A Critical Study of the Applications of Goldmann’s Genetic Structuralism to Persian Novels
Narjes
Afshari
PhD in Persian Language and Literature, Kharazmi University
author
Mohammad
Parsanasab
Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Kharazmi University
author
Hamid
Abdollahian
Professor of Sociology, University of Tehran
author
Habibiollah
Abbasi
Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Kharazmi University
author
text
article
2018
per
Sociology of the novel is one of the methods of analysis on which literary critics have focused in recent years. Nevertheless, there are some shortcomings and inadequacies in the application of this method in the study of Persian novels, which make its critical assessment necessary. A critical assessment of the existing studies shows that very few of them are complete and comprehensive. In the present descriptive-analytical study, ten scholarly papers which applied sociological criticism to Persian novels based on Goldman’s genetic structuralism have been reviewed. The application of this approach requires compliance with conditions which, if ignored, may lead to the failure of the researchers’ theoretical studies. In the present study, the factors leading to the failure of the application of this theory to the text are the researchers’ lack of understanding theoretical concepts resulting in not expressing and applying them to the text, and lack of understanding the method and objectives of the theory. Some other internal factors include reductionism and consideration of a number of the components of the theory instead of its whole, the researchers’ inattention to the social context of the theory’s development, inattention to the characteristics of the text consistent with the theory, and the weakness of the scholars’ critical thinking in the theoretical process of the literary work. Identification, categorization and analysis of these inadequacies are the main aim of the present study. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Every nation’s myths serve as the basis of its cultural life. In other words, humans require myths to find the meaning of life and learn about existence. The semiotic analysis of myths can help us discover what is hidden in the cultural history of every nation. Barthes (2011:33) regards mythology as a subset of semiotics, and contends that mythology is in fact nothing but a part of the vast knowledge of signs, which Saussure called semiotics. He finds mythology as a secondary semiotic system that need to be analyzed two times to be understood. In this type of analysis, the displacement of myths is of paramount importance as throughout the cultural life of every nation most myths change in accordance with cultural and social developments. Hence, the semiotic analysis of every myth requires a close examination of its different forms and relevant narratives. 2. Theoretical Framework Semiotics can be applied to the study of signs in various areas of human life, including myths. Many mythologists hold that myth is a kind of language with a specific framework and every mythic story cast in the framework of language is made up of countless intertwined signifieds and signifiers, together forming a sign. The sign serves a signifier whose signified should be identified. In other words, following preliminary semiotics, the meaning thus developed should be considered as a new signifier and its signified should be identified. A semiotic analysis of the story “Bahram Gur with the Peasant’s Wife” is presented here based on these considerations. 3. Methodology The present article relies on semiotic theories and the content analysis method to compare the stories “Bahram Gur and the Peasant’s Wife” from Shahnameh and “Khorenama with Bahram” from Marzabannameh. 4. Findings and Discussion Both stories have a single theme: scarcity of divine blessing as a result of the King’s anger and oppressive rule. Our analysis of these two stories, which is based on Strauss’s theory about myth, reveals that both stories represent a cultural era of Iran, changing with developments in the national culture. In both stories the King is blind to the truths in society and the two main female characters are wiser than the men surrounding them. In both stories the old narratives change into new narratives. 5. Conclusion The semiotic analysis of these stories showed that they can be two different narratives of a single story. They have a coherent narrative structure; however they have been narrated in two different ways: 1. Bahram takes refuge in the peasant’s house, and is warmly welcomed by the peasant’s wife. The relationship between Bahram and the peasant’s wife may have been eliminated in the old version. 2. Bahram goes to Khorrenama’s house and falls in love with the girl of the family who receives him warmly. When Bahram takes the throne back, he marries the girl. In this narrative, the marriage of Bahram with the girl follows the rules of sharia and is adapted to the new changes in the culture of the time. This difference can have two causes: Bahram’s special upbringing, which has changed him into a kind and caring king; and the new form of marriage in the society, which many believe was never put into practice.
Literary Theory and Criticism
Guilan University
2476-7387
3
v.
1
no.
