Analysis of Social Issues in Iraqi Narrative Literature at the TurnBeginning of the Twentieth Century: A Study of Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Sayed’s Works

Authors
Alaa Abdulhussein Hayif Al-Karaawi
yusuf Nazari
shiraz university
Abstract
This study traces the development of modern Iraqi short fiction, focusing particularly on Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Sayyid's pioneering role in shaping this literary genre. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how social transformations interacted with narrative literature during Iraq's transition from Ottoman rule to modernity. Using social criticism as its methodological framework, the analysis examines Al-Sayyid's complete works. The study demonstrates how Al-Sayyid's realist approach vividly captured the social contradictions of his era through his deep engagement with contemporary issues. His works critically examine Arab intellectual traditions, exposing how religious texts and popular sayings were manipulated to justify oppression. They give particular attention to women's oppression under patriarchal systems while advocating for female emancipation. With remarkable boldness, his narratives depict class conflicts, economic exploitation, and institutional corruption. Freedom in its various forms emerges as a central concern, with society portrayed as a vast prison crushing individual aspirations. His writings also document cultural practices and highlight Iraq's educational crisis, identifying widespread ignorance as the fundamental cause of social backwardness. The research ultimately reveals Al-Sayyid's dual significance - as both a foundational figure in modern Iraqi fiction and an enlightenment thinker who systematically critiqued oppressive social structures.
Keywords
Arabic Narratology
Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Sayed
Social Criticism
Contemporary Literature
Iraqi Story
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