Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 An Aesthetic Reflection on the Reality and Transcendence of the War Novel An Aesthetic Reflection on the Reality and Transcendence of the War Novel 5 26 8308 10.22124/naqd.2025.29092.2636 FA Foad Moloodi Assistant Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Institute for Research and Development in the Humanities (SAMT), Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2024 11 25 Informed by social aesthetics, the present article investigates ten war novels on the Iran-Iraq War. This study moves beyond single theories and employs several theoreticians and thinkers to explore war novels. The results of this study show that war novels are in no case mir rors to the realities of the “imposed war” but are byproducts of different experiences, complications, worldviews, and fantasies of the war. In this regard, the present article classifies war novels into “idea-oriented,” “detail-oriented,” and “in-between” novels. Although “in-between” novels vary in their degrees of attention to detail, experiences, and absolute representation, all “in-between” novels share a common ground which is the “transcendental” duty to defend the soil. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Informed by social aesthetics, the present article investigates Ahmad Mahmoud’s Zamin-e Sookhteh, Qasem-Ali Ferasat’s Nakhl-hāye Bi Sar, Ismaeil Fasih’s Zemestān-e 62, Seyed Morteza Mardiha’s Dar Sho’leh-hāye Ab, Reza Amirkhani’s Irmia, Davood Qaffar-Zadehgan’s Fāl-e Khoon, Ahmad Dehqan’s Safar be Gerāye 270 Darajeh, Majid Qeysari’s Ziyāfat be Sarf-e Golooleh, Mohammadreza Bayrami’s Pol-e Moa’lagh, and Habib Ahmad-Zadeh’s Shatranj ba Māshin-e Qiyāmat. The novels were selected in accordance with their publisher and prints, date of publication, and technical variation. The reason for such a diverse selection was to paint a well-rounded sketch of the “imposed war” novels. In this regard, the present article classifies war novels into “idea-oriented,” which romantically deals with the battle between good and evil; “detail-oriented,” which realistically and naturalistically deals with the pains and hardships of the war; and “in-between” novels, which aim to represent both. The main question of this study is how “in-between” novels highlight the transcendental aspect of defending the soil. 2. Methodology The present study is a social aesthetic reading of the war novel. Social aesthetics is a way of producing, interpreting, or presenting art so connections arise between aesthetic knowledge and the surrounding society. Social aesthetics moves beyond the idea that the literary form must represent the absolute reality of society, it argues that the structure of a novel dialectically correlates with the social structures. 3. Theoretical Framework Echoing thinkers such as Bakhtin, Lukács, Goldmann, Bourdieu, and Adorno, this study employs terminologies such as “totality,” “the form of the novel,” “social construct,” “reality,” “form of thought,” and “transcendence.” The theoretical framework of this study does not serve as a means of imposing a theory but as an introduction for the upcoming analysis. 4. Discussion and Analysis The war novels concerning the imposed war do not necessarily paint a unified, linear, and synced narration; in other words, one must expect a diverse and divided narration from the war. Among the ten war novels inspected in this study, Nakhl-hāye Bi Sar and Irmia are more idea-oriented, Fāl-e Khoon is more detail-oriented, and the other seven novels are “in-between” novels. 5. Conclusion Although the seven novels vary in their totality, narration, ideological positioning of the author, prioritization, realism, and socio-political orientation toward the war, they share a transcendental element that unifies them. This element correlates with the spirit of the soldiers on the battlefront; it serves as a connecting bridge among narratological elements. Bibliography AhmadZadeh, H. 1399 [2020]. Shatranj ba Māshin-e Qiyāmat. Tehran: Sooreh Mehr. [In Persian]. Bayrami, M. 1396 [2017]. Pol-e Moa’laq. Tehran: Ofogh. [In Persian]. Bourdieu, P. 1380 [2001]. Nazariyeh-e Konesh. Morteza, M (trans.). Tehran: Naqsh-o-Negar. [In Persian]. [Practical Reason] Dalal-Rahmani, M. H. 1402 [2023]. Az Nābehengāmi-e Hayāt ta Satroun-Sāzi-r Khiāl. Tehran: Qoqnoos. [In Persian]. Gheysari, M. Ziyāfat be Sarf-e Golooleh. Tehran: Koocheh. [In Persian]. Goldmann, L. 1371 [1992]. Jāme’eh-Shenāsi-e Adabiyāt. Mohammad Jafar, P (trans.). Tehran: Hoosh va Ebtekar. [In Persian]. [An Introduction to the Sociology of Literature]. Goldmann, L. 1382 [2003]. Naqd-e Takvini. Mohammad Taqi, Q (trans.). Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Lukacs, G. 1373 [1994]. Pazhooheshi dar Realism-e Europaei. Afsar, A (trans.). Tehran: Elmi va Farhangi. [In Persian]. [Studies in European Realism]. Lukacs, G. 1377 [1998]. Tārikh va Agāhi-e Tabaqāti. Mohammad Jafar, P (trans.). Tehran: Nasl-e Qalam. [In Persian]. [History and Class Consciousness]. Informed by social aesthetics, the present article investigates ten war novels on the Iran-Iraq War. This study moves beyond single theories and employs several theoreticians and thinkers to explore war novels. The results of this study show that war novels are in no case mir rors to the realities of the “imposed war” but are byproducts of different experiences, complications, worldviews, and fantasies of the war. In this regard, the present article classifies war novels into “idea-oriented,” “detail-oriented,” and “in-between” novels. Although “in-between” novels vary in their degrees of attention to detail, experiences, and absolute representation, all “in-between” novels share a common ground which is the “transcendental” duty to defend the soil. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Informed by social aesthetics, the present article investigates Ahmad Mahmoud’s Zamin-e Sookhteh, Qasem-Ali Ferasat’s Nakhl-hāye Bi Sar, Ismaeil Fasih’s Zemestān-e 62, Seyed Morteza Mardiha’s Dar Sho’leh-hāye Ab, Reza Amirkhani’s Irmia, Davood Qaffar-Zadehgan’s Fāl-e Khoon, Ahmad Dehqan’s Safar be Gerāye 270 Darajeh, Majid Qeysari’s Ziyāfat be Sarf-e Golooleh, Mohammadreza Bayrami’s Pol-e Moa’lagh, and Habib Ahmad-Zadeh’s Shatranj ba Māshin-e Qiyāmat. The novels were selected in accordance with their publisher and prints, date of publication, and technical variation. The reason for such a diverse selection was to paint a well-rounded sketch of the “imposed war” novels. In this regard, the present article classifies war novels into “idea-oriented,” which romantically deals with the battle between good and evil; “detail-oriented,” which realistically and naturalistically deals with the pains and hardships of the war; and “in-between” novels, which aim to represent both. The main question of this study is how “in-between” novels highlight the transcendental aspect of defending the soil. 2. Methodology The present study is a social aesthetic reading of the war novel. Social aesthetics is a way of producing, interpreting, or presenting art so connections arise between aesthetic knowledge and the surrounding society. Social aesthetics moves beyond the idea that the literary form must represent the absolute reality of society, it argues that the structure of a novel dialectically correlates with the social structures. 3. Theoretical Framework Echoing thinkers such as Bakhtin, Lukács, Goldmann, Bourdieu, and Adorno, this study employs terminologies such as “totality,” “the form of the novel,” “social construct,” “reality,” “form of thought,” and “transcendence.” The theoretical framework of this study does not serve as a means of imposing a theory but as an introduction for the upcoming analysis. 4. Discussion and Analysis The war novels concerning the imposed war do not necessarily paint a unified, linear, and synced narration; in other words, one must expect a diverse and divided narration from the war. Among the ten war novels inspected in this study, Nakhl-hāye Bi Sar and Irmia are more idea-oriented, Fāl-e Khoon is more detail-oriented, and the other seven novels are “in-between” novels. 5. Conclusion Although the seven novels vary in their totality, narration, ideological positioning of the author, prioritization, realism, and socio-political orientation toward the war, they share a transcendental element that unifies them. This element correlates with the spirit of the soldiers on the battlefront; it serves as a connecting bridge among narratological elements. Bibliography AhmadZadeh, H. 1399 [2020]. Shatranj ba Māshin-e Qiyāmat. Tehran: Sooreh Mehr. [In Persian]. Bayrami, M. 1396 [2017]. Pol-e Moa’laq. Tehran: Ofogh. [In Persian]. Bourdieu, P. 1380 [2001]. Nazariyeh-e Konesh. Morteza, M (trans.). Tehran: Naqsh-o-Negar. [In Persian]. [Practical Reason] Dalal-Rahmani, M. H. 1402 [2023]. Az Nābehengāmi-e Hayāt ta Satroun-Sāzi-r Khiāl. Tehran: Qoqnoos. [In Persian]. Gheysari, M. Ziyāfat be Sarf-e Golooleh. Tehran: Koocheh. [In Persian]. Goldmann, L. 1371 [1992]. Jāme’eh-Shenāsi-e Adabiyāt. Mohammad Jafar, P (trans.). Tehran: Hoosh va Ebtekar. [In Persian]. [An Introduction to the Sociology of Literature]. Goldmann, L. 1382 [2003]. Naqd-e Takvini. Mohammad Taqi, Q (trans.). Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Lukacs, G. 1373 [1994]. Pazhooheshi dar Realism-e Europaei. Afsar, A (trans.). Tehran: Elmi va Farhangi. [In Persian]. [Studies in European Realism]. Lukacs, G. 1377 [1998]. Tārikh va Agāhi-e Tabaqāti. Mohammad Jafar, P (trans.). Tehran: Nasl-e Qalam. [In Persian]. [History and Class Consciousness].