2018
5
19
https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_3262_9c94e2087d514639fecdb0a4c6b304a9.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22124/naqd.2019.3262
The Periodization of Contemporary Tajik Poetry: From Enlightenment to Independence (1870-2015)
Ebrahim
khodayar
Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Tarbiat Modarres University
author
text
article
2018
per
As the first home of the Aryan race, Transoxiana has continuously occupied an important place in the history of Persian literature. After the formation of the Safavid state in Iran and the Shaybanids in Uzbakan in Bukhara in the 15th century, the two regions started to have different political fates. However, until the occupation of the region by the Russians in the 19th century, cultural relations of the peoples on both sides of the Amu Darya continued more or less. The enlightenment movement began under Russian occupation of the region (1870-1905), and gained further momentum with the modernizers (1905-1917). In parallel with the victory of the communists, the modernizers showed inclination towards this party in order to achieve their goals. With the formation of the five Soviet republics, the Tajiks gained power over the Khanat region (1924). For nearly seven decades, they produced literary works in the context of Soviet literature. But with independence (1991), they re-embraced their motherland. The main aim of this study is to examine the periodization of Tajik poetry from the beginning of the enlightenment movement to the independence of the region in the light of the theory of literary history. In this respect and after examining the existing periodizations and critique of their intellectual foundations, the present author’s model is put forward. This model can have direct impact on the writing of contemporary Tajik poetry, and can play a crucial role in introducing its heritage to the Persian speakers of the world. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction As the first homeland of the Aryans, Transoxiana has played a prominent role in the history of Persian literature. After the formation of the Safavid government in Iran and the Shaybanids in Uzbakan in Bukhara in the 15th century, the two regions started to have different political fates, and with the occupation of the region by the Russian tsar in the 19th century, the cultural relations of peoples on both sides of the Amu Darya discontinued. The enlightenment movement arose following Russia’s occupation of the region (1870-1905), and was later promoted by the modernists (1905-1917), when communist parties gained victory. With the establishment of five Soviet republics in the region, the Tajiks formed their own government (1924). 2. Theoretical Framework The present study aims to classify and analyze developments in Tajik literature in Central Asia in the years 1870-2015 through the periodization of contemporary Tajik poetry. In other words, the periods of Persian language and literature in Central Asia and Tajikistan as well as their characteristics are examined in this study. It is assumed that by relying on the external (historical changes) and the internal factors of contemporary Tajik literary legacy, one can categorize contemporary Tajik literature into eight periods with distinct characteristics. 3. Methodology This study uses the periodization model to analyze and categorize Tajik contemporary literature, and for this purpose both external and internal approaches are considered in the literary analysis. A distinctive feature of this model is that the periodization is protected against any biased or undesirable impact. 4. Findings and Discussion The previous periodizations offered in the Soviet era were mostly under the intellectual influence of the 1917 Revolution and the intellectual and cultural systems derived from Bolshevism. Lenin developed this model for the first time, using Marx's idea of “the right of nations to self-determination” to consolidate the Revolution. Iran and its literature had almost no influence on the formation of the Soviet literature in terms of content at the time of Lenin and Stalin as Iran's inclination to the West and capitalism created a major obstacle for bilateral collaboration between Iran and this region. This obstacle became even more insurmountable with the change of the Persian language handwriting into Latin (1929) and later to Cyrillic (1940). Abolqasem Lahouti, who migrated to Tajikistan in 1925, promoted the same idea, though his role in preserving the national language of the Persian speakers should not be downplayed. After Stalin's death, there was a gradual return to traditions, as a result of which a limited literary and cultural relationship was formed between the two countries, which developed further at Gorbachev’s time and in the independence era. In this period, contemporary Iranian literature attracted Tajik audience and influenced the taste of the Persian poets of the region. 5. Conclusions Contemporary Tajik literature has undergone eight periods of development from intellectualism to independence (1870-2015). Attempts toward enlightenment and modernism can be regarded as most important feature of the first two periods of modern Tajik literature. In these periods, the emerging Persian language was influenced by the changes in the Persian speaking world. It was renamed to Tajik in the Soviet era and was significantly influenced by folklorism; it also experienced new ways by benefitting from the experience of its counterparts in Iran and Russia. In the period of independence, Tajik literature gained national and historical self-awareness. Considering the external and internal factors influencing literary periodization, our model can be presented as follows: 1. Intellectualism/Enlightenment (1870-1905); 2. Modernism (1905-1917); 3. The emergence of Soviet literature (1917-1919); 4. The development and consolidation of Soviet literature (1953-1929); 5. Decline in Soviet literature and gradual return to tradition (1953-1985); 6. Awakening and freedom (1991-1993); 7. Independence and national self-awareness (1991-2015); 8. Independence and doubt (2015 to the present).
