The Posthumous Presence of the Author in Postmodernist Discourse: A Reading of Ahmad Bigdeli’s Works

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.
 
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