ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

Social Realism in Yusuf Idris’s Arkhas Layâlî (The Cheapest Nights): An Analytical Study

Social realism is an important literary approach that presents the real conditions of society, especially the struggles of poor and marginalized people. Yusuf Idris is one of the most important modern Arabic writers who realistically depicted the lives of poor and marginalized people in his short stories. His first short story collection Arkhas Layâlî (The Cheapest Nights) was published in the year 1954. The book was warmly welcomed by both readers and critics alike, and it made Yusuf Idris famous at the young age of twenty-seven. The short story collection Arkhas Layâlî shows the harsh realities of poverty, social inequality, unemployment, and human suffering in Egyptian society. The story mainly focuses on the miserable condition of a poor family trapped in economic hardship and continuous social struggle. Through simple language and realistic description, Yusuf Idris presents the difficulties faced by poor people and criticizes the government for ignoring the suffering of the poor. This study attempts to analyse the elements of social realism in Arkhas Layâlî and examine how Yusuf Idris portrays the painful realities of ordinary life.