Literary Theory and Criticism
Guilan University
2476-7387
3
v.
1
no.
2018
21
45
https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_3263_a51683bda96444ba9b3cf302a48fd9d7.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22124/naqd.2019.3263
Reflections of the Cold War in I Was a Soviet Spy in Iran
Abdolrasoul
Shakeri
Assistant Professor in the Institute for Research and Development in the Humanities, The Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (SAMT), Tehran
author
text
article
2018
per
Following the end of World War II in 1945, the Cold War overshadowed the international relations of countries and created tensions, both foreign and domestic. In the case of Iran, the so-called Azarbaijan Crisis (1946) brought the Iran-US relations into a new phase which changed power equations. Iran’s strategic importance as part of the “Northern Circle” countries was known to both the United States and the Soviet Union; therefore, they struggled to gain a firmer foothold in Iran by any means. There were four major discourses of power in Iran from September 1943 to August 1955: Royalist, Marxist, Islamist, and Nationalist. Examining their clashes and interactions and how they were reflected in a literary work of the time is the aim of the present article which, following Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis, focuses on Karim Roshaniyan’s roman feuilleton I Was a Soviet Spy in Iran, published serially in Tehran-e Mosavvar Weekly from May 1949 to May 1950. Based on the analyses presented, the articulated discourse of the novel is consistent with the royalist discourse. Also, the narrative directly attacks various aspects of the Soviet discourse, such as welfare, justice and liberty, and treats them as floating signifiers in the narrative. The narrator denies the other aspect of this discourse, i.e., internationalism as it is in clear contradiction with the narrator’s nationalist beliefs. Based on the reading presented in the article, this novel can be best analyzed in the context of the Cold War and its impact on Iran. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction The Cold War began at the end of World War II and continued until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The international tensions in this period, such as the Azarabijan Crisis, can be formulated as ideological conflicts of the Cold War. This crisis is regarded by some as the starting point of the Cold War. After Stalin's refusal to withdraw the Red Army from Azerbaijan, Iran-US relations entered a new phase and the strategic importance of Iran as a member of the countries of the North Circle was acknowledged by the United States. Following the announcement of Truman's doctrine, the US government announced the Marshall Plan. Following that date, US economic, military, technological, and political help to Iran increased (Mahdavi, 1373: 143-151). After the occupation of Iran by the Allies, Iran's political and cultural atmosphere opened up, with four major discourses competing with each other in the political sphere of Iran between 1941 and 1953. During this period, the serial novel flourished, with I Was a Soviet Spy in Iran, by Abdolkarim Roshaniyan, as one of the most famous ones. 2. Theoretical Framework Discursive approaches, influenced by post-structuralism, seem to be of greater help in explaining and describing short-lived, less stable situations. Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis approach, while presenting a clear explanation of temporary situations through outlining the structure of these situations, provides a clear picture of the prevalent political discourses in different societies. In this theoretical approach, such a structure is presented in the form of articulation of discourses, which includes a central signifier and a set of dimensions. 3. Methodology Using Laclau and Mouffe's analytical approach, and based on writings on the political history of the period in question, first the main discourses of the years 1941 to 1953, including Marxist, nationalist, royalist and Islamist discourses, are explained, and then the relevance of these discourses in the political atmosphere of these years to one of the famous political novels of the period is examined. After identifying the main political discourse or discourses of the time, attempt is made to explain the discursive relationship between this novel and the political discourses of the time. 4. Findings and Discussion Based on Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis, four main discourses of this period are explained: (1) royalist discourse, with the central signifier of arbitrary monarchy and dependence on the Western world, security community, support for non-political Islam and pro-monarchist political Islam, opposition to Mosaddeq, an emphasis on modernization, and opposition to the Tudeh Party; (2) Islamist discourse, with the central signifier of political Islam and support for Islamist movements, fighting foreigners, observing religious laws, opposing the monarchy, opposing the modern judicial system, religious violence, and opposing the active presence of women; (3) Marxist discourse, with the central signifier of Marxism-Leninism and support for socialism, support for the Soviet Union, support for the working class, internationalism, enlightenment, support for constitutionalism, emphasis on resistance and struggle against impoverishment, and fight against imperialism; (4) The discourse of liberal nationalism, with the central signifier of nationalism and the rule of law, emphasis on the implementation of constitutional law, freedom and democracy, emphasis on individualist Islam, struggle against Britain and the nationalization of the oil industry. Also, the inter-relationship of these discourses in the context of I Was a Soviet Spy in Iran has been the focus of attention. 