This thesis attempts to analyze the traumatic events and behavioral manifestations of trauma involving select enslaved characters from Leila Aboulela’s historical fictional novel River Spirit (2023), set in late 19th century Sudan in the midst of the Mahdist revolutionary war. In bringing the novel’s enslaved characters’ traumatic experiences to light, this research relies on concepts from the psychoanalytical trauma theory models of Sigmund Freud and Cathy Caruth, as well as Judith Herman’s trauma model outlining the three cardinal symptoms of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): hyperarousal, intrusion, and constriction. This research forms an understanding of the aforementioned concepts within the context of Aboulela’s novel, findings associations with PTSD and its symptoms within the dissociated and disturbed mental states of Akuany-Zamzam, Hibra, the Al-Ubayyid governor’s slaves, and the pregnant woman of the Khartoum slave caravan, all of whom had endured slavery and its cruelties. In exploring the traumatized psyches of the characters, this research also delves into Akuany-Zamzam’s connection with the Nile rivers, as even through the tragedy and turbulence of slavery and war, she finds comfort in its waters. The manifestations of the enslaved characters’ traumas were revealed through repetitive, disturbed behavior of both the unconscious and conscious varieties, ranging from memory flashbacks to violent nightmares, as well as complete mental disconnect, derealization, and depersonalization in the face of, and following, the traumatic event.

In a world where people delve into the use of idioms and view them as a way to express emotions that cannot be expressed through everyday language, it is critical to understand that idioms are more than just random expressions of languages; they are key pillars in conveying culture's traditions, beliefs, and shared experiences, as well as playing a vital role in influencing how people interact, think, and view the world. However, these idioms are difficult to communicate across cultures, making it difficult for translators to translate them, let alone machine translation (MT) tools, which many claim will only provide poor-quality translations. Given this, the purpose of this study is to compare ChatGPT and Google Translate's performance in translating idiomatic expressions from the first chapter of “The Catcher in the Rye.” Furthermore, it aims to go further into the realm of idioms and assess the accuracy and effectiveness of these MT tools for translating idiom meanings from English to Arabic in order to establish cultural bonds through improved translation methods. This study incorporates both qualitative and quantitative analysis to examine the most common strategy employed by ChatGPT and Google Translate, according to Mona Baker's translation strategies, as well as assess translation quality in terms of accuracy, fluency, and cultural sensitivity. The results indicate that ChatGPT is more accurate than Google Translate when it comes to translating idiomatic expressions from English to Arabic.

This research focuses on the relationship between masculinity and gender roles shown in Haruki Murakami’s novel Kafka on the Shore published in 2002. The research aims to investigate how Murakami, as a writer, uses the themes of masculinity and conventional gender roles not just as narrative devices but as means to scrutinizing societal norms and personal identity. At the core of the discussion are the issues of identity construction and conventional gender expectations. The purpose of this analysis is twofold: First, it gives an insight into the novel’s narration, which is interwoven with discussions of masculinity and gender as a medium to implicitly reflect on society and an investigation of individual identity, on which deeper societal and psychological undercurrents of the characters and the story are founded. The second aim of the research is to establish a connection between literary criticism and gender studies while exposing how literature particularly in the domain of contemporary fiction can act as a mirror for the examination of gender roles and stereotypical conceptions of manhood. Through the in-depth study of the complicated themes of manhood and gender roles in, Kafka on the Shore (2002), this research offers an in- depth analysis of Murakami's narrative techniques and the ways they are interconnected with contemporary images of masculinity. This research investigates themes of identity formation and gender roles in Murakami's Kafka on the Shore by examining how the novel portrays masculinity and its interaction with gender roles, reflecting societal norms. The analysis will focus on societal demands, gender stereotypes, ambiguity, fluidity, and intersections with age, sexuality, and class. The study is guided by theoretical frameworks such as hegemonic masculinity, gender performativity, and social construction of gender. It explores whether the novel reinforces or subverts dominant masculinity, portraying gender as a flexible social concept; and unveils power dynamics and societal pressures shaping masculinity within the narrative.

