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Abstract This thesis presents a study of Nationalism as Pastiche, both as an imitation and an irony. The thesis is divided into three chapters. The introductory chapter attempts to provide a definition of nationalism, pastiche and other related terms that would bear significance on the analysis, such as patriotism, nation and parody. The second chapter explores what is meant by nationalism as pastiche in The Picnic at Sakkara (1955) by P.H. Newby (1917–1997), while the third, deals with The Open Door (El-Bab El-Maftouh), (1960) by Latifa El-Zayyat (1923– 1996). There is a dearth on P.H. Newby’s criticism and little has been done on The Picnic at Sakkara. Documentation was difficult as well, but the novel itself served as data, since it evidently contains the writer’s views and conspicuously bears out his attitude towards life. Moreover, it is interesting to read the impressions of a foreigner about one’s country especially if that person is well-read. The novel as a political narrative, is an irony for many reasons. First, and most importantly is that it was written by a Briton on Egypt’s right of independence. Adding to being an irony, The Picnic at Sakkara is an imitation of A Passage to India (1924) by E.M. Forster (1879–1970). Both Newby and Forster came to and lived in Egypt during the British occupation of the country. In both novels, the meaning of nationalism changes to be a pastiche. El-Zayyat’s The Open Door is an imitation of George Eliot’s (1819– 1880) The Mill on the Floss (1860). Both novels tackle the relationship between a brother and a sister, Layla and Mahmud versus Maggie and Tom Tulliver. Inside The Open Door itself, nationalism takes a new iv meaning of a pastiche. That is when most of the Egyptians believe in acculturating themselves to colonization and as a consequence leave defending their country against its colonizer to a few volunteer fighters, here nationalism begins to be an irony. This study shows how nationalism, in both The Picnic at Sakkara and The Open Door, has the dual meanings of imitation and irony. |