https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_8308_016b6cdcd0af17af8a4690be27d1a7c1.pdf

Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 An Ecosophian Reading of Dystopia in Mohammad Nasrawi’s Homan: A Guattarian Approach An Ecosophian Reading of Dystopia in Mohammad Nasrawi’s Homan: A Guattarian Approach 27 44 8634 10.22124/naqd.2025.29256.2641 FA Faezeh Arab Yousefabadi Associate Professor in Persian Language and Literature, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. Journal Article 2024 12 15 As a new analytical approach in philosophy and social sciences, Pierre Felix Guattari’s “ecosophy” highlights the correlation among humans, nature, and social constructs. As a pioneer of ecosophy, Guattari contextualises such correlations in a comprehensive philosophical system. Adopted as the theoretical framework of this study, in analysing a dystopian novel, the theory investigates human relations with nature on a deeper level. Adopting a Guattarian approach, this descriptive-analytical study offers an ecosophian reading of the ecologies of society and environment in Mohammad Nasrawi’s Homan. The results of this study show that Homan profoundly criticises the oppressive social constructs. It also presents “Nihip” as a symbol of a society in which economy, politics, and culture are vessels of power, all of which turn the population into the passive tools of the oppressive system. Houman’s journey of reidentification correlates with the key notions of Guattari’s theory. Through new lands, ever-changing relations, and different experiences, the journey re-identifies Homan in a desubjectified setting. In this regard, one can argue that by employing philosophical and multi-layered structures, Homan depicts the endless journey of human identification. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Dystopian literature is a new form of storytelling that reveals the ugly and oppressive nature of utopian societies. The presence of dystopian literary elements in the novel, as well as a gap in the literature, persuaded the researcher to investigate the novel in the light of Guattari’s ecosophy. 2. Methodology Adopting a Guattarian approach, this descriptive-analytical study offers an ecosophian reading of the ecologies of society and environment in Mohammad Nasrawi’s Homan. 3. Theoretical Framework As a new analytical approach in philosophy and social sciences, Pierre Felix Guattari’s “ecosophy” thoroughly examines the complicated problems in modern societies, especially in literature and culture. In his The Three Ecologies, Guattari investigates the correlation among the society, environment, and the mind. He argues that an unbalanced correlation is the cause of modern problems; in other words, turbulence in one ecology directly impacts the others. The examples of such a worldview are evident in Homan. 4. Discussion and Analysis Homan is among Nasrawi’s greatest works and might be considered as one of the canonical novels in young-adult literature. Through exploring issues such as power, subjectivity, consciousness, and resistance, the novel reflects Nasrawi’s extensive knowledge of utopias and dystopias. The profound presence of Guattari’s ecological triad is the main reason behind the selection of the novel. As an oppressive and destroyed society, Nihip represents an ecological and environmental crisis. The protagonist’s journey, on the other hand, is a process of his ecological mental re-identification. 5. Conclusion The present study concludes that the three ecologies (mind, social, and environment) work together and are in no case isolated. Homan presents Nihip as a problematic societal ecology, which is governed by ideology, oppression, constant surveillance, and psychological subjugation. By controlling human interactions and reducing their subjectivity to passivity, this societal structure systematically oppresses subjectivity and awareness. This oppression is not limited to the societal ecology, it impacts the mind of the population as well; Nihipians lose their creativity, mental freedom, and the ability to conceptualise hope and change. Lastly, the environmental ecology closely correlates with the others; constant darkness, overusing the natural resources, and the destruction of the environment symbolize the social and mental decline of the Nihipians. Homan’s journey symbolizes the hope in restoring this broken system. By moving beyond the darkness of Nihip, Homan starts a journey which, in turn, redefines the mental, social, and environmental ecologies. By restoring his mentality, Homan redefines his identity, and pushes toward a societal and environmental change. His encounter with Rousha and the Old Man leads to the restoration of hope. On the other hand, the return of the light restores the environmental ecology of Nihip and creates new subjectivities and social constructs. Bibliography Deleuze, G and Felix, G. 1987. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Brian, M (trans.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. [In English]. Foucault, M. 1977. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. New York: Vintage Books. [In English]. Guattari, F. 1989. Chaosmosis: An Ethico-aesthetic Paradigm. Paul, B and Julian, P (trans.). Bloomington: Indiana University Press. [In English]. Guattari, F. 2000. The Three Ecologies. Ian, P and Paul, S (trans.). London: Continuum. [In English]. Nasrawi, M. 1402 [2023]. Homan. Tehran: Soureh Mehr. [In Persian]. As a new analytical approach in philosophy and social sciences, Pierre Felix Guattari’s “ecosophy” highlights the correlation among humans, nature, and social constructs. As a pioneer of ecosophy, Guattari contextualises such correlations in a comprehensive philosophical system. Adopted as the theoretical framework of this study, in analysing a dystopian novel, the theory investigates human relations with nature on a deeper level. Adopting a Guattarian approach, this descriptive-analytical study offers an ecosophian reading of the ecologies of society and environment in Mohammad Nasrawi’s Homan. The results of this study show that Homan profoundly criticises the oppressive social constructs. It also presents “Nihip” as a symbol of a society in which economy, politics, and culture are vessels of power, all of which turn the population into the passive tools of the oppressive system. Houman’s journey of reidentification correlates with the key notions of Guattari’s theory. Through new lands, ever-changing relations, and different experiences, the journey re-identifies Homan in a desubjectified setting. In this regard, one can argue that by employing philosophical and multi-layered structures, Homan depicts the endless journey of human identification. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Dystopian literature is a new form of storytelling that reveals the ugly and oppressive nature of utopian societies. The presence of dystopian literary elements in the novel, as well as a gap in the literature, persuaded the researcher to investigate the novel in the light of Guattari’s ecosophy. 2. Methodology Adopting a Guattarian approach, this descriptive-analytical study offers an ecosophian reading of the ecologies of society and environment in Mohammad Nasrawi’s Homan. 3. Theoretical Framework As a new analytical approach in philosophy and social sciences, Pierre Felix Guattari’s “ecosophy” thoroughly examines the complicated problems in modern societies, especially in literature and culture. In his The Three Ecologies, Guattari investigates the correlation among the society, environment, and the mind. He argues that an unbalanced correlation is the cause of modern problems; in other words, turbulence in one ecology directly impacts the others. The examples of such a worldview are evident in Homan. 4. Discussion and Analysis Homan is among Nasrawi’s greatest works and might be considered as one of the canonical novels in young-adult literature. Through exploring issues such as power, subjectivity, consciousness, and resistance, the novel reflects Nasrawi’s extensive knowledge of utopias and dystopias. The profound presence of Guattari’s ecological triad is the main reason behind the selection of the novel. As an oppressive and destroyed society, Nihip represents an ecological and environmental crisis. The protagonist’s journey, on the other hand, is a process of his ecological mental re-identification. 5. Conclusion The present study concludes that the three ecologies (mind, social, and environment) work together and are in no case isolated. Homan presents Nihip as a problematic societal ecology, which is governed by ideology, oppression, constant surveillance, and psychological subjugation. By controlling human interactions and reducing their subjectivity to passivity, this societal structure systematically oppresses subjectivity and awareness. This oppression is not limited to the societal ecology, it impacts the mind of the population as well; Nihipians lose their creativity, mental freedom, and the ability to conceptualise hope and change. Lastly, the environmental ecology closely correlates with the others; constant darkness, overusing the natural resources, and the destruction of the environment symbolize the social and mental decline of the Nihipians. Homan’s journey symbolizes the hope in restoring this broken system. By moving beyond the darkness of Nihip, Homan starts a journey which, in turn, redefines the mental, social, and environmental ecologies. By restoring his mentality, Homan redefines his identity, and pushes toward a societal and environmental change. His encounter with Rousha and the Old Man leads to the restoration of hope. On the other hand, the return of the light restores the environmental ecology of Nihip and creates new subjectivities and social constructs. Bibliography Deleuze, G and Felix, G. 1987. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Brian, M (trans.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. [In English]. Foucault, M. 1977. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. New York: Vintage Books. [In English]. Guattari, F. 1989. Chaosmosis: An Ethico-aesthetic Paradigm. Paul, B and Julian, P (trans.). Bloomington: Indiana University Press. [In English]. Guattari, F. 2000. The Three Ecologies. Ian, P and Paul, S (trans.). London: Continuum. [In English]. Nasrawi, M. 1402 [2023]. Homan. Tehran: Soureh Mehr. [In Persian].

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Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 The Posthumous Presence of the Author in Postmodernist Discourse: A Reading of Ahmad Bigdeli’s Works The Posthumous Presence of the Author in Postmodernist Discourse: A Reading of Ahmad Bigdeli’s Works 45 65 8635 10.22124/naqd.2025.29283.2644 FA Negin Alinaghian Juzdani Ph. D. Student in Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Ghodratollah Taheri Associate Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. Shahriyar Mansouri Associate Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2024 12 18 By reinforcing micro-narratives against grand narratives, postmodernism aims to dismantle the network of authority. As the central core of postmodern discourse, one can trace the same confrontation in the narrative functions of postmodern literature. Although “Death of the Author” is intertwined with late-modernist and postmodernist works, it can be argued that postmodern thought tends toward a return of the author to the text. Informed by the posthumous presence of the author and its functions against the grand narrative, this study aims to investigate Ahmad Bigdeli’s works. The results of this study show that although his presence is implicit, Bigdeli employs certain techniques to make short connections between the narrative and reality, which, in turn, dismantle the text from its centre of reading and meaning, and underscores the role of the reader, the author, and the hypertext. His discretion in employing such techniques reduces the paranoia between the author and the text. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Rooted in its philosophy, postmodern narratives move beyond and decentralize the classic narratological norms. Introducing “posthumous of the author,” as opposed to “the death of the author,” Brian McHale argues that postmodern literature is not against the author, but it views the author as an integral part of the intertext that directly correlates with the text and the reader. Informed by the posthumous presence of the author and its functions against the grand narrative, this study aims to investigate Ahmad Bigdeli’s works. 2. Methodology Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this study aims to investigate Ahmad Bigdeli’s works. 3. Theoretical Framework Since ancient Greece, the discourse authority and position of the author have undergone vast changes. Formalism and Structuralism reduced the author in favour of the authority of the text, which, in turn, led to the death of the author. On the other hand, postmodernist decentralisation aims to balance the authority among the reader, author, and the text; in other words, all postmodern narrative techniques, including the posthumous presence of the author, are rooted in this idea. It is not possible to completely remove the author from the mind of the reader. His exile from the text turns him into a mysterious and powerful force. In this regard, postmodern narratives restore the writer’s true identity to the text as a correlating factor in the active dialogue between the reader and the text. 4. Discussion and Analysis By employing narrative documentation, a return to the concept of inspiration, biographisation, a real presence in the narrative, and a close connection to the author’s real world, Bigdeli draws the reader’s attention away from absolute textualism toward intertextual and hypertextual elements. Echoing author-narrator in his Andaki Sayeh and Zabih, Bigdeli moves beyond the traditional plot. He emphasises the role of inspiration. Contrary to the classical belief which views inspiration as an internal or supernatural phenomenon, Bigdeli believes that it has roots in intertext, literary works, and natural events. In this regard, the act of writing correlates with lived experiences and previous readings, all of which highlight the role of the author. Diaries, documents, and footnotes, turn Bigdeli’s works into document-narratives. This form of narration invites the reader to contemplate on the borders between the story and reality. In this form, the author takes on an explicit role and narrates the diaries and the documents. 5. Conclusion Although the posthumous presence of the author affects Bigdeli’s grand narrative, his orientation toward the central authority of the text remains implicit. Though his presence is implicit, Bigdeli employs certain techniques to make short circuits between the narrative and reality, which, in turn, dismantle the text from its centre of reading and meaning, and highlight the role of the reader, the author, and the hypertext. His discretion in employing such techniques reduces the paranoia between the author and the text. Bibliography Baudrillard, J. 1397 [2018]. Vānemoodeh-hā va Vānemood. Pirooz. I (trans.). Tehran: Sales. [In Persian]. [Simulacra and Simulation] Bigdeli, A. 1386 [2007]. Ānāye Bāq-e Sib. Tehran: Agah. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1387 A[2008]. Āvaye Nahang-hā. Tehran: Cheshmeh. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1387 B[2008]. Zamāni barāye Penhān Shodan. Tehran: Agah. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1393 [2014]. Arvāh-e Māh-e Mehr. Tehran: Afraz. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1395 A[2016]. Andaki Sāyeh. Tehran: Cheshmeh. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1395 B[2016]. Zabih. Tehran: Cheshmeh. [In Persian]. Foucault, M. 1373 [1994]. “Padid Avarandeh Chist.” Ezatollah, F (trans.). Honar. 25:361-376. [In Persian]. Lyotard, J. 1384 [2005]. Vaziyat Post Modern: Gozāreshi Darbāreh-e Dānesh. Hossein-Ali, N (trans.). Tehran: Gam-e No. [In Persian]. McHale, B. 1392 [2013]. Dāstān-e Pasā Modernisti. Ali, M (trans.). Tehran: Qoqnoos. [In Persian]. By reinforcing micro-narratives against grand narratives, postmodernism aims to dismantle the network of authority. As the central core of postmodern discourse, one can trace the same confrontation in the narrative functions of postmodern literature. Although “Death of the Author” is intertwined with late-modernist and postmodernist works, it can be argued that postmodern thought tends toward a return of the author to the text. Informed by the posthumous presence of the author and its functions against the grand narrative, this study aims to investigate Ahmad Bigdeli’s works. The results of this study show that although his presence is implicit, Bigdeli employs certain techniques to make short connections between the narrative and reality, which, in turn, dismantle the text from its centre of reading and meaning, and underscores the role of the reader, the author, and the hypertext. His discretion in employing such techniques reduces the paranoia between the author and the text. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Rooted in its philosophy, postmodern narratives move beyond and decentralize the classic narratological norms. Introducing “posthumous of the author,” as opposed to “the death of the author,” Brian McHale argues that postmodern literature is not against the author, but it views the author as an integral part of the intertext that directly correlates with the text and the reader. Informed by the posthumous presence of the author and its functions against the grand narrative, this study aims to investigate Ahmad Bigdeli’s works. 2. Methodology Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this study aims to investigate Ahmad Bigdeli’s works. 3. Theoretical Framework Since ancient Greece, the discourse authority and position of the author have undergone vast changes. Formalism and Structuralism reduced the author in favour of the authority of the text, which, in turn, led to the death of the author. On the other hand, postmodernist decentralisation aims to balance the authority among the reader, author, and the text; in other words, all postmodern narrative techniques, including the posthumous presence of the author, are rooted in this idea. It is not possible to completely remove the author from the mind of the reader. His exile from the text turns him into a mysterious and powerful force. In this regard, postmodern narratives restore the writer’s true identity to the text as a correlating factor in the active dialogue between the reader and the text. 4. Discussion and Analysis By employing narrative documentation, a return to the concept of inspiration, biographisation, a real presence in the narrative, and a close connection to the author’s real world, Bigdeli draws the reader’s attention away from absolute textualism toward intertextual and hypertextual elements. Echoing author-narrator in his Andaki Sayeh and Zabih, Bigdeli moves beyond the traditional plot. He emphasises the role of inspiration. Contrary to the classical belief which views inspiration as an internal or supernatural phenomenon, Bigdeli believes that it has roots in intertext, literary works, and natural events. In this regard, the act of writing correlates with lived experiences and previous readings, all of which highlight the role of the author. Diaries, documents, and footnotes, turn Bigdeli’s works into document-narratives. This form of narration invites the reader to contemplate on the borders between the story and reality. In this form, the author takes on an explicit role and narrates the diaries and the documents. 5. Conclusion Although the posthumous presence of the author affects Bigdeli’s grand narrative, his orientation toward the central authority of the text remains implicit. Though his presence is implicit, Bigdeli employs certain techniques to make short circuits between the narrative and reality, which, in turn, dismantle the text from its centre of reading and meaning, and highlight the role of the reader, the author, and the hypertext. His discretion in employing such techniques reduces the paranoia between the author and the text. Bibliography Baudrillard, J. 1397 [2018]. Vānemoodeh-hā va Vānemood. Pirooz. I (trans.). Tehran: Sales. [In Persian]. [Simulacra and Simulation] Bigdeli, A. 1386 [2007]. Ānāye Bāq-e Sib. Tehran: Agah. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1387 A[2008]. Āvaye Nahang-hā. Tehran: Cheshmeh. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1387 B[2008]. Zamāni barāye Penhān Shodan. Tehran: Agah. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1393 [2014]. Arvāh-e Māh-e Mehr. Tehran: Afraz. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1395 A[2016]. Andaki Sāyeh. Tehran: Cheshmeh. [In Persian]. Bigdeli, A. 1395 B[2016]. Zabih. Tehran: Cheshmeh. [In Persian]. Foucault, M. 1373 [1994]. “Padid Avarandeh Chist.” Ezatollah, F (trans.). Honar. 25:361-376. [In Persian]. Lyotard, J. 1384 [2005]. Vaziyat Post Modern: Gozāreshi Darbāreh-e Dānesh. Hossein-Ali, N (trans.). Tehran: Gam-e No. [In Persian]. McHale, B. 1392 [2013]. Dāstān-e Pasā Modernisti. Ali, M (trans.). Tehran: Qoqnoos. [In Persian].

