Taha Hussein’s Humour

Taha Hussein (1889–1973) is considered the doyen of modern prose writers in the Arab world. A large number of his works have been translated into several languages and many scholarly researches have been devoted to his numerous books and articles, analysing his views, experiences and unique style.  Moreover, his autobiography, al-Ayyām (The Days), which is his childhood and early life memoirs, captured the attention of many readers inside and outside the Arab world as a model of Bildungsroman. In her book, Blindness and Autobiography, Fedwa Malti-Douglas devotes a chapter (6) to the humour in al-Ayyām in which she analyzes and illustrates some of the droll situations, as described by Taha Hussein together with the language which makes the descriptions amusing. This article aims to shed more light on Taha Hussein’s technique and tools, which afford the reader amusement, illustrated with examples taken from the first volume of al-Ayyām, in contrast to the examples used by Malti-Douglas quoted from Vols. 2 and 3. Taha Hussein’s humour is divided into and analysed in three categories: 1. Funny situations; 2. Superstitions, beliefs and customs; and 3. Phrases, expressions and idioms used to express irony, sarcasm and cynicism.