Tawfiq al-Hakim | Introduction to Diary of a Country Prosecutor
Tawfiq al-Hakim | Introduction to Diary of a Country Prosecutor
Tawfiq al-Hakim | Introduction to Diary of a Country Prosecutor
Tawfiq al-Hakim’s novel entitled Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Aryaf (Diary of a Country Prosecutor) published in 1937 is a socio-political novel through which he portrayed the corruption of the government officials as well as the forlorn social status of the plebeians. It is a comic novel where there is no specific plot but some sequence of episodes huddled together. The main outstanding themes of the novel are the arbitrariness and corruption in the Legal System, fraud and corruption in politics, crime in society and consequently the sufferance of poverty-stricken fellahin (peasants) of Egypt. The main episodes of the novel are – the investigation regarding the shooting of Kamar al- Dawla Alwan, the judgment episode, Rim episode, the childbirth episode and the episode of politics. In this novel Yawmiyyat Naif Fil Aryaf (Diary of a Country Prosecutor) there are characters but in the real sense, there is no characterization as all the characters are depicted partially and none has got full depiction. However, the prominent characters in the novel are- the Prosecutor, the two Judges, Kamar al- Dawla Alwan, the Ma’mur, Rim and Shaik Asfur. Tawfiq al-Hakim has depicted all his characters from the personal point of view of the Prosecutor, the narrator of the novel. Almost all the characters are portrayed typically, though there are some individual traits in some characters. His characters may broadly be divided into two classes as – the ruling class and the plebeians (fellahin). All the characters have become the representatives of the two classes they belong to. In spite of the presence of some tragic episodes like- the episode of Kamar al- Dawla Alwan, the episode of Rim, the episode of the village women etc. there are abundant comic elements that affect our sense of humour and thus delight us. The comic elements in the novel are made up of speech, situation and action. All the type characters representing the government machinery are full of comic traits either in action or in speech. The plot construction of the novel is very loose and there is no logic and coherence in the arrangement of the events and episodes that come into the texture of the novel. The setting (atmosphere) of the novel is unique and the novelist is very keen on observing the surrounding of any event that he goes on to depict in this novel and the vivid narration of the setting has made the novel more life-like and realistic. He has employed ample dialogue to meet his purpose. His dialogues have played a veritable role in evolving the plot and expressing the inner motives, feelings and passions of his characters. The language of Tawfiq al-Hakim employed in the novel Yawmiyyat Naif Fil Aryaf translated into English by Abba Eban as ‘Diary of a Country Prosecutor’ is characterized by complexity in structure, much use of dashes, abundant use of similes, use of abstract terms and words and much use of Islamic references. The philosophy of life expressed in the novel is that if the governing authority of a country is corrupted and selfish then the sufferance of the common people increases beyond imagination. 0 0 0
Read More: Theme Analysis of ‘Diary of a Country Prosecutor’
N. B. This article entitled ‘Tawfiq al-Hakim | Introduction to Diary of a Country Prosecutor’ originally belongs to the book ‘Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf-An Analytical Study‘ by Menonim Menonimus.
Books of Literary Criticism by M. Menonimus:
- World Short Story Criticism
- World Poetry Criticism
- World Drama Criticism
- World Novel Criticism
- World Essay Criticism
- Indian English Poetry Criticism
- Indian English Poets and Poetry Chief Features
- Emily Dickinson’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
- Walt Whitman’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
- Critical Essays on English Poetry
- Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: Return of the Spirit-An Analytical Study
- Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf’-An Analytical Study
- Analytical Studies of Some Arabic Short Stories
- A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period …
