Naturalistic understanding of the novel "Bain ALqasrain" by Najib Mahfouz

Najib Mahfouz, a well-known Egyptian writer, has created a solid link between philosophy and literature. One of the philosophical schools is naturalism, which was introduced into literary criticism in the nineteenth century by Emil Zola. By eliminating the supernatural aspects of human life, naturalists consider man as an inherent creature of the environment and the product of inheritance. According to these premises, human life and mood are interpreted. The present study adopts a naturalistic point of view to review "Bain ALqasrain" as the first novel in the trilogy of Najib Mahfouz. It also examines the components and foundations of the naturalistic school. It is concluded that the overwhelming expression of naturalistic principles, such as the influence of the environment, inheritance, blood and temper on the lives of the characters of the novel, has made it one of the few naturalist works in the Arabic literature. An important point, however, is the traditional and Eastern orientation of the novel in dealing with sacraments and supernatural issues which has made naturalist Najib different from Western naturalists. In addition to the existence of naturalistic components and themes, the novel enjoys particular features in terms of form and structure, including verbosity, precise description of the details and scenes, and tragic end.