Evaluation of Literature: Study in Translation

Texts and Contexts

Evaluation of Literature: Study in Translation

The Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, “The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” His words were etched in my mind. I began to ponder upon all the timeless tales, captivating poems, and enchanting thoughts that I have not had access to due to language barriers. I began to crave what non-Arabic and non-English literature could offer me, a new set of eyes that would show me the world in a completely new perspective.

Literary texts enable us to see, feel, and breathe as another. They allow us to connect to different people, different cultures, and different social classes so that we can begin to understand them in a non-superficial way. Ultimately, literary texts enable us to develop our emotional intelligence in order to connect with different people. The IB strives to develop their student’s cultural awareness and acceptance of diversity in order to celebrate our common humanity. Translated texts provide students with the opportunity to travel in time and across the world in order to live as another person, this journey would develop one’s cultural awareness and emotional intelligence. This is why the IB has incorporated the study of translated texts into the curriculum.

In the IB Language and Literature course, the study of translated texts fits into part three of the course titled ‘Texts and Contexts.’ The outcomes of the course are:

Consider the changing historical, cultural and social contexts in which particular texts are written and received.

When reading the translated novel ‘The Theif and the Dogs’ by Naguib Mahfouz we had to have an appreciation of the cultural and social contexts in which the novel was written. This enabled us to understand the symbols, themes and cultural references made in the novel. For example, having an awareness of Sufi Islam and its significance in the Egyptian society enabled me to comprehend the significance of Sheikh Aljunaydi in Saad’s life. Furthermore, the significance of the 1952 Egyptian Revolution is undeniable as Mahfouz was heavily impacted by this event as it occurred during the time in which he was writing ‘The Theif and the Dogs.’ Following the revolution intellectuals were closely watched, the protagonist Said Mehran feels a similar disillusionment and paranoia as intellectuals felt under Gamal Abdul Nasser’s rule.

“At the time [of writing the novella] I was suffering from a persistent and peculiar sense that I was being pursued, and also the conviction that under the political order of the time our lives had no meaning. So when I wrote the criminal [Mahmoud Suleiman]’s story, I wrote my own story along with it.” – Naguib Mahfouz

Demonstrate how form, structure and style cannot only be seen to influence meaning but can also be influenced by context.

Upon gaining an understanding of the social and historical contexts in which the novel was written, I was able to further comprehend Mahfouz’s writing style. The stream-of-consciousness writing technique was implemented as it perfectly reflected how Egyptian people felt under the new government regime in Egypt.

Understand the attitudes and values expressed by literary texts and their impact on readers.

By gaining an understanding of the social context in which the novel was written, I was able to pick up on the attitudes and values expressed in the literary text. I was able to critique this novel through a Marxist lens and a Feminist lens. The Egyptian revolution brought with it many issues pertaining to social class and through a Marxist lens I was able to pick up on Mahfouz’s integrated commentary on the suffering minorities of Egypt. Furthermore, the portrayal of women in the novel revealed a lot about attitudes towards women in 1960’s Egypt. From a feminist lens the sexist insults and slurs reveal gender inequality in the Egyptian society and how women were treated as second-class citizens.

What fascinates me is that, although I am an Arab, upon completing this book I felt I was able to connect to Egyptian culture more than I had been able to before. For example, I am a Sunni-Muslim, however this novel exposed me to Suffi-Islam, a sector of Islam I had known very little about prior to reading this novel. Mahfouz revealed to me the beauty in the cultural differences within Arab culture whereas I had not paid much attention to these cultural differences before.

Literature. Why do we study literature?

Literature is a term that applies to texts do more than simply entertain. Literature is engaging, it has a deeper meaning, and it has a bigger purpose than commercial fiction.

I’ll leave you with another well-known quote that I adore, 

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” - George R.R. Martin