Stylistics and the Attitude of Arab Scholars towards it

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature of Arab pioneering critics and rhetoricians on stylistics in two areas. The first area presents Arabic critical studies on stylistics in terms of discussing the origins of stylistics in its Western context, then giving a definition of stylistics according to the addresser, the addressee and the text. Then the concept of stylistics was discussed in addition to its most prominent features and characteristics. The second area explores the reception of Arab researchers to stylistics, revealing three positions of Arab scholars to stylistics. (1) Rejection: They categorically reject stylistics. Most of those rejectionists are interested in studying Arabic rhetoric traditionally; they think that Arabic rhetoric is adequate and there is no need of stylistics.

(2) The position of substitution: they believed that there is no need for Arabic rhetoric because stylistics has eliminated the need for it.

It has become the legitimate heir to the legacy of rhetoric. Stylistics in their view, is an approved tool for reading any literary text.

Finally: the attitude of collaboration: According to this view, reconciling stylistic and rhetorical is possible, by benefiting from the authentic Arabic rhetorical visions that are compatible with stylistics, and re-employing them in the study of contemporary literary texts. This research tended to agree with the opinion of the third group, which sees the possibility of a positive interaction between Arabic rhetoric and stylistic studies, where the intersection between the two fields can be invested in the study of the literary text and reveal its aesthetics.