Individuation and the shaping of personal identity

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This study contributes to comparative literary studies, particularly the modern novel, by analyzing individuation across four distinct literatures: two Western and two Arabic. It aims to connect individuation with the novel as a literary genre, exploring how aspects of individuation can be examined through novels. This approach fosters a dialogical interaction between individuation and the novel genre, contextualizing each writer within their literary field to highlight their unique contributions to personal identity formation. The introduction presents a theoretical framework, positing that literary texts are embedded in a complex social network of power relations that influence perceptions of identity, individuation, and individual psychology, all tied to modernity. The investigation employs sophisticated theories from sociology and literary theory, drawing on thinkers like Pierre Bourdieu, Stuart Hall, Anthony Giddens, René Girard, and Mikhail Bakhtin to avoid simplistic interpretations. It views the modern novel as intertwined with power dynamics (Bourdieu), identity perceptions (Hall), and the intricate process of modernity (Giddens), articulated through its polyphonic nature (Bakhtin). The chapters analyze individuation in Norwegian literature via Knut Hamsun, Irish literature through James Joyce, Arabic-Egyptian literature with Naguib Mahfouz, and Arabic-Sudanese literature with Tayeb Salih. The conclusion synthesizes t