5. Conclusion Based on the analyses presented, the articulated discourse of the novel is consistent with the royalist discourse, though the author/narrator does not name anyone from the royal family in the text or meta-text. Also, the narrative directly attacks various aspects of Marxist discourse, such as welfare, justice and liberty, and treats them as floating signifiers in the narrative. The narrator denies the other aspect of this discourse, i.e., internationalism as is in clear contradiction to the narrator's belief. Based on the reading presented in the article, this novel can be best analyzed in the context of the Cold War and its impact on Iran. The interesting point is that the rival discourse of the dominant royalist discourse – the Marxist discourse of the Tudeh Party – despite its extensive influence on the intellectual community, failed to pay much attention to the literary form of the popular novel, while the royalist discourse took advantage of the popularity of the this type in the discursive competition. The present reading also confirms the strong link between modern Persian literature and politics, especially in the 1940s, which confirms that politics dominated the other aspects of life in the Iranian community in the last century.
Literary Theory and Criticism
Guilan University
2476-7387
3
v.
1
no.
2018
47
68
https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_3265_fda27828d8c572b608ceae7d6778ceab.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22124/naqd.2018.10357.1459
An Introductory Study of the Causes of the Absence of Literary Theory and Literary Criticism in Iran
Ghodratollah
Taheri
. Associate Professor of Persian Literature, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University
author
text
article
2018
per
Since the advent of modernity in Iran, our encounter with ancient Persian literature has changed. Theories and methods of criticism, through translations from western sources entered our scientific and literary space and led to a range of reactions from pure submission to confrontation between literary scholars. A group of scholars assert that what is nowadays known in Western literature as literary theory and criticism existed in our ancient literary tradition, and that without theoretical support, it was not possible to create literary works in Persian. Therefore, what Western thinkers put forward has already been expressed by our thinkers centuries ago. The present article aims to question and criticize this approach. It argues that the possibility of the formation of the theory and system of literary criticism did not exist because these phenomena are the direct products of modernity, the scientific encounter of modern man with all manifestations of existence, and the outcome of the separation of “literary creativity” from the “science of literature.” The critical thinking developing in the Islamic world in the fields of religion, rhetoric and philosophy never penetrated literature, as literature did not receive serious attention from political authorities. Moreover, many Iranian poets disapproved of rationality and took poetry to be rooted in divine inspiration, thus making literary criticism impossible. This article presents seven reasons for the absence of literary theory and criticism in Iran. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Since the dawn of modern Iranian history, new phenomena, such as the educational system in the form of “university” and “modern education”, have revolutionized our lifestyle. Academic education, developing with the establishment of Dar Al-Fonoon (1851), Daneshsara-ye Aali (Center for Higher Education) (1933) and the University of Tehran (1934), and also the Press System have treated Persian literature in a new way, allowing for “literary education and training critics”, “textual revisions”, “descriptive writing on texts”, “anthologizing literature”, and “literary theory and criticism”. 2. Theoretical Framework This article examines the presence or absence of literary theory and criticism in Iranian cultural tradition. It is argued that literary theory and criticism entered Iranian cultural tradition with the advent of modernity in Iran and thus it cannot be traced in the cultural tradition of pre-modern Iran. By examining the causes of the absence of literary theory and criticism in the Iranian cultural tradition, the present article tries to pave the way for discussions in this regard. 