Narrating the Crusades in Two Contemporary Novels: Ideology and Dialogue Between Eastern and Western Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1501.23Keywords:
Crusades, Italian literature, Arabic literature, comparative literature, historical fictionAbstract
The Crusades, particularly the First Crusade, have long captivated the imagination of writers and poets in both the Christian West and the Muslim East. This study explores how the First Crusade is narrated and invoked in contemporary literature through a comparative analysis of two novels: The Awakening of the Knight by Egyptian author Mohamed Tarek (2022) and Jerusalem by Italian historian and novelist Andrea Frediani (2013). The research examines the relationship between these works and historical and literary sources on the Crusades, while also addressing their contemporary political and cultural resonances. The findings suggest that contemporary narratives, as exemplified by these two novels, oscillate between ideological uses of classic concepts of heroism and dichotomies such as good versus evil applied to modern contexts, and a more imaginative, entertaining approach that frames the Crusades as an epic, event-driven story in an attempt to bridge connections between East and West, suggesting the potential for intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding. The analysis underscores the enduring impact of the Crusades on contemporary thought and calls for further exploration of this historical period in modern cultural and civilizational discourse.
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