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Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 A Critical Study of CDA-based Researchers in Iran’s Scholarly Journals A Critical Study of CDA-based Researchers in Iran’s Scholarly Journals 67 97 8684 10.22124/naqd.2025.29775.2661 FA Erfan Rajabi Assistant Professor in English Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sannandaj, Iran Journal Article 2025 02 04 In recent years, there has been a growing interest in employing Critical Discourse Analysis for the analysis of literary and non-literary issues in scholarly journals in Iran. The fairly high number of such articles constitutes a reasonable corpus to be used for Meta-analysis method to evaluate the application of Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis by Iranian scholars in their analysis of literary and non-literary fields. With this in view, the search for the relevant papers using key terms such as CDA and Norman Fairclough began and eventually 87 scholarly articles published from 2000 to 2023 were identified. Drawing on the categories and instruments of meta-analysis, the researcher grouped the findings into the descriptive and qualitative sections whose data were summarized and displayed in 6 tables and 6 diagrams. The descriptive findings showed that literary scholars ranked as the highest users of Fairclough’s approach and the social sciences scholars as the lowest users. The qualitative findings made it clear that scholars dived directly into Fairclough’s framework, without probing into his practice and model in analyzing social phenomena. Moreover, the majority of the researches reduced Fairclough’s framework to textual-thematic level and ignored the social aspect of the object of the research. Most of the literary scholars who have used Fairclough’s framework have disregarded his admonition that literature poses a challenge to Critical Discourse Analysis. At the end, some suggestions have been made about Norman Fairclough’s approach and its strengths and weaknesses. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction For its tremendous capabilities in textual, cultural, political, and social analysis, CDA has attracted numerous researchers in humanities in Iran. In other words, researchers tend to orient toward and employ CDA for their studies. The fairly high number of such articles constitutes a reasonable corpus to be used for Meta-analysis method to evaluate the application of Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis by Iranian scholars. This study hypothesised that Fairclough-based researches in Iran tend to reduce his three-dimension model. 2. Methodology To evaluate the above-mentioned hypothesis, the search for the relevant papers using key terms such as “CDA,” “Norman Fairclough,” “Fairclough’s Model,” and “Fairclough Method,” began and eventually 87 scholarly articles published from 2000 to 2023 were identified in Noor Specialized journals Website, Magiran, and Comprehensive Humanities Portal (Ensani), as well as Google for publications in English. The selected papers were thoroughly studied; 60 articles were chosen as the statistical sample of the research: 39 in literature, 3 in film studies, 1 in art, 10 in historio-religious studies, 3 in journalism, 2 in institutions, and 2 in social studies. Drawing on the categories and instruments of meta-analysis, the researcher grouped the findings into the descriptive and qualitative sections whose data were summarised and displayed in 6 tables and 6 diagrams. 3. Theoretical Framework Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that combines the results of multiple individual studies to develop a more robust and comprehensive conclusion about a research question. It essentially synthesizes the data from various studies to provide a broader perspective and increase statistical power. It includes formulating a research question, conducting a systematic review, extracting data, performing statistical analysis, interpreting results, and reporting the findings. The present study is a qualitative one, and so are the chosen articles. That said, the meta-analytic approach is in accordance with its relevance to a qualitative study. 4. Discussion and Analysis The meta-analysis of the above-mentioned papers produced qualitative and analytical data. The results of this study were categorised in three subheadings: descriptive meta-analytical findings, qualitative analysis, and data interpretation. In the descriptive findings section, a statistical report of the reviewed studies was presented in subsections, such as the application of the Fairclough method in various fields, the geographical distribution of researchers, the frequency distribution of researchers’ gender, the typology of researchers, and the time period and number of published articles. In the analysis of the theoretical findings, the implementation of Fairclough's method and qualitative evaluation of research (i.e. what, why, and how of the research) were examined. A review of the sample research articles showed that all of conducted studies used “how questions,” and it seems that researchers considered themselves to be free from the need to delve into the what and why of Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis and instead focused on its application. 5. Conclusion While Fairclough considers literature as a challenge for CDA, his approach has been most widely used in the field of literary research. In articles in which examining the non-discursive aspect of the subject under study is a must, a key notion is missing: some studies have only explored one of Fairclough’s three levels. Qualitatively, and informed by Belinsky’s three indicators, most of the existing researches belong to how type, not what and why type. In other words, researchers have simply sought to employ Fairclough’s approach and have taken familiarity and mastery of Fairclough’s theories for granted. Bibliography Fairclough, N. 2010. Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language, 2nd ed. London and New York: Routledge. Fairclough, N. 2009. “A Dialectical–Relational Approach to Critical Discourse Analysis in Social Research” In Ruth Wodak and Michael Meyer (eds.). Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis, 2nd ed. London: Sage. Fairclough, N. 1999. “Linguistic and Intertextual Analysis within Discourse Analysis” In Jawrosky Adam & Nikolas Coupland (eds.). The Discourse Reader. London & New York: Routledge. Fairclough, N. 1989. Language and Power. London: Longman. Hansen, A and David, Machin. 2019. Media and Communication Research Methods, 2nd ed. London: Red Globe Press. Jørgensen, M and Louise, Phillips. 2002. Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method, London: Sage. Machin, D and Andrea, Mayr. 2023. How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis: A Multimodal Introduction, 2nd ed. London: Sage. Martin, J. R. and Ruth, Wodak. 2003. “Introduction,” In J. R. Martin and Ruth Wodak (eds.). Re/reading the Past : Critical and Functional Perspectives on Time and Value. Philo, G. (April, 2007). “Can discourse analysis successfully explain the content of media and journalistic practice?” Journalism Studies, 8 (2), 175-196. Statham, S. 2022. Critical Discourse Analysis: A Practical Introduction to Power in Language, New York and London: Routledge. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in employing Critical Discourse Analysis for the analysis of literary and non-literary issues in scholarly journals in Iran. The fairly high number of such articles constitutes a reasonable corpus to be used for Meta-analysis method to evaluate the application of Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis by Iranian scholars in their analysis of literary and non-literary fields. With this in view, the search for the relevant papers using key terms such as CDA and Norman Fairclough began and eventually 87 scholarly articles published from 2000 to 2023 were identified. Drawing on the categories and instruments of meta-analysis, the researcher grouped the findings into the descriptive and qualitative sections whose data were summarized and displayed in 6 tables and 6 diagrams. The descriptive findings showed that literary scholars ranked as the highest users of Fairclough’s approach and the social sciences scholars as the lowest users. The qualitative findings made it clear that scholars dived directly into Fairclough’s framework, without probing into his practice and model in analyzing social phenomena. Moreover, the majority of the researches reduced Fairclough’s framework to textual-thematic level and ignored the social aspect of the object of the research. Most of the literary scholars who have used Fairclough’s framework have disregarded his admonition that literature poses a challenge to Critical Discourse Analysis. At the end, some suggestions have been made about Norman Fairclough’s approach and its strengths and weaknesses. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction For its tremendous capabilities in textual, cultural, political, and social analysis, CDA has attracted numerous researchers in humanities in Iran. In other words, researchers tend to orient toward and employ CDA for their studies. The fairly high number of such articles constitutes a reasonable corpus to be used for Meta-analysis method to evaluate the application of Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis by Iranian scholars. This study hypothesised that Fairclough-based researches in Iran tend to reduce his three-dimension model. 2. Methodology To evaluate the above-mentioned hypothesis, the search for the relevant papers using key terms such as “CDA,” “Norman Fairclough,” “Fairclough’s Model,” and “Fairclough Method,” began and eventually 87 scholarly articles published from 2000 to 2023 were identified in Noor Specialized journals Website, Magiran, and Comprehensive Humanities Portal (Ensani), as well as Google for publications in English. The selected papers were thoroughly studied; 60 articles were chosen as the statistical sample of the research: 39 in literature, 3 in film studies, 1 in art, 10 in historio-religious studies, 3 in journalism, 2 in institutions, and 2 in social studies. Drawing on the categories and instruments of meta-analysis, the researcher grouped the findings into the descriptive and qualitative sections whose data were summarised and displayed in 6 tables and 6 diagrams. 3. Theoretical Framework Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that combines the results of multiple individual studies to develop a more robust and comprehensive conclusion about a research question. It essentially synthesizes the data from various studies to provide a broader perspective and increase statistical power. It includes formulating a research question, conducting a systematic review, extracting data, performing statistical analysis, interpreting results, and reporting the findings. The present study is a qualitative one, and so are the chosen articles. That said, the meta-analytic approach is in accordance with its relevance to a qualitative study. 4. Discussion and Analysis The meta-analysis of the above-mentioned papers produced qualitative and analytical data. The results of this study were categorised in three subheadings: descriptive meta-analytical findings, qualitative analysis, and data interpretation. In the descriptive findings section, a statistical report of the reviewed studies was presented in subsections, such as the application of the Fairclough method in various fields, the geographical distribution of researchers, the frequency distribution of researchers’ gender, the typology of researchers, and the time period and number of published articles. In the analysis of the theoretical findings, the implementation of Fairclough's method and qualitative evaluation of research (i.e. what, why, and how of the research) were examined. A review of the sample research articles showed that all of conducted studies used “how questions,” and it seems that researchers considered themselves to be free from the need to delve into the what and why of Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis and instead focused on its application. 5. Conclusion While Fairclough considers literature as a challenge for CDA, his approach has been most widely used in the field of literary research. In articles in which examining the non-discursive aspect of the subject under study is a must, a key notion is missing: some studies have only explored one of Fairclough’s three levels. Qualitatively, and informed by Belinsky’s three indicators, most of the existing researches belong to how type, not what and why type. In other words, researchers have simply sought to employ Fairclough’s approach and have taken familiarity and mastery of Fairclough’s theories for granted. Bibliography Fairclough, N. 2010. Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language, 2nd ed. London and New York: Routledge. Fairclough, N. 2009. “A Dialectical–Relational Approach to Critical Discourse Analysis in Social Research” In Ruth Wodak and Michael Meyer (eds.). Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis, 2nd ed. London: Sage. Fairclough, N. 1999. “Linguistic and Intertextual Analysis within Discourse Analysis” In Jawrosky Adam & Nikolas Coupland (eds.). The Discourse Reader. London & New York: Routledge. Fairclough, N. 1989. Language and Power. London: Longman. Hansen, A and David, Machin. 2019. Media and Communication Research Methods, 2nd ed. London: Red Globe Press. Jørgensen, M and Louise, Phillips. 2002. Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method, London: Sage. Machin, D and Andrea, Mayr. 2023. How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis: A Multimodal Introduction, 2nd ed. London: Sage. Martin, J. R. and Ruth, Wodak. 2003. “Introduction,” In J. R. Martin and Ruth Wodak (eds.). Re/reading the Past : Critical and Functional Perspectives on Time and Value. Philo, G. (April, 2007). “Can discourse analysis successfully explain the content of media and journalistic practice?” Journalism Studies, 8 (2), 175-196. Statham, S. 2022. Critical Discourse Analysis: A Practical Introduction to Power in Language, New York and London: Routledge.

