Hossein Mohtadi

The main issue of this research is to examine the function of critical realism in shaping the image of reality and showing how society is criticized in the novels of the Headmaster of Jala Al-Ahmad and Al-Lus and Al-Kilaab by Najib Mahfouz. The objectives of the research are to identify and analyze critical realism in these two works, and the researchers aim to explain the social criticisms of the two authors in the two societies of Iran and Egypt through this literary approach. Method: The research is based on the description, analysis, and comparison of the text of the two novels, focusing on the components of critical realism and comparing characteristics such as reflection of reality, social totality, the relationship between the individual and society, typification, and popular literature in these two works. The results indicate that the two works fully comply with the characteristics of Lukács's critical realism. In both works, the hero is in conflict with the ruling structures, and both authors have used moral and psychological characteristics in addition to social typifications. However, examining the other two components shows that Mahfouz reflects a greater social totality and also preserves and has greater prominence popular literature in the novel.