GENRE AND THEMATIC INNOVATION OF TAWFIQ AL-HAKIM SHORT PROSE IN THE NEW EGYPTIAN SCHOOL IN LITERATURE

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the artistic and stylistic features of the stories of Tawfiq al-Hakim. Tawfiq al-Hakim is one of the most famous Arab prose writers and playwrights of the 20th century, a representative of modern Egyptian literature. He was an innovator in both poetic and epic and dramaturgical spheres. In particular, al-Hakim was one of the first in Egypt to test the free verse form, thereby demonstrating his creative talent and artistic ingenuity. In the prose sphere, he is considered the founder of the national novel, representing with his work not only this genre, but also a variety of other epic forms, including those that were not previously found in the Middle East: essays, short stories, dramas, the genre of the diary novel and the novel in letters. His stories combine philosophical reflections, symbolism, social satire, and psychologism. An important place in Tawfiq al-Hakim's work is occupied by philosophical stories and novels, which raise questions about the meaning of human life, the interaction between the individual and society, as well as the moral responsibility of a man of science. The writer combined artistic prose with deep reflections on the spiritual state of man in the modern world. In some works, the writer shows the danger of a situation when technical progress outpaces the moral development of man. Therefore, he emphasizes the need to combine knowledge with ethical values