3. Methodology This article examines the presence or absence of literary theory and criticism in Iran by adopting a critical approach. First, attempt is made to find out whether or not any systematic pattern for the assessment of Persian literature existed, especially during its various notable phases of literary creation and development. Then, the political, cultural and scientific structure necessary for the development of literary theory and criticism will be examined and the question as to whether the social condition of Iran allowed for the development of an organized critical system will be discussed. 4. Findings and Discussion Although literary theory and criticism can be traced back to the classical era, it is mostly a modern development formed during the Enlightenment Era. After renaissance, literature was studied as an investigable object and attention was directed from metaphysics to the physical world, and with literature focusing on life itself, writers and poets changed into commentators on social life. Literary theory and criticism developed in such a setting, and with the development of academia, literature gained the focal point in scientific and critical discussions. In Iran this process never started in pre-modern Iran and the only criterion to assess literature was rhetoric, which adopted a “prescriptive-educative” approach to poetry. The critical thinking developing in the Islamic world in the fields of religion, rhetoric and philosophy never penetrated literature, as literature did not receive serious attention from political authorities, and Iranian poets and writer showed no interest in discussions opened up by philosophers. Most Iranian poets disapproved of rationality and found poetry rooted in divine inspiration, making literary criticism impossible. 5. Conclusions Literary theory and criticism are absent in pre-modern Iran and it seems that the attempt made by some scholars to find similarities between the ideas of some Muslim rhetoricians and theologians and Western critical theories has been mostly out of patriotic feelings. The absence of literary theory and criticism in pre-modern Iran is by no means a sign of cultural weakness. Theories are products of human efforts to deal with social, political and economic challenges, and in pre-modern Iran, the social background did not contribute to the formation of such theories.
Literary Theory and Criticism
Guilan University
2476-7387
3
v.
1
no.
2018
69
94
https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_3266_8fa29bff185787804d7613bdd9589d3d.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22124/naqd.2019.3266
The Representation of the Postmodern Subject in Autobiography
Maryam
Ghaemi
PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Art, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran
author
Farzan
Sojoodi
Associate Professor, Faculty of Cinema and Theater, Tehran Universityof Art
author
text
article
2018
per
Autobiography, a narrative in which the author recounts his experiences, could take the form of a fiction or a poem, or an honest explanation of one’s life. Autobiography heavily relies on our memory of the experiences we have had over a certain period of time. The related events might not be retold in linear time, but represented in the text in fragments. The “self” in the author’s mind enjoys a close relationship to the events that have left an impact on his life. The subject of an autobiography is the product of moving from one moment to another, and from one experience to another. This multiplicity in the subject’s position, once regarded as an abnormality, has now turned into a postmodern norm. With the removal of ambiguity from the modern concept of the sovereign subject of the Enlightenment and replacement of reality with the subjective constructs rising from the autobiographer’s desire, the meaning of the subject in autobiography is the performance of a fragmented “self,” which might also be assumed as the “other.” The question this article aims to answer is what role the ambiguous “I” plays in our reading of a postmodern subject in an autobiography. It also explores how the “others” reconstructed in the text, could free themselves from the status of otherness, so as to adopt a position in the world from a historical point of view and be considered as the “I” who is the author of an autobiography and participates in various discourses. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction The fragmentation of the subject is a characteristic of the postmodern era where reality is replaced by represented images of individuals. As such, subjectivity in the form of the performance of the “self” creates a series of represented images for which no single origin can be identified. Therefore, the question of identity and attempt to fix or treat it as infinite will arise. Nowadays, identity crisis is discernible in all aspects of individual, social, cultural and political life, abundant instances of which exist in social media worldwide. Autobiography, a written account of the first person’s life as “I” and a style of writing to produce oneself, is inherited from the Enlightenment of the 18th century. Intellectuals of that period regarded self-contemplation as a virtue of those who think and “thus exist” and