This qualitative study aims to provide a detailed investigation into the various aspects of divorce in the Middle East, focusing on cultural and societal influences, effects on family structures and gender roles, social implications, and the psychological well-being of those involved. The research aims to enhance understanding and awareness of the dynamics of divorce in the Middle East. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, the study conducted online semi-structured interviews via Zoom and FaceTime with eight participants, including four parents and four children. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Key findings reveal distinct themes for both children and parents. For children, mental health, social life, and relationships with parents were predominant themes. For parents, financial child support, emotional child support, relationships with ex-partners, and pre- and post-divorce support emerged as critical areas of focus. The study concludes that both children and parents face significant challenges due to divorce, with finances and communication being particularly difficult for parents, while children struggle with mental health, social life, and maintaining parental relationships. Despite these challenges, many participants demonstrated resilience and adaptability, successfully navigating life after divorce.

The project discusses the translation carefully excerpts selected from Monk of Mokha book. The book is non-fiction, covering cultural and political incidents. The research identifies and discusses the issues encounters in the translation of certain cultural and political texts in the book. It also analyses the process to translate political and cultural texts and how the translator can deal with these texts. The study aims to show How to solve certain unexpected problems or issues that translator face.

This research paper sets out to examine Badriah Albeshr’s treatment of Slavery in her novels Hend wa-l-‘Askar (translated as Hend and the Soldiers, 2017) and Al-’Urjuha (The Seesaw, 2010). In these novels, Albeshr tracks the lives of slaves and their descendants across three generations. As a sociologist, Albeshr looks at the different segments of Saudi society, including minorities and marginalized group, and takes great pains in telling their stories and giving them a voice and a presence in her fiction. Albeshr is one of the few Saudi writers who have undertaken to reveal the injustices of slavery as an old institution that did not legally come to an end until the 1960s. More importantly, however, Albeshr tries her best to endow a silent, faceless, and stigmatized group of people with a distinct voice, identity, and dignity. It is my intention in this research paper to investigate the ways in which Albeshr uncovers the brutal history and practices of slavery and, significantly, transcends cultural and social norms to confer a solid presence on all those branded by slavery. Albeshr’s method of individualizing, even ennobling, these characters lies in the roles they have in the narrative and the influence they exert on the lives of other characters. Besides being a sociologist who is duly concerned with the social environment and its effect on the formation of her characters, Albeshr is a feminist who believes in women’s abilities and their capacity for transcending social roles. Therefore, this research leans on feminist ideas, along with psychological and sociological theories. Slavery is a complex issue, and as such, I have chosen not to subject it to a single theoretical point of view.

Past, and more significantly, post 9/11 Anglo-American political and popular culture representations of Arab Muslim masculinities in general and Palestinian masculinities in particular as evil, violent and terrorizing produced the myth of the Arab Muslim masculine evil: an ahistorical image of Arab and Muslim men that reduces them to a few negative, sometimes contradictory, characteristics. An understanding of politics and cultural productions as inextricably linked can explain the reasons behind the strength and sustainability of these negative stereotypes. In addition, it explains why Arab American writers find fiction an appropriate medium to produce diverse images of Arabs, Muslims and Arab Americans. This article draws primarily on Daniel Monterescu’s models of hegemonic Palestinian masculinities which follow Raewyn Connell’s model of hierarchical masculinities to explore the ways by which Laila Halaby’s West of the Jordan (2003) and Randa Jarrar’s A Map of Home (2008) offer complex Palestinian Muslim masculinities, particularly in the domestic sphere. These masculinities are positioned within specific historical, socio-political and cultural realities, which are not solely governed by narrow definitions of Islam. Palestinian Muslim masculinities in both novels challenge monolithic and essentialist representations of Arab Muslim men in general and Palestinian men, particularly after the events of 9/11.