الهوية والانتماء في النقد الادبي المهجري : قراءة في تجليات الاغتراب والحنين

Abstract

This study explores the themes of identity and belonging as reflected in the literary criticism of Mahjar (diaspora) literature, produced by Arab writers who experienced geographical, cultural, and social alienation away from their homelands. Identity and belonging formed central axes in Mahjari literature, as writers expressed the inner conflict between their roots and openness to new societies, and between nostalgia for the homeland and integration into a foreign environment. The research adopts a critical and analytical approach to key concepts related to identity and belonging—such as language, religion, self, and community—relying on modern critical theories that approach Mahjari texts from cultural and humanistic perspectives. The study is divided into two main chapters: the first examines manifestations of identity in Mahjar literary criticism, while the second discusses the notion of belonging as a psychological and cultural dimension of the diaspora experience. The study concludes that Mahjar literary criticism is not limited to aesthetic or stylistic concerns, but rather represents an intellectual endeavour to understand the Arab self in the context of exile. It is also a search for reconstructing identity through culture, language, and nostalgia, without rejecting or isolating the Other. Arab critics demonstrated deep awareness of the dual sense of belonging experienced by Mahjari writers, and its reflection in their writings.