Psychological Perspective in Modern Arabic Novel Criticism PhD dissertation review

Abstract

     The present study examines the key methodological steps taken by the researcher as an approach to critical texts that used the psychological method for analyzing Arabic novel. It reveals significant transformations that have occurred in its application within the Arab critical arena, starting from its initial stages where the psychological analysis approach was used to explore the author's psychological complexities. In this context, the works of the critic George Tarabishi stand out, covering the first phase of integrating psychological analysis concepts. Subsequently, scholars opened up to employing the textual psychological method, which drew from discourse analysis techniques to shed light on the literary creativity from a structural perspective, emphasizing the artistic and aesthetic values present in literary texts. In this context, the studies of critic Hassan Elmouden introduced innovative workshops in the field of literary studies by leveraging the 'unconscious of the text' concepts pioneered by Jean Bellemin-Noël. Moreover, the approach to critical texts revealed the mythological inclination in Arabic novels, as seen in the works of critics Nidal Assalih and Sanaa Shalan. The researcher concluded the thesis with a general framework that encapsulates the ongoing debate among scholars about the adequacy of various methodologies in studying and analyzing texts. The conclusion defended the idea of the method's openness to address the gaps inherent in any single approach, not for the sake of methodological integration, but to bridge between methodologies and achieve the desired methodological sufficiency.