Readings in Contemporary Arab Discourse

The Literary Criticism Basics Program aims to provide trainees with a solid understanding of critical concepts and tools for text analysis, whether poetic, narrative, or contemporary. The program serves as an initial gateway for those who wish to enter the world of literary criticism and develop a conscious critical perspective capable of reading texts in depth.

The program offers a comprehensive curriculum that combines theoretical foundations with practical application. Trainees learn how to deconstruct a text, examine its structure, style, and symbols, and then reconstruct it critically through an understanding of the text’s cultural and intellectual context. The program also provides practical workshops for analyzing Arabic and international literary models to enhance critical skills.
The program is designed for writers, literature students, culture enthusiasts, and content creators who wish to gain a deeper understanding of texts and build sound critical readings.

Program Key Points

1 – Introduction to Literary Criticism

• Definition of literary criticism and its objectives.
• The development of criticism throughout Arab and Western history.
• The difference between appreciation, impression, and scholarly criticism.

2 – Core Critical Approaches

• Structural criticism and analysis of the internal structure of the text.
• Stylistic criticism and the study of language and composition.
• Psychological criticism and its connection to the author’s emotional state.
• Social criticism and the cultural context of the text.

3 – Tools of the Literary Critic

• How to conduct an initial analytical reading of a text.
• Text deconstruction tools: themes, symbols, characters, time, and language.
• How to relate the text to its cultural and historical context.

Critical Analysis Skills

This section is designed to enhance the trainee’s ability to read literary and intellectual texts with depth and full awareness. Through this section, trainees learn how to break texts down into their core elements, understand symbols, themes, characters, and linguistic styles, and connect them to historical and cultural contexts. It also focuses on distinguishing between explicit and implicit meanings and evaluating text quality using precise critical tools and standards.
The section provides practical training in analyzing poetry, narrative, and contemporary texts, develops critical thinking skills, and teaches how to write clear and well-structured critical readings. This enables trainees to develop a comprehensive critical perspective and gives them the confidence to engage with any literary or cultural text professionally and skillfully.

• Identifying deep meanings within the text.
• Distinguishing between explicit and implicit meanings.
• Evaluating text quality according to clear critical standards.