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Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 Metamorphosis, Punishment, and the Grotesque Body: A Symbolic Reading of Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte Metamorphosis, Punishment, and the Grotesque Body: A Symbolic Reading of Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte 99 125 8710 10.22124/naqd.2025.30028.2673 FA Maryam Heidari Assistant Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 03 04 In folklore, the grotesque body is always attributed to a deviation from social norms, opposing the concept of “good.” In other words, evil thoughts, evil deeds, and evil words manifest themselves as a physical deformity. That said, classical literature moves beyond the evil manifestation of the grotesque body and explores other concepts, such as curse, emptiness, alienation, and identity crisis. Informed by Bakhtinian and Lacanian theories, this study adopts a descriptive-analytic approach to explore Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte. The present study investigates the process through which a distortion in the Symbolic order (culture and language) manifests itself as grotesque bodies, and reverses the borders between life and death, and human and non-human. In addition, echoing Bakhtinian Carnival and Lacanian Mirror Stage, the study explores the complex correlation between the three Lacanian orders and their effects on subjectification and traumatic experiences. This study concludes that the grotesque body symbolises mankind’s fragility and un-authorised consciousness. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction In accordance with different literary contexts, the grotesque body manifests itself as deviation, rejection, and disfiguration. Although folklore treats the grotesque body as punishment for sins or disobedience, modern literature treats the grotesque as a complex representation of identity crisis, intrapsychal distress, or resistance against an oppressive social order. Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte is among the few realist-socialist works in Persian literature. It correlates the grotesque body with psychological, mythical, and social concepts. Informed by Bakhtinian and Lacanian theories, this study adopts a descriptive-analytic approach to explore Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte. 2. Methodology Informed by Bakhtinian and Lacanian theories, this study adopts a descriptive-analytic approach to explore Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte in a psychological and cultural reading. 3. Theoretical Framework The present textual analysis turns around two principles: Bakhtin’s “grotesque body,” which treats the body as open, multi-layered, alive, and in interaction with the world, and “Carnival,” which interprets underground awareness and resistance against a solidified system. On the other hand, there are Lacanian Orders, which treat the grotesque body as a return of the Real through traumas, metamorphosis, and linguistic disorders. 4. Discussion and Analysis In Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte, Abedin bites the forbidden turnip, given to him by Gol-anbar, which turns him into a disfigured and overgrown monster. This metamorphosis is not a biological or symbolic transformation, but a projection of the Real. His body, from a Bakhtinian standpoint, is an open and incomplete form, which, in turn, leads to a Carnivalesque object that people take to an asylum. After the metamorphosis, Abedin’s language is reduced to the repetition of a single, personal, and meaningless word: “Ouji.” This transfiguration, according to Lacan, is a refusal of the Symbolic order and the meaning structure. It is a return to the Real which cannot be phrased by language or be interpreted. The Real manifests itself as terror, silence, and trauma. Gol-anbar’s psychosis symbolises a mental and psychological breakdown caused by sin, regret, and suppression. His experiences of live burial when he was a child, his fear of dark places and the Djinn, his suppressed desires, and a forbidden relationship with Hormouz lead to a mental breakdown. In addition, his temptation to return to the basement and his secret affair are manifestations of Lacanian “repetition automatism.” 5. Conclusion The results of this study show that the manifestations of the grotesque body move beyond a disfigured body to complex correlations among truth/lie, real/imagination, and ethics/pleasure. Not only are these bodies diseased, but they are also hampered by guilt, sin, judgment, awareness, and suppression. The rejection of the Symbolic order, the inability of the society to encounter the Real, and defence mechanisms such as projection and repression create bodies that are terrifying, disfigured, and disclosing. In this regard, Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte is a grotesque dramatic manifestation of social and ethical psychosis. Bibliography Afghani, A. 1388 [2009]. Shlagham Miveh-e Beheshte. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Dali, G. 1395 [2016]. Goshoodan-e Fazāye Falsafeh. Mojataba, G (trans.). Tehran: Gam-e No. [In Persian]. Hosseini, F and GholamHossein, Sh and Is-haq, T. 1397 [2018]. “Barrasi-e Grotesque va Seyr va Pishineh-e ān dar Iran.” Tārikh-e Adabiyāt. 11 (2): 27-53. [In Persian]. Thompson, P. 1398 [2019]. Grotesque dar Adabiyāt. Farzaneh, T (trans.). Tehran: Markaz. [In Persian]. (Grotesque in Literature) In folklore, the grotesque body is always attributed to a deviation from social norms, opposing the concept of “good.” In other words, evil thoughts, evil deeds, and evil words manifest themselves as a physical deformity. That said, classical literature moves beyond the evil manifestation of the grotesque body and explores other concepts, such as curse, emptiness, alienation, and identity crisis. Informed by Bakhtinian and Lacanian theories, this study adopts a descriptive-analytic approach to explore Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte. The present study investigates the process through which a distortion in the Symbolic order (culture and language) manifests itself as grotesque bodies, and reverses the borders between life and death, and human and non-human. In addition, echoing Bakhtinian Carnival and Lacanian Mirror Stage, the study explores the complex correlation between the three Lacanian orders and their effects on subjectification and traumatic experiences. This study concludes that the grotesque body symbolises mankind’s fragility and un-authorised consciousness. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction In accordance with different literary contexts, the grotesque body manifests itself as deviation, rejection, and disfiguration. Although folklore treats the grotesque body as punishment for sins or disobedience, modern literature treats the grotesque as a complex representation of identity crisis, intrapsychal distress, or resistance against an oppressive social order. Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte is among the few realist-socialist works in Persian literature. It correlates the grotesque body with psychological, mythical, and social concepts. Informed by Bakhtinian and Lacanian theories, this study adopts a descriptive-analytic approach to explore Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte. 2. Methodology Informed by Bakhtinian and Lacanian theories, this study adopts a descriptive-analytic approach to explore Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte in a psychological and cultural reading. 3. Theoretical Framework The present textual analysis turns around two principles: Bakhtin’s “grotesque body,” which treats the body as open, multi-layered, alive, and in interaction with the world, and “Carnival,” which interprets underground awareness and resistance against a solidified system. On the other hand, there are Lacanian Orders, which treat the grotesque body as a return of the Real through traumas, metamorphosis, and linguistic disorders. 4. Discussion and Analysis In Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte, Abedin bites the forbidden turnip, given to him by Gol-anbar, which turns him into a disfigured and overgrown monster. This metamorphosis is not a biological or symbolic transformation, but a projection of the Real. His body, from a Bakhtinian standpoint, is an open and incomplete form, which, in turn, leads to a Carnivalesque object that people take to an asylum. After the metamorphosis, Abedin’s language is reduced to the repetition of a single, personal, and meaningless word: “Ouji.” This transfiguration, according to Lacan, is a refusal of the Symbolic order and the meaning structure. It is a return to the Real which cannot be phrased by language or be interpreted. The Real manifests itself as terror, silence, and trauma. Gol-anbar’s psychosis symbolises a mental and psychological breakdown caused by sin, regret, and suppression. His experiences of live burial when he was a child, his fear of dark places and the Djinn, his suppressed desires, and a forbidden relationship with Hormouz lead to a mental breakdown. In addition, his temptation to return to the basement and his secret affair are manifestations of Lacanian “repetition automatism.” 5. Conclusion The results of this study show that the manifestations of the grotesque body move beyond a disfigured body to complex correlations among truth/lie, real/imagination, and ethics/pleasure. Not only are these bodies diseased, but they are also hampered by guilt, sin, judgment, awareness, and suppression. The rejection of the Symbolic order, the inability of the society to encounter the Real, and defence mechanisms such as projection and repression create bodies that are terrifying, disfigured, and disclosing. In this regard, Ali-mohammad Afghani’s Shalgham Miveh-e Beheshte is a grotesque dramatic manifestation of social and ethical psychosis. Bibliography Afghani, A. 1388 [2009]. Shlagham Miveh-e Beheshte. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Dali, G. 1395 [2016]. Goshoodan-e Fazāye Falsafeh. Mojataba, G (trans.). Tehran: Gam-e No. [In Persian]. Hosseini, F and GholamHossein, Sh and Is-haq, T. 1397 [2018]. “Barrasi-e Grotesque va Seyr va Pishineh-e ān dar Iran.” Tārikh-e Adabiyāt. 11 (2): 27-53. [In Persian]. Thompson, P. 1398 [2019]. Grotesque dar Adabiyāt. Farzaneh, T (trans.). Tehran: Markaz. [In Persian]. (Grotesque in Literature)

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Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 Imagination in the Imagery of Air and the Spatial Exploration of Tree House in Nima Yooshij: A Bachelardian Approach Imagination in the Imagery of Air and the Spatial Exploration of Tree House in Nima Yooshij: A Bachelardian Approach 127 149 8765 10.22124/naqd.2025.28317.2674 FA Ziba Parishani Assistant Professor in Persian Language and Literature, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 03 06 As one of the most influential contemporary phenomenological theories, Gaston Bachelard’s notion of “material imagination,” approaches poets in terms of the predominance of the four elements (water, air, fire, and earth) in their works. Each of these elements imposes its characteristics on its symbolic representation. On the other hand, Bachelard views the home as the centre of being. That said, a spatial exploration of the poet’s imaginary home reveals the dominant literary structure or poetics of his thought as well as his unconscious. Nima Yooshij is among the canonical figures of Persian poetry and is also considered the father of modern Persian poetry. His importance can be ascribed to his revolutionary views on literary devices in Persian poetry. He has transformed the poetics of Persian poetry. The presence of natural phenomena, such as trees, nests, birds, the sky, and mountains, shows the predominance of the element of air in his poetry and imagination. The present study aims to explore the element of air in his poetry.. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Informed by a phenomenological reading of literary devices, Gaston Bachelard argues that human imagination does not operate in accordance with the four main alchemical elements (water, air, fire, and earth). Imagination precedes the material world, i.e., we imagine the world before experiencing it. In this regard, imagination moves beyond an absolute aesthetic phenomenon toward epistemology. The “matter,” according to Bachelard, subjectifies and identifies the psychic and imaginative structure of every poet. For Bachelard, space is not a neutral concept bound to geometrical concepts, but is understood through imagination. In his view, the concept of home directly correlates with imagination and cosmos, i.e., the lived experiences correlate with the unconscious. He argues that canonical poets have two distinctive characteristics: material imagination and cosmic reverie. 2. Methodology This descriptive-analytical study employs library sources to investigate Nima Yooshij’s poetry. 3. Theoretical Framework According to Bachelard, literary devices possess alchemical elements. Each element has its unique characteristic. The present study investigates the element of “air” in Nima Yooshij’s poetry. The air is a flowing element. Bachelard sees air as a fundamental element that stimulates the imagination. He explores the way images of flight and suspended spaces, like an island in the sky, relate to our subconscious and its yearning for freedom and elevation. Thoughts can never be wanderers; they need a fixed place to return. Imagination creates a home for thoughts. Home becomes the crossroad of imagination and thought. 4. Discussion and Analysis Bachelard sees air as a fundamental element that stimulates the imagination. He explores the way images of flight and suspended spaces, like an island in the sky, relate to our subconscious and its yearning for freedom and elevation. Elevation is the most important feature of the “air.” Nima’s poetry is filled with pastoral imagery. In the mountains, he is surrounded by aerial creatures. The weather is cold. The cold signals the potential for movement. It is evident that any ascension requires lightness. The light flight of the bird is a good example. From the rising smoke to the wind and the bird, Nima’s poetry is filled with the elements of lightness. The tree house is the crossroad between Nima’s poeticity and imagination. His poetic devices are in harmony with the tree house. The house is a place in the cosmos. The nest is the epicentre of all aerial forces. The nest has the capability to be the centre of the cosmos. Nima frequently refers to the nest. The city comes in stark contrast with elevation. The city is gloomy, heavy, and gray. All Nima’s nests are in a dream state. They are made from imagination and dreams. 5. Conclusion Due to its elemental nature, the analysis of material imagination and poeticity is considered one of the most fascinating phenomenological readings. For Bachelard, images are gateways to the poet’s unconscious and serve as a blueprint for a spatial analysis of their unconscious. The results of this study show the predominance of the element of air in Nima’s poetry. The air implies hope and liveliness throughout Nima’s poetry. The tree house and the nest are among the most recurrent images in Nima’s poetry. Bibliography Bachelard, G. 1391 [2012]. Boutiqā-e Fazā. Masoud, Sh and Maryam, K (trans.). Tehran: Roshangaran. [In Persian]. Bachelard, G. 1400 [2021]A. āb va Royā-hā. Masoud, Sh (trans.). Tehran: Gostardeh. [In Persian]. Bachelard, G. 1400 [2021]B. Khāk va Royā-pardāzi-e āramidan. Masoud, Sh (trans.). Tehran: Roshangaran. [In Persian]. Bachelard, G. 1400 [2021]C. Havā va Royā-hā. Masoud, Sh (trans.). Tehran: Gostardeh. [In Persian]. Hashemi, M. 1375 [1996]. “Gaston Bachelard va Me’māri-e Khāneh-e Khiāl.” Majaleh-e ābadi. 23, 10-17. Norberg-Schulz, C. 1381 [2002]. Mafhoom-e Sokoonat: Be Sooye Me’māri-e Tamsili. Mahmood, A (trans.). Tehran: Agah. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1350 [1971]. Nāmeh-ha-e Nimā be Hamsarash ālieh. Tehran: Faroos. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1352 [1973]. Donyā Khāneh-e Man Ast. Tehran: Zaman. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1368 [1989]. Nāmeh-hā. Siroosh, T (ed.). Tehran: Daftar-ha-e Zamaneh. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1386 [2007]. Ash’ār. Siroos, T (ed.). Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. As one of the most influential contemporary phenomenological theories, Gaston Bachelard’s notion of “material imagination,” approaches poets in terms of the predominance of the four elements (water, air, fire, and earth) in their works. Each of these elements imposes its characteristics on its symbolic representation. On the other hand, Bachelard views the home as the centre of being. That said, a spatial exploration of the poet’s imaginary home reveals the dominant literary structure or poetics of his thought as well as his unconscious. Nima Yooshij is among the canonical figures of Persian poetry and is also considered the father of modern Persian poetry. His importance can be ascribed to his revolutionary views on literary devices in Persian poetry. He has transformed the poetics of Persian poetry. The presence of natural phenomena, such as trees, nests, birds, the sky, and mountains, shows the predominance of the element of air in his poetry and imagination. The present study aims to explore the element of air in his poetry.. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Informed by a phenomenological reading of literary devices, Gaston Bachelard argues that human imagination does not operate in accordance with the four main alchemical elements (water, air, fire, and earth). Imagination precedes the material world, i.e., we imagine the world before experiencing it. In this regard, imagination moves beyond an absolute aesthetic phenomenon toward epistemology. The “matter,” according to Bachelard, subjectifies and identifies the psychic and imaginative structure of every poet. For Bachelard, space is not a neutral concept bound to geometrical concepts, but is understood through imagination. In his view, the concept of home directly correlates with imagination and cosmos, i.e., the lived experiences correlate with the unconscious. He argues that canonical poets have two distinctive characteristics: material imagination and cosmic reverie. 2. Methodology This descriptive-analytical study employs library sources to investigate Nima Yooshij’s poetry. 3. Theoretical Framework According to Bachelard, literary devices possess alchemical elements. Each element has its unique characteristic. The present study investigates the element of “air” in Nima Yooshij’s poetry. The air is a flowing element. Bachelard sees air as a fundamental element that stimulates the imagination. He explores the way images of flight and suspended spaces, like an island in the sky, relate to our subconscious and its yearning for freedom and elevation. Thoughts can never be wanderers; they need a fixed place to return. Imagination creates a home for thoughts. Home becomes the crossroad of imagination and thought. 4. Discussion and Analysis Bachelard sees air as a fundamental element that stimulates the imagination. He explores the way images of flight and suspended spaces, like an island in the sky, relate to our subconscious and its yearning for freedom and elevation. Elevation is the most important feature of the “air.” Nima’s poetry is filled with pastoral imagery. In the mountains, he is surrounded by aerial creatures. The weather is cold. The cold signals the potential for movement. It is evident that any ascension requires lightness. The light flight of the bird is a good example. From the rising smoke to the wind and the bird, Nima’s poetry is filled with the elements of lightness. The tree house is the crossroad between Nima’s poeticity and imagination. His poetic devices are in harmony with the tree house. The house is a place in the cosmos. The nest is the epicentre of all aerial forces. The nest has the capability to be the centre of the cosmos. Nima frequently refers to the nest. The city comes in stark contrast with elevation. The city is gloomy, heavy, and gray. All Nima’s nests are in a dream state. They are made from imagination and dreams. 5. Conclusion Due to its elemental nature, the analysis of material imagination and poeticity is considered one of the most fascinating phenomenological readings. For Bachelard, images are gateways to the poet’s unconscious and serve as a blueprint for a spatial analysis of their unconscious. The results of this study show the predominance of the element of air in Nima’s poetry. The air implies hope and liveliness throughout Nima’s poetry. The tree house and the nest are among the most recurrent images in Nima’s poetry. Bibliography Bachelard, G. 1391 [2012]. Boutiqā-e Fazā. Masoud, Sh and Maryam, K (trans.). Tehran: Roshangaran. [In Persian]. Bachelard, G. 1400 [2021]A. āb va Royā-hā. Masoud, Sh (trans.). Tehran: Gostardeh. [In Persian]. Bachelard, G. 1400 [2021]B. Khāk va Royā-pardāzi-e āramidan. Masoud, Sh (trans.). Tehran: Roshangaran. [In Persian]. Bachelard, G. 1400 [2021]C. Havā va Royā-hā. Masoud, Sh (trans.). Tehran: Gostardeh. [In Persian]. Hashemi, M. 1375 [1996]. “Gaston Bachelard va Me’māri-e Khāneh-e Khiāl.” Majaleh-e ābadi. 23, 10-17. Norberg-Schulz, C. 1381 [2002]. Mafhoom-e Sokoonat: Be Sooye Me’māri-e Tamsili. Mahmood, A (trans.). Tehran: Agah. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1350 [1971]. Nāmeh-ha-e Nimā be Hamsarash ālieh. Tehran: Faroos. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1352 [1973]. Donyā Khāneh-e Man Ast. Tehran: Zaman. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1368 [1989]. Nāmeh-hā. Siroosh, T (ed.). Tehran: Daftar-ha-e Zamaneh. [In Persian]. Yooshij, N. 1386 [2007]. Ash’ār. Siroos, T (ed.). Tehran: Negah. [In Persian].

