Gender Interpellation of Subjects in Hedayat’s Stories

Due to the socio-cultural events following the Constitutional Revolution in Iran, the forms of interpellation of human subjects and their identity construct have substantially changed, affecting the construct of subjects in fiction. Unique interpellation of female subjects in the early 20th-cenutry Persian fiction, especially in that of Hedayat, could be cited as a great example of this phenomenon. Employing a constructivist approach, the present paper seeks to interpret and classify the gender-based interpellation of subjects in Hedayat’s stories. In doing so, the discussion at the macro-level in this study draws on the ideas of Althusser, whereas for the analyses of textual signs on the micro-level, Goffman, Brown and Levinson’s theories have been used. The results show that the construction of location/situation of each fictional subject is, in fact, an outcome of the three layers of bodily, reaction-oriented and belonging-oriented interpellation. These have been expressed by narrators and fictional subjects and have, accordingly, created positive or negative faces for the subjects. Although bodies have been objectively described in bodily interpellation, the final assessment of the same bodies, as the main criterion of face-formation, is basically fulfilled through mental factors, on the basis of classical aesthetics. In contrast, due to the dominance of realism in the texts, in reaction-oriented and belongings-oriented layers of interpellation, class relations, forms of consumption, and taste of subjects are among the main criteria for face-formation. Although the gender-based construction of female subjects in Hedayat’s stories, in line with the attested individuality in the contemporary world, is mainly based on personal and historical relations of subjects, its face-forming criteria have been formulated on the basis of a variety of epistemic and aesthetic factors.

Extended Abstract
 
1. Introduction
Due to the socio-cultural events following the Constitutional Revolution in Iran, the forms of interpellation of human subjects and their identity construct have substantially changed, affecting the construct of subjects in fiction. Identity is made up of both fixed and changing elements, which are addressed or interpellated when they are assigned to individuals; and thus subjects are constructed. Althusser believes that the subject constructs every ideology because the function of every ideology is to turn concrete individuals into a subject. Thus, the status of the subject is created through social actions, interpellations and functions of individuals in society. In early Persian fiction, especially in that of Sadegh Hedayat, a different form of interpellation of female subjects can be seen. In the present study, a constructionist approach is adopted to interpret the gender interpellation of subjects in stories by Hedayat.
 
2. Theoretical Framework
Interpellation is key term in Althusser’s theory. He believes that by interpellating the individual, ideology puts them in special situations and expects them to act in a specific way. Ideology, to him, is a set of discourses through which we can understand our experiences. The discussion at the macro-level in this study draws on the ideas of Althusser, while to analyze textual signification, the ideas of Goffman, Levinson and Brown about ‘face’ have been applied. Face is an image of the self that is connected with some accepted social behavior.
 
3. Methodology
Using a constructionist approach, the paper classifies gender interpellation of subjects in Hedayat’s stories. Moreover, the stories have been analyzed using the descriptive-analytical approach as well as by applying some sociological theories as well as theories of the sociology of language.
 
4. Findings
The construct of the status of the intertextual female subjects in Hedayat’s stories is formed around their body, actions and belongings. In the interpellation of female bodies, although the bodies are described objectively, classic aesthetic criteria are used to judge their attraction and beauty. In the interpellation of female characters’ actions and belongings, their social status, taste and consumption habits are relied on. In action-related interpellation, which mostly revolves around their way of talking, women from lower classes are mostly quick-tempered and impolite, while women from upper classes are described as polite and taciturn. Also, women from lower classes mostly do menial work and have meager belongings, while the belongings of upper class women go beyond their needs.
 
5. Conclusion
Although the whole gender construct of female subjects in Hedayat’s stories, in line with the individualism of the contemporary world, is based on the individual and historical relations of the subjects, what forms their ‘face’ is based on different types of common contemporary epistemic-aesthetic criteria. On the one hand, classic aesthetic criteria serve as a basis for physical gender interpellation, and, on the other hand, the interpellation concerning their actions and belongings is based on new epistemic foundations of identity.
 
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