Representation of the Conflict between Tradition and Modernity in the Novel Awlad Haratina by Naguib Mahfudz: A Sociological Study of Literature

Abstract

This study examines the portrayal of the conflict between tradition and modernity in Naguib

Mahfouz’s novel Awlad Haratina. In this work, Mahfouz portrays the life of a society marked by

tensions between traditional values rooted in religion and culture and the emergence of modern ideas

influenced by the development of science and social change. This study employs the Sociology of

Literature approach proposed by René Wellek and Austin Warren, which divides the analysis into

three aspects: the sociology of the author, the sociology of the literary work, and the sociology of the

reader. This research focuses on the sociology of the literary work using a qualitative method and

descriptive analysis. The purpose of this study is to reveal how the conflict between tradition and

modernity is represented through characters, events, and social situations in the novel. The results

show that the tension between traditional values and modern ideas is represented through characters

who symbolize the power of tradition as well as characters who bring rational and scientific ideas.

This conflict reflects the dynamics of social and intellectual change within society. Through this study,

it is expected that readers will better understand the social meanings contained in the novel as well as

the reflection of changing values in society.