participate in social discourses. Autobiography as a an expression of the self by the isolated contemporary individual afflicted by identity crisis draws attention to itself in the fields of philosophy, cultural studies, literary theories and criticism. Although theories about this style of writing have flourished in the Western academic centers since the 1950s, it has rarely been dealt with in Persian language. In view of the growth of autobiography around the world, it seems necessary to learn about its historical background, theoretical foundations and to critical approaches to its analysis. Hence, the present article seeks to prepare the ground for theoretical and practical research in this field in Iran. 2. Theoretical Framework The first question that comes to mind is whether we deal with an individual, fundamentalist self that is integrated, unified and is a creator of meanings or we are reading a fragmented, unstable subject, i.e., a dynamic subject that undergoes changes over time. In our reading of autobiography in this article, we move from the traditional, humanist notion of the subject to the unstable postmodern subject, and consequently to the role of a multiplied “I” and an “other” arising from such texts. Consequently, we should question any simple relation between discourse and the speaking subject, particularly the view that “experience produces the voice”; i.e., being a woman means to speak with a feminine voice. The autobiographer tries to become the “other’ in his writing by adopting techniques and forms from various discourses, which include multi-cultural ways of self-representation. Foucault, likewise, states that we write to become another person. Therefore, autobiography provides an opportunity for the transformation of the Self as by thinking about the events in our life and writing about them, we gain the opportunity to discover how we have become the “other”. 3. Methodology The present study, which is based on an interdisciplinary reading, offers a new concept of autobiography and identity and tries to provide a clear perspective on human’s status in relation to the other in the contemporary world. As such, this study tries to help develop knowledge in philosophy, literature and cultural studies in the postmodern era. The library research methodology is used, and the data has been gathered from current literary and philosophical writings on the subject in English. 4. Findings and Discussion The growth in writing autobiographies since 1970 is indebted to the formation of social and political movements in the world, giving opportunity to a wider range of people to publish their expectations of life and suppressed histories. There are two main points about the contemporary genre of autobiography. First, as far as the form is concerned, certain autobiographies are experimental, unstable and multi-voiced. They serve as documentation of the Self, and to the same extent, they are varied and could include criticism, parody or imitative replicas of the Self. Secondly, some autobiographies focus on telling a different story of the Self, rather than telling a story in a different way. The emergence of movements dealing with identities in the recent decades is responsible for the creation of different texts and expansion of this writing style, paving the way for critical and theoretical studies on gender, race, feminism and post-colonialism. Also, in an autobiography, the private and public lives of the author are closely intertwined, granting the narrative legitimacy and allowing for its fabricatedness. Identities are constructs, and at the same time, give embodiment to one’s wish for stability and positioning in a certain time and place. In the text of autobiography, the writing subject is engaged in meaning creation as something related to the realm of images or the mirror stage. Images constructed in the writing subject’s mind are encompassed in the “signified”. The writing subject is likewise entangled with the meaninglessness of the symbolic order when realizing the fragmentation and gap in the Self, which cannot be filled otherwise. 5. Conclusion The theory of the subject in autobiography points to the existence of multiple contradictory subjectivities as the outcome of multiple discourses in every moment of history. The notion of individualistic, unified and indivisible Self of the Enlightenment era has given rise to the representations of hegemonic autobiographies. This outlook hides the ways we have been shaped in language and adopted different positions according to our race, social class, gender and ethnicity. Since the paradigm of essentialist-humanist Self generalizes and globalizes its viewpoint about human beings, it de-historicizes individuals and ignores the dialectics of historical moment as well as the ideological workings that give forms to subjectivities. Finally, we should admit that autobiographies are not an innocent search for a better understanding of one’s Self or past. Every person has a motive to present themselves or their pasts. The study of autobiographies thus offers an opportunity for cultural criticism and social changes.
Literary Theory and Criticism
Guilan University
2476-7387
3
v.