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Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 Deleuzian Rhizomatic Worldview in Reza Ghasemi’s The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra Deleuzian Rhizomatic Worldview in Reza Ghasemi’s The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra 151 175 8766 10.22124/naqd.2025.29939.2668 FA Hossein Joudavi Ph. D. Student in Persian Language and Literature, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran Mohammad Ali Mahmoodi Professor in Persian Language and Literature, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran. Mohammad Amir Mashhadi Professor in Persian Language and Literature, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran. Journal Article 2025 02 24 Gilles Deleuze, the prominent Post-structuralist philosopher, challenged the traditional patterns of Western thought. His “rhizomatic system” paves the way for a polyphonic and decentralised reading of the text. Informed by Deleuzian thought, the present study investigates Reza Ghasemi’s The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra (Hamnavāei Shabāneh-e Orkestr-e Choob-hā) in the light of “becoming,” “deterritorialisation and reterritoralisation,” and “de-autorisation.” This descriptive-analytical research comparatively explores Deleuzian concepts in accordance with narrative structure, characterisation, and the subtext to offer a Postmodern reading. The results of this study show that by moving beyond linear patterns, decentralising the narrator’s authority, and crafting liminal spaces, Ghasem turns his novel into a text that reflects Deleuzian philosophy. The process of “becoming” in character-metamorphosis, “deterritorialization” through the rupture of fixed identities, and “de-auhtorisation” via the collapse of grand narratives are salient features of the novel. By transcending binary logic, this study presents a multi-layered Postmodernist reading of The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra as a prominent example of rhizomatic literature. Beside unveiling the theoretical potential of Deleuze’s philosophy in literary criticism, the results solidify the status of the novel as an avant garde text in contemporary Persian literature. Keywords: Gilles Deleuze, Becoming, Reza Ghasemi, Deteritorialisation, The Harmony of Wood Orchestra Extended Abstract 1. Introduction By transcending classical narrative patterns, Persian Postmodern literature paved the way for a reinterpretation of concepts, such as identity, power, and hierarchical structures. As a pioneer in Persian contemporary literature, Reza Ghasemi formulates multi-layered and Formalist works that decentralise linear narrations. His prominent work, The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra (Hamnavāei Shabāneh-e Orkestr-e Choob-hā), employs unprecedented narratological techniques to reflect the collapse of the grand narratives in modern society. Gilles Deleuze, the prominent Post-structuralist philosopher, challenged the traditional patterns of Western thought. His “rhizomatic system” paves the way for a polyphonic and decentralised reading of the text. Informed by Deleuzian thought, the present study investigates Reza Ghasemi’s The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra in the light of “becoming,” “deterritorialisation and reterritoralisation,” and “de-auhtorisation.” 2. Methodology This descriptive-analytical research comparatively explores Deleuzian concepts in accordance with narrative structure, characterisation, and the subtext to achieve a Postmodern reading. 3. Theoretical Framework Deleuze’s concept of “becoming” is a core idea in his philosophy; it emphasises continuous change and transformation rather than fixed identities or states of being. It is not about becoming something specific, but rather about a process of differentiation and movement. This process is not linear or teleological; it is a multiplicity of forces and relations that constantly reshape and redefine what is. “Deterritorialization and reterritorialization” are concepts, primarily associated with the work of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, describing processes of change and transformation in social, political, and cultural contexts. Deterritorialization refers to the weakening or removal of established boundaries, connections, or structures, while reterritorialization is the subsequent process of rebuilding or restructuring within a new framework or context. Deleuze’s concept of “de-authorization” is not a straightforward or standalone term in his work, but rather a concept that can be understood through his broader ideas on deterritorialization, nomadism, and the challenge to established structures of power and meaning. It relates to his rejection of fixed identities, hierarchical systems, and the imposition of pre-defined roles and norms. 4. Discussion and Analysis The process of “becoming” is present throughout the novel. “Seyed” is the pinnacle of becoming. He is in a never-ending process of becoming that has no goal. Through his multiple interactions with different people, he stays in an active state of “becoming.” Seyed’s various roles and interactions show his alienation and multiplicity. Instead of taking a linear and familiar path, he turns to different experiences and adapts himself accordingly. The process of “deterritorialisation” is evident in the fourth section of the first chapter; the narrator enjoys the music, without understanding the content. “De-authorisation” becomes highlighted in the sixth section of the first chapter, where the dogs are viewed both as static and reactionary beings and as active subjects that create intimacy. 5. Conclusion The results of this study show that by moving beyond linear patterns, decentralising the narrator’s authority, and crafting liminal spaces, Ghasemi tuns his novel into a text that reflects Deleuzian philosophy. The process of “becoming” in character-metamorphosis, “deterritorialization” through the rupture of fixed identities, and “de-auhtorisation” via the collapse of grand narratives are salient features of the novel. By transcending binary logic, this study presents a multi-layered Postmodernist reading of The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra as a prominent example of rhizomatic literature. Beside unveiling the theoretical potential of Deleuze’s philosophy in literary criticism, the results solidify the status of the novel as an avant garde text in contemporary Persian literature. Bibliography Colebrook, C. Gilles Deleuze. Reza, S (trans.). Tehran: Markaz. [In Persian]. Deleuze, G. and Felix, G. 1400 [2021]. Kāfkā: Be Sooy-e Adabiyāt-e Aqaliyat. Hossein, N (trans.). Tehran: Bidgol. [In Persian]. (Kafka Toward a Minor Literature) Deleuze, G. and Felix, G. 1987. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Brian, M (trans.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. [In English]. Ghasemi, R. 1402 [2023]. Hamnavāei Shabāneh-e Orkestr-e Choob-hā. Tehran: Niloufar. [In Persian]. Patton, P. 1400 [2021]. Deleuze va Amr-e Siyāsi. Mahmood, R (trans.). Tehran: Bidgol. [In Persian]. (Deleuze and the Political) Roy, K. 2003. Teachers in Nomadic Spaces: Deleuze and Curriculum. NP: Peter Lang Press. [In English]. Selden, R. 1397 [2018]. Rāhnamāye Nazarieh-e Adabi Moāser. Abbas, M (trans.). Tehran: Ban. [In Persian]. (A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory) Sutton, D. 1395 [2016]. Deleuze dar Ghābi Digar. Majid, P (trans.). Tehran: Matn. [In Persian]. (Deleuze Reframed) Young, Y. B. and Gary, G. and Janelle, W. 1400 [2021]. Farhang-e Estelāhāt-e Deleuze va Guatarri. Mehdi, R (trans.). Tehran: Nousheh. [In Persian]. Gilles Deleuze, the prominent Post-structuralist philosopher, challenged the traditional patterns of Western thought. His “rhizomatic system” paves the way for a polyphonic and decentralised reading of the text. Informed by Deleuzian thought, the present study investigates Reza Ghasemi’s The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra (Hamnavāei Shabāneh-e Orkestr-e Choob-hā) in the light of “becoming,” “deterritorialisation and reterritoralisation,” and “de-autorisation.” This descriptive-analytical research comparatively explores Deleuzian concepts in accordance with narrative structure, characterisation, and the subtext to offer a Postmodern reading. The results of this study show that by moving beyond linear patterns, decentralising the narrator’s authority, and crafting liminal spaces, Ghasem turns his novel into a text that reflects Deleuzian philosophy. The process of “becoming” in character-metamorphosis, “deterritorialization” through the rupture of fixed identities, and “de-auhtorisation” via the collapse of grand narratives are salient features of the novel. By transcending binary logic, this study presents a multi-layered Postmodernist reading of The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra as a prominent example of rhizomatic literature. Beside unveiling the theoretical potential of Deleuze’s philosophy in literary criticism, the results solidify the status of the novel as an avant garde text in contemporary Persian literature. Keywords: Gilles Deleuze, Becoming, Reza Ghasemi, Deteritorialisation, The Harmony of Wood Orchestra Extended Abstract 1. Introduction By transcending classical narrative patterns, Persian Postmodern literature paved the way for a reinterpretation of concepts, such as identity, power, and hierarchical structures. As a pioneer in Persian contemporary literature, Reza Ghasemi formulates multi-layered and Formalist works that decentralise linear narrations. His prominent work, The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra (Hamnavāei Shabāneh-e Orkestr-e Choob-hā), employs unprecedented narratological techniques to reflect the collapse of the grand narratives in modern society. Gilles Deleuze, the prominent Post-structuralist philosopher, challenged the traditional patterns of Western thought. His “rhizomatic system” paves the way for a polyphonic and decentralised reading of the text. Informed by Deleuzian thought, the present study investigates Reza Ghasemi’s The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra in the light of “becoming,” “deterritorialisation and reterritoralisation,” and “de-auhtorisation.” 2. Methodology This descriptive-analytical research comparatively explores Deleuzian concepts in accordance with narrative structure, characterisation, and the subtext to achieve a Postmodern reading. 3. Theoretical Framework Deleuze’s concept of “becoming” is a core idea in his philosophy; it emphasises continuous change and transformation rather than fixed identities or states of being. It is not about becoming something specific, but rather about a process of differentiation and movement. This process is not linear or teleological; it is a multiplicity of forces and relations that constantly reshape and redefine what is. “Deterritorialization and reterritorialization” are concepts, primarily associated with the work of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, describing processes of change and transformation in social, political, and cultural contexts. Deterritorialization refers to the weakening or removal of established boundaries, connections, or structures, while reterritorialization is the subsequent process of rebuilding or restructuring within a new framework or context. Deleuze’s concept of “de-authorization” is not a straightforward or standalone term in his work, but rather a concept that can be understood through his broader ideas on deterritorialization, nomadism, and the challenge to established structures of power and meaning. It relates to his rejection of fixed identities, hierarchical systems, and the imposition of pre-defined roles and norms. 4. Discussion and Analysis The process of “becoming” is present throughout the novel. “Seyed” is the pinnacle of becoming. He is in a never-ending process of becoming that has no goal. Through his multiple interactions with different people, he stays in an active state of “becoming.” Seyed’s various roles and interactions show his alienation and multiplicity. Instead of taking a linear and familiar path, he turns to different experiences and adapts himself accordingly. The process of “deterritorialisation” is evident in the fourth section of the first chapter; the narrator enjoys the music, without understanding the content. “De-authorisation” becomes highlighted in the sixth section of the first chapter, where the dogs are viewed both as static and reactionary beings and as active subjects that create intimacy. 5. Conclusion The results of this study show that by moving beyond linear patterns, decentralising the narrator’s authority, and crafting liminal spaces, Ghasemi tuns his novel into a text that reflects Deleuzian philosophy. The process of “becoming” in character-metamorphosis, “deterritorialization” through the rupture of fixed identities, and “de-auhtorisation” via the collapse of grand narratives are salient features of the novel. By transcending binary logic, this study presents a multi-layered Postmodernist reading of The Nocturnal Harmony of Wood Orchestra as a prominent example of rhizomatic literature. Beside unveiling the theoretical potential of Deleuze’s philosophy in literary criticism, the results solidify the status of the novel as an avant garde text in contemporary Persian literature. Bibliography Colebrook, C. Gilles Deleuze. Reza, S (trans.). Tehran: Markaz. [In Persian]. Deleuze, G. and Felix, G. 1400 [2021]. Kāfkā: Be Sooy-e Adabiyāt-e Aqaliyat. Hossein, N (trans.). Tehran: Bidgol. [In Persian]. (Kafka Toward a Minor Literature) Deleuze, G. and Felix, G. 1987. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Brian, M (trans.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. [In English]. Ghasemi, R. 1402 [2023]. Hamnavāei Shabāneh-e Orkestr-e Choob-hā. Tehran: Niloufar. [In Persian]. Patton, P. 1400 [2021]. Deleuze va Amr-e Siyāsi. Mahmood, R (trans.). Tehran: Bidgol. [In Persian]. (Deleuze and the Political) Roy, K. 2003. Teachers in Nomadic Spaces: Deleuze and Curriculum. NP: Peter Lang Press. [In English]. Selden, R. 1397 [2018]. Rāhnamāye Nazarieh-e Adabi Moāser. Abbas, M (trans.). Tehran: Ban. [In Persian]. (A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory) Sutton, D. 1395 [2016]. Deleuze dar Ghābi Digar. Majid, P (trans.). Tehran: Matn. [In Persian]. (Deleuze Reframed) Young, Y. B. and Gary, G. and Janelle, W. 1400 [2021]. Farhang-e Estelāhāt-e Deleuze va Guatarri. Mehdi, R (trans.). Tehran: Nousheh. [In Persian].

