Conflict between Tradition and Modernity in Tawfiq Al-Hakim‘s The Song of Death

Abstract

The present research entitled ―Conflict between Tradition and Modernity in Tawfiq al-Hakim‘s The Song of Death‖ explores contradictions, conflicts and shows disagreements and disparity prevalent in the mid-twentieth century Egyptian society. The concept of younger and older generation of the then society comes in to clash in many aspects of their life such as thinking, behavior, treatment and lifestyle. The playwright takes character of new generation as agent to get exposure to the modern values, which he tries to apply in the traditional rural Egyptian society. In doing so, there arise problems of clash between two different values as well as in the life of the characters. University education, free life, individualism, social law and justice and some of the values are associated with modernity, which the main character adopts in his life but these values do not go with the conventions of the traditional rural Egyptian society. The consequence is further suffering. Older generation is represented by Asakir and Mabruka and younger generation by Ilwan and Simeida. Ilwan always hopes for new ideas and gives priority to social law and justice and modern way of thinking over the rural Egyptian orthodoxy culture and tradition. But older generation especially Asakir is against it and opposes Ilwan in many aspects of changes. Ilwan hopes to change orthodoxical thinking of the then society by adopting modern way of thinking and social law and justice. To study these issues, the research takes the support of primarily the theoretical concepts of modernity. The research explores how conflict comes in to existence among the people of the society because of modernization.