1
no.
2018
95
119
https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_3275_72e8414fb11a360ebb3eac478c2d2a9f.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22124/naqd.2019.3275
A Study of Narrative Speed in Two Stories from Masnavi-i Ma’navi and Their Sources Based on Gerald Prince’s Theory of Narratology
Mohammad Hussein
Karami
Professor of Persian Language and Literature, University of Shiraz
author
Reza
Nekoei
PhD Candidate in Persian Language and Literature, University of Shiraz
author
text
article
2018
per
This paper aims to study and compare the narrative speed of two stories in Masnavi-i Ma’navi and their sources based on Gerald Prince’s theory of narratology. The main objective of the article is to find the types of narrative speed used in these stories to present the events and situations that have created the world of the narrated events. In this case, comparison of the speed of Molavi’s narratives with their sources is accompanied by the description of the causes contributing to their narrative speed. The results suggest that all sources of Molavi’s narratives, especially prose narratives, are characterized by the low frequency of narrative statements and the high frequency of scene presentation and abstraction which act as a means of inclusion of the sheikhs’ remarks as well as the indirect teaching of moral and mystical lessons of such remarks. Therefore, their non-trimmed narratives have high, relatively high and medium speed of narration. However, Molavi directly draws on mysticism and thoughts rooted in the Islamic-Iranian approach as well as different types of narrative techniques such as implication to prepare each naked and rapidly narrated story for inclusion of five types of narrative speed as well as slow and very slow narrative speed. In this manner, the final narratives are aesthetically characterized by higher diversity, and more thoroughness and pleasure of reading than their sources. Therefore, this suggests that Molavi had a significantly better narratological grip than his predecessors and many of his successors. Extended Abstract 1. IntroductionThe present article aims to study and compare narrative speed in “The Story of Pir-e Changi Who at the Time of Omar Played Harp in the Graveyard for God” and “Sheikh Ahmad Khazruye’s Buying Halva for the Creditors” from Rumi’s Masnavi-i Ma’navi, based on Gerald Prince’s theory of narratology. The main objective of the article is to find the types of narrative speed used in these stories to present the events and situations that created the world of the narrated events. Also, the narrative speed of the stories are compared and the reasons for the difference between them are examined. 2. Theoretical FrameworkPrince, by modifying and expanding Genet and Rimmon-Kennan’s theory (Safi, 2013, p. 42) about different states of narrative speed, has divided narrative speed into five categories: ellipsis, interruption, scene, abstract, and extension. The present article relies on the categorization of narrative space to compare the two stories in question in terms of their narrative speed. 3. MethodologyIn this article, the comparative analysis method of narrative speed, based on Gerald Prince’s narratology theory, is used to analyze the above-mentioned stories from Masnavi-I Ma’navi and their sources, examine various instances of narrative speed in them, and identify similarities and difference between them, so that the reasons for the differences in narration speed of the stories from Masnavi-i Ma’navi and their sources are discovered. 4. Findings and DiscussionWhile the authors of the original sources used only a limited number of the five types of narrative speed, Rumi, by changing and developing each of these stories, made it possible for these stories to utilize more types of narration speed, making them aesthetically more diverse and complete than their original sources. The comparison made between different types of narration speed indicates that there is a clear difference between stories written in verse and prose with regard to narrative diversity and speed. Poets before Rumi used a fast speed in their narration of the story as, unlike Rumi’s stories, interruption is not employed in the narration. Also, Rumi, using ideas rooted in Iranian-Islamic discourse and different narrative techniques, adopts a slow narration speed in these two stories, making them even richer and more complicated. 5. ConclusionThe analysis of these two stories and their original sources showed that in the original sources less narrative propositions and faster speed of narration were employed. However, in the stories narrated by Rumi, concepts from Iranian-Islamic discourse and different narrative techniques have been used and different categories of narration speed are employed, all giving the stories more diversity and richness.
Literary Theory and Criticism
Guilan University
2476-7387
3
v.
1
no.