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Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 A Critique of Reductionist Readings of Nima Yooshij’s Poetry A Critique of Reductionist Readings of Nima Yooshij’s Poetry 177 199 8772 10.22124/naqd.2025.29863.2665 FA Ebrahim Hasanaklou Ph. D. Student in Persian Language and Literature, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran Ali Taslimy Associate Professor in Persian Language and Literature, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran. Reza Cheraghi Assistant Professor in Persian Language and Literature, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran. Journal Article 2025 02 19 As an offspring of reductionism, modern science can be traced back to the Renaissance and mankind’s effort to understand the universe as a unified whole through analysing its diverse components. Even though one might assume that reductionism is a positive phenomenon, it has negative effects in literary theory. This study investigates reductionist readings of Nima Youshij’s poetry. As the centre of the contemporary poetry canon, Nima necessitates close reading and in-depth analysis. The present article explores the reductionist readings of six Iranian critics – Sirous Shamisa, Saeid Hamidian, Taghi Poornamdarian, Reza Barahani, Shapour Jourkesh, and Mahmoud Falaki – who have reduced Nima’s poetry to simple and readily accessible meanings. To do so, the study at hand investigates different forms of reductionism and critiques form, subject/object, language, exegesis, and symbols in Nima’s criticisms. The results of this study show that reducing Nima’s poetry dismantles his poetic structure and organization. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Persian modern poetry moved beyond traditional structures of form and language to reflect society, philosophy, and aestheticism. As the father of modern poetry, Nima Youshij can be regarded as a theoretician of modern literature. Even after a century of the so-called “Nima movement,” modern literary theories suffer from serious challenges, such as reductionist readings. Reductionism, the approach of explaining complex phenomena by breaking them down into their smallest components, has several potential problems. It can lead to oversimplification, obscuring implicit qualities and complex interactions in poetry. 2. Methodology Informed by contemporary literary theory and critical discourse analysis, this descriptive-analytical study investigates the reductionist readings of six Iranian critics: Sirous Shamisa, Saeid Hamidian, Taghi Poornamdarian, Reza Barahani, Shapour Jourkesh, and Mahmoud Falaki. 3. Theoretical Framework The present analysis is in accordance with three forms of reductionism: ontological reductionism, which involves analyzing poetic works through the lens of reducing complex elements to their fundamental components, often exploring the relationship between the poem's structure, language, and meaning; epistemological reductionism, which examines how poetry, through its language and structure, reduces or simplifies complex human experiences and ideas and turns them into fundamental elements. It explores whether poetry, despite its subjective and often metaphorical nature, can offer insights into the nature of knowledge and reality itself. The third form of reductionism is methodological reductionism, which analyses poems by breaking them down into smaller parts to discover their structure, language, and effects. This approach can involve examining individual words, lines, stanzas, rhyme schemes, and other formal elements in an attempt to see how they contribute to the overall meaning and experience of the poem. It also employs Adorno’s notion of “the non-identical” as a conceptual tool in the analysis. 4. Discussion and Analysis There is a kind of structural reductionism in Shamisa and Hamidian. Shamisa, by reducing the form to language and meter, and Hamidian, by ignoring the connection between form and context, reduce Nima’s poetry to a collection of static elements. Their insistence on the vivid presence of Khorasani poetry in Nima’s poetry shows the influence of traditional interpretations in creative and new forms of criticism. By focusing on the object, Jourkesh ignores the subject. His epistemological reductionism disregards the structural and linguistic complexities of Nima’s poetry. As a consequence, Nima’s poetry is reduced to a passive process of affectation and inspiration. By differentiating “personal” and “conventional” symbols, Barahani aims to formulate a new theoretical structure for sign systems in modern poetry. Sadly, he fails to do so. He selectively associates different signs to different phenomena without presenting a plausible explanation; for instance, he associates “phoenix” and “night” with mythology and Nima’s personal experiences without drawing a clear borderline between them. This analytic incoherence dismantles the unified structure of sign systems and reduces them to fixed and static meanings. By echoing the Memetic hermeneutic patterns, Pornamdarian and Falaki analyse Nima’s poetry in accordance with the lived experiences of the poet and its socio-political dimensions. This approach, which posits poetry and history on the same level, reduces the meaning process to external significations. 5. Conclusion The results of this study show that reductionism prevents a thorough understanding of the complexities of modern poetry. By reducing the poeticity to static and individual elements, reductionism dismantles the organic unity of the poem as a whole, disrupts the holistic experience of reading a poem, and overlooks other valid readings. Bibliography Barahani, R. 1373 [1994]. Rayā-e Bidār: Majmooeh Maqālāt. Tehran: Qatreh. [In Persian]. Barahani, R. 1380 [2001]. Talā dar Mes. Tehran: Zaryab. [In Persian]. Falaki, M. 1373 [1994]. Negāhi be Nimā. Tehran: Morvarid. [In Persian]. Hamidian, S. 1381 [2002]. Dāstān-e Degardisi: Ravand-e Degargooni-hā-e Shear-e Nimā Youshij. Tehran: Niloufar. [In Persian]. Jourkesh, Sh. 1383 [2004]. Boutiqā-e Shear-e No: Negāhi Digar be Nazarieh va Shear-e Nimā Youshij. Tehran: Qoqnoos. [In Persian]. Pournamdarian, T. 1377 [1998]. Khāneh-am Abrist. Tehran: Soroush. [In Persian]. Shamisa, S. 1383 [2004]. Rāhnamāye Adabiyāt-e Moāser. Tehrna: Mitra. [In Persian]. Youshij, N. 1398 [2019]. Darbāreh-e Honar va Shear va Shāeri. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Youshij, N. 1399 [2020]. Nāmeh-hā. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Youshij, N. 1400 [2021]. Yāddāsht-hā-e Roozāneh. Tehran: Morvarid. [In Persian]. As an offspring of reductionism, modern science can be traced back to the Renaissance and mankind’s effort to understand the universe as a unified whole through analysing its diverse components. Even though one might assume that reductionism is a positive phenomenon, it has negative effects in literary theory. This study investigates reductionist readings of Nima Youshij’s poetry. As the centre of the contemporary poetry canon, Nima necessitates close reading and in-depth analysis. The present article explores the reductionist readings of six Iranian critics – Sirous Shamisa, Saeid Hamidian, Taghi Poornamdarian, Reza Barahani, Shapour Jourkesh, and Mahmoud Falaki – who have reduced Nima’s poetry to simple and readily accessible meanings. To do so, the study at hand investigates different forms of reductionism and critiques form, subject/object, language, exegesis, and symbols in Nima’s criticisms. The results of this study show that reducing Nima’s poetry dismantles his poetic structure and organization. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Persian modern poetry moved beyond traditional structures of form and language to reflect society, philosophy, and aestheticism. As the father of modern poetry, Nima Youshij can be regarded as a theoretician of modern literature. Even after a century of the so-called “Nima movement,” modern literary theories suffer from serious challenges, such as reductionist readings. Reductionism, the approach of explaining complex phenomena by breaking them down into their smallest components, has several potential problems. It can lead to oversimplification, obscuring implicit qualities and complex interactions in poetry. 2. Methodology Informed by contemporary literary theory and critical discourse analysis, this descriptive-analytical study investigates the reductionist readings of six Iranian critics: Sirous Shamisa, Saeid Hamidian, Taghi Poornamdarian, Reza Barahani, Shapour Jourkesh, and Mahmoud Falaki. 3. Theoretical Framework The present analysis is in accordance with three forms of reductionism: ontological reductionism, which involves analyzing poetic works through the lens of reducing complex elements to their fundamental components, often exploring the relationship between the poem's structure, language, and meaning; epistemological reductionism, which examines how poetry, through its language and structure, reduces or simplifies complex human experiences and ideas and turns them into fundamental elements. It explores whether poetry, despite its subjective and often metaphorical nature, can offer insights into the nature of knowledge and reality itself. The third form of reductionism is methodological reductionism, which analyses poems by breaking them down into smaller parts to discover their structure, language, and effects. This approach can involve examining individual words, lines, stanzas, rhyme schemes, and other formal elements in an attempt to see how they contribute to the overall meaning and experience of the poem. It also employs Adorno’s notion of “the non-identical” as a conceptual tool in the analysis. 4. Discussion and Analysis There is a kind of structural reductionism in Shamisa and Hamidian. Shamisa, by reducing the form to language and meter, and Hamidian, by ignoring the connection between form and context, reduce Nima’s poetry to a collection of static elements. Their insistence on the vivid presence of Khorasani poetry in Nima’s poetry shows the influence of traditional interpretations in creative and new forms of criticism. By focusing on the object, Jourkesh ignores the subject. His epistemological reductionism disregards the structural and linguistic complexities of Nima’s poetry. As a consequence, Nima’s poetry is reduced to a passive process of affectation and inspiration. By differentiating “personal” and “conventional” symbols, Barahani aims to formulate a new theoretical structure for sign systems in modern poetry. Sadly, he fails to do so. He selectively associates different signs to different phenomena without presenting a plausible explanation; for instance, he associates “phoenix” and “night” with mythology and Nima’s personal experiences without drawing a clear borderline between them. This analytic incoherence dismantles the unified structure of sign systems and reduces them to fixed and static meanings. By echoing the Memetic hermeneutic patterns, Pornamdarian and Falaki analyse Nima’s poetry in accordance with the lived experiences of the poet and its socio-political dimensions. This approach, which posits poetry and history on the same level, reduces the meaning process to external significations. 5. Conclusion The results of this study show that reductionism prevents a thorough understanding of the complexities of modern poetry. By reducing the poeticity to static and individual elements, reductionism dismantles the organic unity of the poem as a whole, disrupts the holistic experience of reading a poem, and overlooks other valid readings. Bibliography Barahani, R. 1373 [1994]. Rayā-e Bidār: Majmooeh Maqālāt. Tehran: Qatreh. [In Persian]. Barahani, R. 1380 [2001]. Talā dar Mes. Tehran: Zaryab. [In Persian]. Falaki, M. 1373 [1994]. Negāhi be Nimā. Tehran: Morvarid. [In Persian]. Hamidian, S. 1381 [2002]. Dāstān-e Degardisi: Ravand-e Degargooni-hā-e Shear-e Nimā Youshij. Tehran: Niloufar. [In Persian]. Jourkesh, Sh. 1383 [2004]. Boutiqā-e Shear-e No: Negāhi Digar be Nazarieh va Shear-e Nimā Youshij. Tehran: Qoqnoos. [In Persian]. Pournamdarian, T. 1377 [1998]. Khāneh-am Abrist. Tehran: Soroush. [In Persian]. Shamisa, S. 1383 [2004]. Rāhnamāye Adabiyāt-e Moāser. Tehrna: Mitra. [In Persian]. Youshij, N. 1398 [2019]. Darbāreh-e Honar va Shear va Shāeri. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Youshij, N. 1399 [2020]. Nāmeh-hā. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Youshij, N. 1400 [2021]. Yāddāsht-hā-e Roozāneh. Tehran: Morvarid. [In Persian].

