A Political Analysis of Literature

Rational:The curriculum is designed around the novel The Day the Leader was Killed by Naguib Mahfouz. Mahfouz’s novel was chosen for its literary merit, but also because it is rich for discussion of history and literature of place; it addresses how the recent political history of Egypt has influenced Egyptian society.
In all classes, in order to encourage participation and a rich discussion, basic background information on the author and the politics referred to in the novel will be provided so that students can better understand the conflicts of the characters in the context of the history/politics of the setting. Some students will connect the conflicts in the novel to the research and study they did previously in history class. As a cross -curricular unit, students in history and literature classes can collaborate by sharing their research to analyze the novel on a political level.