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Assimilation and Identity in Contemporary Arab  Literature Depicting the Problematics of Migration

The dissertation project is dedicated to the research of contemporary Arabic literature, which depicts various aspects of the lives of migrants in their new homelands. The theme of migration and intercultural coexistence has become particularly relevant in recent years in the Arab world and is increasingly appearing in literary discourse. The aim of the project is to examine how migrants are portrayed in selected Arabic literary works, what problems they must face, and to what extent they are able to assimilate into new living conditions and respond to new challenges. The focus will be also on the portrayal of themes such as departure, trauma, alienation, nostalgia for the homeland, rejection in the new country, (non)adaptation to new conditions, the effort to preserve one’s original identity, culture, and customs, as well as the attempt to socially integrate into the new country. The work will be based on detailed analyses of selected works from different parts of the Arab world, featuring authors from Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, or Eritrea. In this way, we aim to provide a deeper insight into the complexity and dynamics of the migration issue and contribute to a better understanding of how the life experiences of migrants are portrayed in modern Arabic literature.

The PhD thesis treats the motif of the garden in the poetry of Louise Glück and Mila Haugová as an imaginative, existential and physical entity where the boundary between creation and extinction fluctuates seamlessly. It is a space of quiet reflection, transformation and metaphysical exploration. The motif of the garden is characteristic of both poets and appears in many variations in their work. It is a physical setting, a symbolic landscape, and corresponds to the themes of silence, solitude, solitude, transience, renewal and motherhood. Glück’s poetry often portrays the garden as a space of loss and resilience, intertwining personal and mythological dimensions, while Haugová’s work reflects an intimate, fluid dialogue between nature and the self, shaped by themes of memory and desire. By employing existentialist and ecocritical perspectives, this study highlights the ways in which these poets reimagine the garden as a liminal space—one that challenges notions of permanence and identity. Through close textual analysis, the dissertation reveals how their poetic gardens serve as metaphors for human existence, evoking both fragility and transcendence.