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Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 The Aesthetics of the Present in Baudelaire: Reversing Platonic Transcendence The Aesthetics of the Present in Baudelaire: Reversing Platonic Transcendence 201 223 8860 10.22124/naqd.2025.29681.2655 FA Aref Danyali Assistant Professor in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran Fardin Jamshidimehr Assistant Professor in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran Journal Article 2025 01 27 This article employs a library-based methodology and an interdisciplinary approach to examine the relationship between Plato’s and Baudelaire’s views on aesthetic works. Plato’s belief in “art as representation” has dominated Western thought for centuries. This theory subordinates beauty to truth and its representation. If, for Plato, truth is universal, constant, and eternal, then authentic beauty must also possess these characteristics. Baudelaire was the first thinker to rebel against this longstanding Platonic tradition, advocating, instead, for the fleeting and transient nature of beauty. The Baudelairean artist denies the Platonic divide between the eternal and the temporal, embracing precisely those elements Plato considered mere shadows and illusions. From Baudelaire’s perspective, contrary to Plato’s view, beauty does not signify transcendence beyond the here and now. On the contrary, the beauty of anything lies in its “being present.” Baudelaire replaces Plato’s concept of “transcendence as surpassing and superiority” with “transcendence as immanence.” In this sense, every tradition has its modernity, and the authentic artist is the one who discovers this modernity. Baudelaire opposes Plato’s theory of “art as representation” because the novel—that is, the unique and individual—cannot arise from representation. Baudelaire’s negative view concerning photography can also be traced to this opposition to representation. For Baudelaire, the Platonic relationship between philosophy and art is reversed, where philosophy itself assumes an aesthetic dimension. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Platonic worldview subordinates beauty to truth and its representation. In this regard, a long tradition has always reduced art to representation. If art is representation, then the matter of representation becomes more important in artistic evaluation. True art, in turn, must be in the service of philosophy and its quest for truth. The value of representation remains in its universality, constancy, and eternality. Baudelaire was the first thinker to rebel against this longstanding Platonic tradition, advocating instead for the fleeting and transient nature of beauty. There has always been a tension between the eternal and the immanent. The present study aims to answer the following questions: How does Baudelaire rebel against the Platonic eternal-temporal dichotomy, and connect the eternal to the temporal in the light of modern aesthetics? And in what ways does Baudelairean transcendence move away from Platonic transcendence? 2. Methodology This article employs a library-based methodology and an interdisciplinary approach to examine the relationship between Plato’s and Baudelaire’s views on aesthetic works. The study correlates the traditional and modern discourse on aesthetics. Through this discursive comparison, the present article highlights the Baudelairean philosophy and pinpoints his point of departure from Plato in ontology. 3. Theoretical Framework The crossroads of philosophy and art have always produced new ideas. Philosophy, as thirst for truth, stands alongside art, as thirst for beauty. Plato’s belief in “art as representation” has dominated Western thought for centuries. This theory subordinates beauty to truth and its representation. World history, according to Susan Sontag, is the history of the authority of representation (Sontag, 1996: 4). Just as Plato forced artists to become philosophers, the dominance of representation in art has always caused the work of art to refer to something outside itself. Of note here is Baudelaire’s approach to the present and his notion of immanence. When Descartes spoke of the human subject, he was referring to a supratemporal-spatial being; in other words, the artist must transcend the particularity of the present to represent the truth. According to Plato, everything tangible, partial, multiple, and changeable is defective and evil. It follows that in this view, beauty is equivalent to good and ugliness is equivalent to evil. 4. Discussion and Analysis Unlike Plato, Baudelaire believes that one cannot ignore the partial, tangible, and everyday beauty in favour of the eternal beauty. From Baudelaire’s perspective, the ideal presents itself in the form of events, behaviours, places, time, and particular, singular, and everyday objects, and never refers to an abstract, transhistorical, and universal world which is free from the constraints of time and space. On the contrary, it bears the color and appearance of its present time, and it is this “stamp of time” that makes it original and ideal. When we separate things from their essence, they become hallucinations and illusions. In the Baudelairean worldview, opposite poles do not run away from each other, but merge into each other, and something leaks from one into the other; this is a world of contagions, not distances. The reversal of the relationship between time and eternity is the liberation of art from the constraint of “representing eternal truth;” art is not supposed to be a copy of truth. This is also the reason for Baudelaire’s hostility to photography. Photography, in his view, is a technology of representation which he claims to be much more efficient than the arts, such as painting, in representing objects. 5. Conclusion The experience of the present refuses conceptual representation, because the novelty of the present is lost in representation and recognition; in other words, what is represented cannot be novel. Accordingly, in the Platonic world, everything is old, repetitive, and imitative. In a child’s world, however, everything seems to bloom in the present, before his eyes. Such was the flâneur, the Parisian wanderer, whom Baudelaire discovered: thirsty for the impulses and shocks and vibrations of the city and the hero of seeing and hearing and touching. Baudelaire is the illustrator of an age that is not afraid of experiencing. Bibliography Baudelaire, Ch. 1956. “The Salon of 1846.” The Mirror of Art. Jonathan, M (ed. trans.). NP: Doubleday Anchor Books. [In English]. Baudelaire, Ch. 1999. “The Painter of Modern Life.” The Essence of Laughter and Other Essays, Journals, and Letters. Peter Q (ed.). NP: Meridian Books. [In English]. Benjamin, W. 1377 [1998]. “Darbāreh-e Barkhi Mazāmin va Dastmāye-hā-e Sear-e Baudlaire.” Arqanoon, vol 14. Morad, F (trans.). Markaze Motaleat va Tahqiqat Farhangi Vezarat Farhang va Ershad-e Eslami. [In Persian]. Berman, M. 1392 [2013]. Tajrobeh-e Moderniteh. Morad, F (trans.). NP: Tarhe No. [In Persian]. Foucault, M. 1977. “What is Enlightenment?” ETHICS. Robert, H (trans.). NP: Penguin Press. [In English]. Plato. 1366 [1987]. “Mehmāni.” Majmooeh āsār-e Aflātoon. Mohammad Hassan, L (trans.). NP: Kharazmi. [In Persian]. Plato. 1401 [2022]. Jomhoor. Foad, R (trans.). NP: Elmi va Farhangi. [In Persian]. Sontag, S. 1966. Against Interpretation and Other Essays. NP: Noonday Press. [In English]. This article employs a library-based methodology and an interdisciplinary approach to examine the relationship between Plato’s and Baudelaire’s views on aesthetic works. Plato’s belief in “art as representation” has dominated Western thought for centuries. This theory subordinates beauty to truth and its representation. If, for Plato, truth is universal, constant, and eternal, then authentic beauty must also possess these characteristics. Baudelaire was the first thinker to rebel against this longstanding Platonic tradition, advocating, instead, for the fleeting and transient nature of beauty. The Baudelairean artist denies the Platonic divide between the eternal and the temporal, embracing precisely those elements Plato considered mere shadows and illusions. From Baudelaire’s perspective, contrary to Plato’s view, beauty does not signify transcendence beyond the here and now. On the contrary, the beauty of anything lies in its “being present.” Baudelaire replaces Plato’s concept of “transcendence as surpassing and superiority” with “transcendence as immanence.” In this sense, every tradition has its modernity, and the authentic artist is the one who discovers this modernity. Baudelaire opposes Plato’s theory of “art as representation” because the novel—that is, the unique and individual—cannot arise from representation. Baudelaire’s negative view concerning photography can also be traced to this opposition to representation. For Baudelaire, the Platonic relationship between philosophy and art is reversed, where philosophy itself assumes an aesthetic dimension. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction Platonic worldview subordinates beauty to truth and its representation. In this regard, a long tradition has always reduced art to representation. If art is representation, then the matter of representation becomes more important in artistic evaluation. True art, in turn, must be in the service of philosophy and its quest for truth. The value of representation remains in its universality, constancy, and eternality. Baudelaire was the first thinker to rebel against this longstanding Platonic tradition, advocating instead for the fleeting and transient nature of beauty. There has always been a tension between the eternal and the immanent. The present study aims to answer the following questions: How does Baudelaire rebel against the Platonic eternal-temporal dichotomy, and connect the eternal to the temporal in the light of modern aesthetics? And in what ways does Baudelairean transcendence move away from Platonic transcendence? 2. Methodology This article employs a library-based methodology and an interdisciplinary approach to examine the relationship between Plato’s and Baudelaire’s views on aesthetic works. The study correlates the traditional and modern discourse on aesthetics. Through this discursive comparison, the present article highlights the Baudelairean philosophy and pinpoints his point of departure from Plato in ontology. 3. Theoretical Framework The crossroads of philosophy and art have always produced new ideas. Philosophy, as thirst for truth, stands alongside art, as thirst for beauty. Plato’s belief in “art as representation” has dominated Western thought for centuries. This theory subordinates beauty to truth and its representation. World history, according to Susan Sontag, is the history of the authority of representation (Sontag, 1996: 4). Just as Plato forced artists to become philosophers, the dominance of representation in art has always caused the work of art to refer to something outside itself. Of note here is Baudelaire’s approach to the present and his notion of immanence. When Descartes spoke of the human subject, he was referring to a supratemporal-spatial being; in other words, the artist must transcend the particularity of the present to represent the truth. According to Plato, everything tangible, partial, multiple, and changeable is defective and evil. It follows that in this view, beauty is equivalent to good and ugliness is equivalent to evil. 4. Discussion and Analysis Unlike Plato, Baudelaire believes that one cannot ignore the partial, tangible, and everyday beauty in favour of the eternal beauty. From Baudelaire’s perspective, the ideal presents itself in the form of events, behaviours, places, time, and particular, singular, and everyday objects, and never refers to an abstract, transhistorical, and universal world which is free from the constraints of time and space. On the contrary, it bears the color and appearance of its present time, and it is this “stamp of time” that makes it original and ideal. When we separate things from their essence, they become hallucinations and illusions. In the Baudelairean worldview, opposite poles do not run away from each other, but merge into each other, and something leaks from one into the other; this is a world of contagions, not distances. The reversal of the relationship between time and eternity is the liberation of art from the constraint of “representing eternal truth;” art is not supposed to be a copy of truth. This is also the reason for Baudelaire’s hostility to photography. Photography, in his view, is a technology of representation which he claims to be much more efficient than the arts, such as painting, in representing objects. 5. Conclusion The experience of the present refuses conceptual representation, because the novelty of the present is lost in representation and recognition; in other words, what is represented cannot be novel. Accordingly, in the Platonic world, everything is old, repetitive, and imitative. In a child’s world, however, everything seems to bloom in the present, before his eyes. Such was the flâneur, the Parisian wanderer, whom Baudelaire discovered: thirsty for the impulses and shocks and vibrations of the city and the hero of seeing and hearing and touching. Baudelaire is the illustrator of an age that is not afraid of experiencing. Bibliography Baudelaire, Ch. 1956. “The Salon of 1846.” The Mirror of Art. Jonathan, M (ed. trans.). NP: Doubleday Anchor Books. [In English]. Baudelaire, Ch. 1999. “The Painter of Modern Life.” The Essence of Laughter and Other Essays, Journals, and Letters. Peter Q (ed.). NP: Meridian Books. [In English]. Benjamin, W. 1377 [1998]. “Darbāreh-e Barkhi Mazāmin va Dastmāye-hā-e Sear-e Baudlaire.” Arqanoon, vol 14. Morad, F (trans.). Markaze Motaleat va Tahqiqat Farhangi Vezarat Farhang va Ershad-e Eslami. [In Persian]. Berman, M. 1392 [2013]. Tajrobeh-e Moderniteh. Morad, F (trans.). NP: Tarhe No. [In Persian]. Foucault, M. 1977. “What is Enlightenment?” ETHICS. Robert, H (trans.). NP: Penguin Press. [In English]. Plato. 1366 [1987]. “Mehmāni.” Majmooeh āsār-e Aflātoon. Mohammad Hassan, L (trans.). NP: Kharazmi. [In Persian]. Plato. 1401 [2022]. Jomhoor. Foad, R (trans.). NP: Elmi va Farhangi. [In Persian]. Sontag, S. 1966. Against Interpretation and Other Essays. NP: Noonday Press. [In English].

