The Formation Of Identity In The Autobiographical Discourse From The Perspective Of New Historicism And Cultural Materialism.. Salah Fadl's (Ain Al-Naqd) “Eye of Criticism” Book as A Model

This study examines the critical, cultural and intellectual shifts and turns in Ain Al-Naqd (Eye of Criticism) by Dr. Salah Fadl. This book is a critical and intellectual autobiography. Its importance stems from the fact that it indirectly explores these significant critical and intellectual turns in a framework of historical approach. This book stands as a witness on numerous contexts that were active in shaping the historical accumulation of the Arab literary criticism over several decades, starting from the forties of the twentieth century (1940s) when the writer was a child till the nineties (1990s). Thus, reading the book Eye of Criticism from the perspective of new historicism and cultural materialism helps to explore the intersections of literary criticism with the intellectual and cultural situations on the one hand, and with the political dimensions and social transformations on the other. Moreover, the book highlights the context of the Egyptian-Israeli conflict and the different patterns of individual and collective struggle for self-realization cognitively and intellectually. In addition, the book draws a historical picture that represents the biography of an individual. In terms of methodology, New Historicism, as proposed by the American critic Stephen Greenblatt, together with Cultural Materialism collectively shape a theoretical framework that dictates the headlines of the study and organises its procedures. Part of the importance of the book also stems from the fact that it is written and published during the final stage of the life of Salah Fadl, the critic, and after the completion of much of his long career. Therefore, it stands as a comprehensive historical record containing many details, contextual lines, and intellectual patterns that have left their impact on the course of literary criticism in Egypt. Far and above, the book underlines the pivotal role of Salah Fadl and his centrality in the two critical scenes, the Arabic and the Egyptian.