The Reception of Structuralist Criticism in Arab Critical Practice

Abstract

Literary criticism is a prominent aspect of literature, particularly in the modern era, where critics have focused on uncovering the meanings and components of various literary texts, as well as the connotations and implications they carry. This endeavor has been supported by a range of contemporary Western critical methodologies and practices that primarily emphasize the internal critique of the text. These methodologies may converge, overlap, and occasionally differ in their approaches and techniques. This research paper aims to examine the transformations experienced by criticism in general and structural criticism in particular within the Arab world, along with the resulting cognitive issues. It seeks to portray the critical landscape through the perspectives of pioneers and notable figures such as Salah Fadl, Zakaria Ibrahim, Abdel Salam Al-Masdi, Abdullah Al-Ghathami, and Yumna Al-Aid, among others. More specifically, it focuses on the critical movement and its procedural and terminological mechanisms among some key figures in Arab literary criticism. Additionally, it aims to enable researchers and scholars to grasp certain concepts within the context of modern and contemporary critical methodologies, while also tracking the differences present in the dynamics of influence and reciprocity with others. As a result, structuralism has occupied a significant critical space in the Arab context, particularly concerning literature and its various fields of knowledge. Today, researchers and scholars encounter important theoretical and practical issues raised by structural criticism that continue to resonate. Furthermore, contemporary Arab critical discourse is characterized by plurality and divergence, rather than being a singular narrative. This multiplicity has led to different approaches in understanding and interpreting structuralism within literary texts.