https://naqd.guilan.ac.ir/article_8860_4787d05215ac0cf95f170353071da228.pdf

Guilan University Literary Theory and Criticism 2476-7387 10 1 2025 05 22 From Digitised to Digital Literature: An Introduction to the Poetics of Digital Literature, with Reflections on Reading and Teaching It From Digitised to Digital Literature: An Introduction to the Poetics of Digital Literature, with Reflections on Reading and Teaching It 225 253 8864 10.22124/naqd.2025.30761.2704 FA Mohammad Ghaffary Associate Professor in English Language and Literature, Arak University, Arak, Iran. Journal Article 2025 05 24 The emergence and rapid development of digital technologies and virtual spaces in recent decades have brought about fundamental transformations in value systems, lifestyles, social relations, and the representation of the human condition in literary and artistic works. In the field of literature, not only have the processes of production and reception become increasingly digitalised, but traditional printed literature is also gradually giving way to digitised and digital/electronic forms of literary expression. Nevertheless, digital literature has yet to be fully established in Persian-speaking communities as its nature and mechanisms have remained largely absent in discussions of contemporary Persian literature. By offering a precise conceptual analysis and a case study, this study aims to attract the attention of scholars of contemporary literature to the subject. The central argument of this article is that, due to its multimodal and multimedia nature, its interactive and hypertextual characteristics, and its unique conditions of production and publication, digital literature significantly transcends the boundaries of the traditional discourse of printed literature. Therefore, one of the most appropriate approaches to reading and critiquing digital literature is “multimodal discourse analysis,” which allows for a simultaneous and interconnected examination of its various modes. The article concludes with a general framework for rethinking the teaching of literature in the digital age, drawing on Richard’s and Rodgers’s model for teaching verbal language as well as the concept of gamification. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction The emergence and rapid development of digital technologies and virtual spaces in recent decades have brought about fundamental transformations in value systems, lifestyles, social relations, and the representation of the human condition in literary and artistic works. In the field of literature, not only have the processes of production and reception become increasingly digitalised, but traditional printed literature is also gradually giving way to digitised and digital/electronic forms of literary expression. Nevertheless, digital literature has yet to be fully established in Persian-speaking communities as its nature and mechanisms have remained largely absent in discussions of contemporary Persian literature. By offering a precise conceptual analysis and a case study, this study aims to attract the attention of scholars of contemporary literature to the subject. 2. Methodology Informed by conceptual analysis and analytic philosophy, this qualitative-analytical study explores the data collected from the opinions and statements of researchers in the fields of communication and information technology, literary theory and philosophy, and theories of language and literature teaching. 3. Theoretical Framework Informed by functional linguistics, conversation analysis, discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis, and social semiotics, Multimodal Discourse Analysis tries to realise how multiple forms of communication, like text, images, sounds, and spatial arrangements, work together to convey meaning. This approach goes beyond traditional linguistic analysis by considering various semiotic resources. Although MDA has been applied to printed works, it has never been systematically applied to digitized literature. 4. Discussion and Analysis The term “digital literature” or “electronic literature” consists of two parts: the word “literature” plus the adjective “digital/electronic.” Therefore, logically, both elements must be considered in the analysis, because being merely literary, although necessary, is not sufficient, and digital literature also requires the sufficient condition of digitalisation. Of note here is that a “digital” literary work should not be confused with a “digitised” literary work: the former refers to a literary work that was created primarily in cyberspace, while the latter refers to a literary work (poem, prose, or play) that was originally published in print but was then scanned and converted into an electronic file using computers and digital technology. The developments in the literary world have brought new requirements for reading and critiquing this new form of digital literature. That said, many of the factors enumerated in the production of printed literature may not play any role in the production of digital literature. On the other hand, in the production and consumption of digital literature, especially in its interactive form, the role of the “reader” becomes much more prominent and direct because in these works, like video games, the reader participates in completing the structure and the narrative discourse by selecting the elements and possibilities of the text and actualising its potential dimensions. Teaching digital literature also requires completely different and more complex theoretical and practical frameworks. In Iran, university literature courses do not pay much attention to digital literature. For this reason, it is necessary to pay attention to digital literature, its production in Iranian literary ambience, its teaching in universities and creative writing courses, and its criticism in prestigious, official, and academic journals. 5. Conclusion Digital literature is computer-centric, cyberspace-based, multifaceted, hypertextual, interactive, ergodic, and collective in nature, and the conditions of its production, distribution, and consumption as a cultural commodity are completely different from the conditions of production, distribution, and consumption of printed literature. The central argument of this article is that, due to its multimodal and multimedia nature, its interactive and hypertextual characteristics, and its unique conditions of production and publication, digital literature significantly transcends the boundaries of the traditional discourse of printed literature. Therefore, one of the most appropriate approaches to reading and critiquing digital literature is “multimodal discourse analysis,” which allows for a simultaneous and interconnected examination of its various modes. The present study proposes the following as topics for further studies: Multimodal Discourse Analysis of digital literature, attention to the production and reception of contemporary digital Persian literature, incorporation of technology and digitalization in teaching literature on intermedial and multimedial platforms, and digital literature as a university syllabus. Bibliography Azimi, K. 1403 [2024]. “Barrasi-e Tatbiqi-e Adabiyāt-e Ta’āmoli va Pish-ravān-e ān dar Adabiyāt-e Qarbi va Arabi.” Majaleh-e Elmi-e Anjoman-e Irāni-e Zabān va Adabiyāt-e Arabi. 20 (73), 188-213. [In Persian]. Fahimniya, F and Sepideh, F. 1396 [2017]. Ketāb-e Electronic: Touse’eh va Kārbord-hā. Tehran: Samt. [In Persian]. Ghaffari, M. 1396 [2017]. “Barrasi-e Tatbiqi-e Do Roykard-e Tahlili va Europāei dar Falsafeh-ye Adabiyāt.” Naqd-e Adabi. 10 (38), 20-40. [In Persian]. Hafeznia, M. 1398 [2019]. Geogrāphiā-e Siyāsi-e Fazāye Majāzi. Tehran: Samt. [In Persian]. Karimzadeh, A. 1398 [2019]. Shenākht-e Goftemāni-e Fazāye Majāzi: Khānesh-hā-ei Tāzeh az Digitāli-shodan-e Farhang va Tarjomeh bar Asās-e Charkesh-hā-e Oloum-e Ensāni. Tehran: Allameh Uni Press. [In Persian]. Panjehei, M. 1403 [2024]. Adabiyāt dar Vaziyat-e Meta Verse: Sedāye Pāye Degargooni dar Shear-e Mo’āser. Rasht: Davate Moaser. [In Persian]. Sadeghi, L. 1388 [2009]. Dāstān-hāye Bar’aks. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Shohani, A and Sara, H. 1397 [2018]. “Barrasi-e Vojoh-e Ta’sir-e Fazāye Majāzi bar Zabān va Adabiyāt-e Fārsi-e Mo’āser.” Zabān va Adab-e Fārsi. 71 (237), 75-101. [In Persian]. Zaltash, H and Farid, P and Narges, M. 1402 [2023]. “Adabiyāt-e Electronic va Dāstānhā-e Web-mehvār-e Chand-vajhi.” Naqd-e Zabān va Adabiyāt-e Khāreji. 20 (30), 13-36. [In Persian]. The emergence and rapid development of digital technologies and virtual spaces in recent decades have brought about fundamental transformations in value systems, lifestyles, social relations, and the representation of the human condition in literary and artistic works. In the field of literature, not only have the processes of production and reception become increasingly digitalised, but traditional printed literature is also gradually giving way to digitised and digital/electronic forms of literary expression. Nevertheless, digital literature has yet to be fully established in Persian-speaking communities as its nature and mechanisms have remained largely absent in discussions of contemporary Persian literature. By offering a precise conceptual analysis and a case study, this study aims to attract the attention of scholars of contemporary literature to the subject. The central argument of this article is that, due to its multimodal and multimedia nature, its interactive and hypertextual characteristics, and its unique conditions of production and publication, digital literature significantly transcends the boundaries of the traditional discourse of printed literature. Therefore, one of the most appropriate approaches to reading and critiquing digital literature is “multimodal discourse analysis,” which allows for a simultaneous and interconnected examination of its various modes. The article concludes with a general framework for rethinking the teaching of literature in the digital age, drawing on Richard’s and Rodgers’s model for teaching verbal language as well as the concept of gamification. Extended Abstract 1. Introduction The emergence and rapid development of digital technologies and virtual spaces in recent decades have brought about fundamental transformations in value systems, lifestyles, social relations, and the representation of the human condition in literary and artistic works. In the field of literature, not only have the processes of production and reception become increasingly digitalised, but traditional printed literature is also gradually giving way to digitised and digital/electronic forms of literary expression. Nevertheless, digital literature has yet to be fully established in Persian-speaking communities as its nature and mechanisms have remained largely absent in discussions of contemporary Persian literature. By offering a precise conceptual analysis and a case study, this study aims to attract the attention of scholars of contemporary literature to the subject. 2. Methodology Informed by conceptual analysis and analytic philosophy, this qualitative-analytical study explores the data collected from the opinions and statements of researchers in the fields of communication and information technology, literary theory and philosophy, and theories of language and literature teaching. 3. Theoretical Framework Informed by functional linguistics, conversation analysis, discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis, and social semiotics, Multimodal Discourse Analysis tries to realise how multiple forms of communication, like text, images, sounds, and spatial arrangements, work together to convey meaning. This approach goes beyond traditional linguistic analysis by considering various semiotic resources. Although MDA has been applied to printed works, it has never been systematically applied to digitized literature. 4. Discussion and Analysis The term “digital literature” or “electronic literature” consists of two parts: the word “literature” plus the adjective “digital/electronic.” Therefore, logically, both elements must be considered in the analysis, because being merely literary, although necessary, is not sufficient, and digital literature also requires the sufficient condition of digitalisation. Of note here is that a “digital” literary work should not be confused with a “digitised” literary work: the former refers to a literary work that was created primarily in cyberspace, while the latter refers to a literary work (poem, prose, or play) that was originally published in print but was then scanned and converted into an electronic file using computers and digital technology. The developments in the literary world have brought new requirements for reading and critiquing this new form of digital literature. That said, many of the factors enumerated in the production of printed literature may not play any role in the production of digital literature. On the other hand, in the production and consumption of digital literature, especially in its interactive form, the role of the “reader” becomes much more prominent and direct because in these works, like video games, the reader participates in completing the structure and the narrative discourse by selecting the elements and possibilities of the text and actualising its potential dimensions. Teaching digital literature also requires completely different and more complex theoretical and practical frameworks. In Iran, university literature courses do not pay much attention to digital literature. For this reason, it is necessary to pay attention to digital literature, its production in Iranian literary ambience, its teaching in universities and creative writing courses, and its criticism in prestigious, official, and academic journals. 5. Conclusion Digital literature is computer-centric, cyberspace-based, multifaceted, hypertextual, interactive, ergodic, and collective in nature, and the conditions of its production, distribution, and consumption as a cultural commodity are completely different from the conditions of production, distribution, and consumption of printed literature. The central argument of this article is that, due to its multimodal and multimedia nature, its interactive and hypertextual characteristics, and its unique conditions of production and publication, digital literature significantly transcends the boundaries of the traditional discourse of printed literature. Therefore, one of the most appropriate approaches to reading and critiquing digital literature is “multimodal discourse analysis,” which allows for a simultaneous and interconnected examination of its various modes. The present study proposes the following as topics for further studies: Multimodal Discourse Analysis of digital literature, attention to the production and reception of contemporary digital Persian literature, incorporation of technology and digitalization in teaching literature on intermedial and multimedial platforms, and digital literature as a university syllabus. Bibliography Azimi, K. 1403 [2024]. “Barrasi-e Tatbiqi-e Adabiyāt-e Ta’āmoli va Pish-ravān-e ān dar Adabiyāt-e Qarbi va Arabi.” Majaleh-e Elmi-e Anjoman-e Irāni-e Zabān va Adabiyāt-e Arabi. 20 (73), 188-213. [In Persian]. Fahimniya, F and Sepideh, F. 1396 [2017]. Ketāb-e Electronic: Touse’eh va Kārbord-hā. Tehran: Samt. [In Persian]. Ghaffari, M. 1396 [2017]. “Barrasi-e Tatbiqi-e Do Roykard-e Tahlili va Europāei dar Falsafeh-ye Adabiyāt.” Naqd-e Adabi. 10 (38), 20-40. [In Persian]. Hafeznia, M. 1398 [2019]. Geogrāphiā-e Siyāsi-e Fazāye Majāzi. Tehran: Samt. [In Persian]. Karimzadeh, A. 1398 [2019]. Shenākht-e Goftemāni-e Fazāye Majāzi: Khānesh-hā-ei Tāzeh az Digitāli-shodan-e Farhang va Tarjomeh bar Asās-e Charkesh-hā-e Oloum-e Ensāni. Tehran: Allameh Uni Press. [In Persian]. Panjehei, M. 1403 [2024]. Adabiyāt dar Vaziyat-e Meta Verse: Sedāye Pāye Degargooni dar Shear-e Mo’āser. Rasht: Davate Moaser. [In Persian]. Sadeghi, L. 1388 [2009]. Dāstān-hāye Bar’aks. Tehran: Negah. [In Persian]. Shohani, A and Sara, H. 1397 [2018]. “Barrasi-e Vojoh-e Ta’sir-e Fazāye Majāzi bar Zabān va Adabiyāt-e Fārsi-e Mo’āser.” Zabān va Adab-e Fārsi. 71 (237), 75-101. [In Persian]. Zaltash, H and Farid, P and Narges, M. 1402 [2023]. “Adabiyāt-e Electronic va Dāstānhā-e Web-mehvār-e Chand-vajhi.” Naqd-e Zabān va Adabiyāt-e Khāreji. 20 (30), 13-36. [In Persian].

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