sorunsallaştıran Alâ el-Asvânî yine devrim hakkında yüksek sesle fikir beyan eden ender yazarlar arasındadır. Çalışma, söz konusu dönemi adı geçen üç yazar üzerinden ele almış ve Mısır siyasi hayatına miras kalan istibdat konusunun romanlarda nasıl yer aldığına işaret etmiştir.

Article Details

Free Officers’ Revolution and the Criticism of the Totalitarian Regime in the Egyptian Novel Under the Light of the Works of Naguip Mahfouz, Abd al-Rahman Sharqawi, and Alaa Al Aswany

Authors:

Asiye Çelenlioğlu

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Kültürel çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal:

Şarkiyat Mecmuası Issue 46, pp.39-57

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349048

pISSN:

1307-5020

Egypt

Novel

Free Officers Revolution

Autocracy

CriticismMısır

Roman

Hür Subaylar Devrimi

İstibdat

Eleştiri

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Asiye Çelenlioğlu

Publisher: Istanbul University

Main Topics: Kültürel çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal: Şarkiyat Mecmuası Issue 46, pp.39-57

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 4/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001349048

pISSN: 1307-5020

Issues

Authors:

Asiye Çelenlioğlu

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Kültürel çalışmalar (Diğer)

Journal:

Şarkiyat Mecmuası Issue 46, pp.39-57

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349048

pISSN:

1307-5020