The mass uprisings that occurred during the Arab Spring of 2011 changed the political
landscape of the Arab-speaking world in a matter of months. Western newspapers of
record, such as Le Monde and Le Figaro in France, The New York Times in the United
States, and The Times in Britain, all provided extensive coverage of the events in the
Middle East and North Africa. Through an analysis of the main themes found in the
narratives established by the newspapers a general sense of Western impressions towards
the Arab Spring can be discerned. Additionally, memories that were frequently
remembered by the commentators of the Arab Spring shall be examined to determine what
memories of the past were consulted in the service of meaning-making for writers featured
in the four newspapers of record.