2018
121
145
https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_3267_f1b4df6270fe503fe732a7b8c8102297.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22124/naqd.2019.3267
A Semiotic Analysis of the Story of Bahram Gur with the Peasant’s Wife
Khalil
Kahrizi
Phd Candidate of Persian Language and Literature, Razi University
author
Gholamreza
Salemian
Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Razi University
author
Sousan
Jabri
Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Razi University
author
Vahid
Mobarak
Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Razi University
author
text
article
2018
per
Myth is a kind of language that can be studied semiotically. In this way, a myth can be considered a secondary semiotic system which, after the primary semiotic analysis, is, in the second stage, studied with regards to the meaning or the previous sign. Thus, the latent meaning of the myth can be attained. The meaning of a myth, which may be obscure and not completely attainable, can have connections to the rituals, traditions and latent behavior of the people who have created it. On the other hand, it is possible to clarify the obscure meaning of myths with the help of the transformed narratives of every myth. Using this method, we tried to compare the story of “Bahram Gur with the Peasant’s Wife”from Shahnameh with the tale of “Khorreh Nama with Bahram” from Marzbannameh, in order to show that these two stories are different versions of a single story which, due to cultural transformations, has been narrated in two forms. According to the semiotic analysis of these two narratives, it is shown that this story has a coherent structure of narrativity, which, underlining the theme of “the disappearance of blessing because of the King’s oppression,” contains a significant point about Bahram Gur that can be attributed to his different upbringing. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Every nation’s myths serve as the basis of its cultural life. In other words, humans require myths to find the meaning of life and learn about existence. The semiotic analysis of myths can help us discover what is hidden in the cultural history of every nation. Barthes (2011:33) regards mythology as a subset of semiotics, and contends that mythology is in fact nothing but a part of the vast knowledge of signs, which Saussure called semiotics. He finds mythology as a secondary semiotic system that need to be analyzed two times to be understood. In this type of analysis, the displacement of myths is of paramount importance as throughout the cultural life of every nation most myths change in accordance with cultural and social developments. Hence, the semiotic analysis of every myth requires a close examination of its different forms and relevant narratives. 2. Theoretical Framework Semiotics can be applied to the study of signs in various areas of human life, including myths. Many mythologists hold that myth is a kind of language with a specific framework and every mythic story cast in the framework of language is made up of countless intertwined signifieds and signifiers, together forming a sign. The sign serves a signifier whose signified should be identified. In other words, following preliminary semiotics, the meaning thus developed should be considered as a new signifier and its signified should be identified. A semiotic analysis of the story “Bahram Gur with the Peasant’s Wife” is presented here based on these considerations. 3. Methodology The present article relies on semiotic theories and the content analysis method to compare the stories “Bahram Gur and the Peasant’s Wife” from Shahnameh and “Khorenama with Bahram” from Marzabannameh. 4. Findings and Discussion Both stories have a single theme: scarcity of divine blessing as a result of the King’s anger and oppressive rule. Our analysis of these two stories, which is based on Strauss’s theory about myth, reveals that both stories represent a cultural era of Iran, changing with developments in the national culture. In both stories the King is blind to the truths in society and the two main female characters are wiser than the men surrounding them. In both stories the old narratives change into new narratives. 5. Conclusion The semiotic analysis of these stories showed that they can be two different narratives of a single story. They have a coherent narrative structure; however they have been narrated in two different ways: 1. Bahram takes refuge in the peasant’s house, and is warmly welcomed by the peasant’s wife. The relationship between Bahram and the peasant’s wife may have been eliminated in the old version. 2. Bahram goes to Khorrenama’s house and falls in love with the girl of the family who receives him warmly. When Bahram takes the throne back, he marries the girl. In this narrative, the marriage of Bahram with the girl follows the rules of sharia and is adapted to the new changes in the culture of the time. This difference can have two causes: Bahram’s special upbringing, which has changed him into a kind and caring king; and the new form of marriage in the society, which many believe was never put into practice.
Literary Theory and Criticism
Guilan University
2476-7387
3
v.
1
no.
2018
147
163
https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_3264_95ee3c915802a1ef3d54be52498dca3f.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22124/naqd.2019.3264