بررسی و تحلیل رمان بیروت 75 بر اساس نظریۀ از خود بیگانگی مارکس و شیء وارگی لوکاچ

Introduction: Literature has always reflected the deepest concerns, crises, and hopes of human societies. Among literary genres, the novel holds a distinguished position in portraying complex social, cultural, and existential realities. Beirut 75, a symbolic and tragic novel by Ghada Al-Samman, was published shortly before the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War. It offers a shocking image of Lebanese society on the brink of collapse—where capitalist ideology dominates all aspects of life, and human beings are reduced to instruments of profit.This study examines Beirut 75 through the lens of two fundamental theories in critical sociology: Karl Marx’s theory of alienation and Georg Lukács’s concept of reification. Marx defines alienation as the estrangement of individuals from their labor, their fellow beings, and their human essence under exploitative capitalist conditions. Lukács builds on this idea by introducing reification, the process by which social relationships become objectified, and people are treated as commodities. The central aim of this research is to investigate how the novel portrays various forms of alienation and reification in a society dominated by capitalist logic. The study seeks to reveal how the characters, setting, and narrative structure reflect dehumanization, identity loss, and existential dislocation caused by commodified social relations.

Methodology :This study employs a descriptive-analytical method based on library research. Within this framework, the text of Beirut 75 is closely examined and analyzed in light of the fundamental concepts presented in Karl Marx’s theory of alienation and Georg Lukács’ theory of reification. The core concepts under consideration include alienation from the product of labor, alienation from the process of production, alienation from others, alienation from the self, and reification. The aim of this approach is to reveal the manifestations of these concepts within the narrative structure, character development, and atmospheric elements of the novel. For this purpose, the study relies on primary theoretical sources, authoritative translations, and relevant academic research, striving to establish a coherent analysis that bridges the literary narrative with philosophical and sociological foundations.

Results and Discussion: The analysis reveals that Beirut 75 vividly represents the conditions of alienation and reification in a fragmented and capitalist-influenced society. The characters—such as Farah, Yasmine, Abu Mulla, and Mustafa—each embody a form of existential and social detachment. Farah, who is objectified by Nishan and labeled “Mutrib al-rujula”, is reduced to a hollow symbol of masculinity—admired in public but emotionally destroyed in private. His commodification becomes literal as he is manipulated to serve economic and personal interests, stripped of dignity and autonomy. Yasmine’s experience—particularly her degrading wig-sale transaction and her emotional collapse under social and gender pressures—exemplifies how capitalist and patriarchal systems intersect to alienate women from themselves and their desires. The character of Abu Mulla, a religious figure, symbolizes another form of alienation: dogmatic rigidity that stifles critical thought and self-awareness. Mustafa, representing the youth, falls into despair, illustrating the disillusionment of an entire generation. Environmental descriptions in the novel—such as enclosed, chaotic, and disorienting urban spaces—intensify the sense of estrangement. Beirut is depicted not as a living city but as a prison of lost hopes and shattered identities. Social relations in the novel are largely transactional, where moral values are overridden by economic logic. The doctor who refuses to treat Farah without payment encapsulates this commodified morality in the phrase: “If you have money, you have value.” Through these portrayals, the novel affirms that alienation is not limited to the workplace or economic systems—it pervades interpersonal relations, identity, and spirituality. The logic of profit invades every sphere of life, dismantling the very foundations of human connection.

Conclusion: Analyzing Beirut 75 through Karl Marx’s theory of alienation and Georg Lukács’s concept of reification offers a broad and thought-provoking portrayal of the human condition within unjust social and economic structures. Each of the main characters embodies a particular dimension of alienation, and their life trajectories reveal how individuals become detached from their identity, moral values, and human relationships. The findings indicate that alienation manifests at four interconnected levels: alienation from the product of labor, alienation from the labor process, alienation from others, and alienation from the self. These experiences are not confined solely to economic conditions or social functions; rather, they are also evident in personal relationships and everyday human interactions.At the individual level, the characters, constrained by dominant and profit-oriented structures, have little control over their own destinies, as their choices and decisions are shaped by the will and interests of others. From a social perspective, the society depicted in the novel lacks empathy and human solidarity, with individuals distancing themselves from one another in the pursuit of personal benefit. Lukács’s theory of reification complements this analysis by demonstrating that when human beings are reduced to tools or means for achieving others objectives, they inevitably lose their human essence and practical freedom.The overall findings suggest that Beirut 75 is not only a critique of Lebanon’s social and political structures in the 1970s, but also a universal representation of the condition of modern humanity. It portrays a human being who, under economic pressures, identity crises, social dependencies, and mechanisms of power, is transformed into a commodity-like entity. In the contemporary era, when human values are increasingly marginalized and sacrificed to profit and self-interest, the need to reconsider existing social structures becomes more urgent than ever. Accordingly, Beirut 75, on both philosophical and social levels, invites the reader to engage in profound reflection on the fate of humanity in the modern world.

Keywords: Marx and Lukács, Alienation, Reification, Ghada Al-Samman,