Journal of Children's Literature Studies

Research Paper

Rereading the Components of Modernity in the Works of Mohammad Reza Shams

Roghaye Aliani; Bijan Zahiri; Shokrolah Pouralkhas; Ali Safayi sangari

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 1-24

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2020.38814.1830

Abstract

Rereading the Components of Modernity in the Works of Mohammad Reza Shams Roghayyeh Aliani. Ph.D. Candidate in Persian Language & Literature,University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Bijan ... Read More Rereading the Components of Modernity in the Works of Mohammad Reza Shams Roghayyeh Aliani. Ph.D. Candidate in Persian Language & Literature,University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Bijan Zahirinav. Associate of Persian Language & Literature, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Shokrollah PourAlkhas. (Professor of Persian Language & Literature, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Ali Safayi Sangari (Professor of Persian Language & Literature, Guilan University Introduction In today’s world, due to changes in life conditions, the issues and concerns of people in society has changed greatly. These changes will definitely lead to changes in the lives children and adolescents, too. Therefore, the authorities in this field, especially writers in the field of children and adolescents, must discover the needs of the new era in order to respond positively to the demands of each generation. “Each generation has its own literature because it is different from previous generations and has its own language and logic” (Sho’arinejad, 1370: 96). Mohammad Reza Shams is a contemporary writer in the field of children and adolescents who writes stories for children according to the changed needs of society and is the voice of children of his era. “Shams believes that the most important need of today's children is to be recognized. He considers children to be perfect human beings, so he believes that children's needs must be contemplated as important issues and must be met” (Shams, 1390). Through telling stories, he aims to familiarize children with the social realities. Accordingly, children of the new age learn to prepare themselves for the phenomenon of alienation in the tumultuous world of the new era. On the other hand, we know that children of the present age are distinct and norm-breaking people and live in a different world than adults, so they have the right to criticize the situation. Children can be prepared to participate in the society by reading these stories. This article examines the outstanding components of modernity such as alienation, critical thinking and norm breaking in the stories of Mohammad Reza Shams. Research Method, Purpose and Literature This is a library research using a descriptive-analytic method. First, all of Shams's stories are read accurately with a focus on the semantic components of modernity, including class antagonism, freedom, rationalism, awareness-raising, curiosity, self-centeredness, individuality, etc. The most prominent components in Shams's stories including alienation, critical thinking and stereotyping have been extracted and analyzed. To explain the concepts, the opinions of theorists such as Eric Fromm, May Lero, McFarlane, Brad Bury, Hicks, Albert Camus, Marshall Berman and Edward Said are used. The aim of this research is to explain the paradigm of modernity in the works of Mohammad Reza Shams. Researchers analyze the most prominent semantic components such as alienation, critical thinking and stereotyping, thereby familiarizing children with the social issues of modern societies. This research seeks to answer the following questions: Which semantic components of modernity have a prominent appearance in Shams's works? How do outstanding components affect the lives of children in society? So far, no individual research has been conducted on the semantic components of modernity in Shams's works. However, some similar researches can be noted. Parsayi (1386) has examined the collected stories named Balloon and Blue Horses from the perspective of fantasy, philosophy and the irregularity. Mahdavi (1396) explores the components of magical realism such as point of view, attention to breaking the habit, neutrality of the narrator, paradox, in the story of Aunt Cherry from Mohammad Reza Shams. Mehdi Pour-Omrani (1386) has studied Shams's books in terms of structure and content based on the order and sequence of publication. In analyzing the story of Black and Red Pencil, Naeimi (1384) believes that contemporary literature is not popular due to complexity and only targets a certain spectrum. Behnam Khu (1397) believes that Shams uses imaginative, mythical, oral, and magical patterns to fantasize his works. Aghapour and Hesampour explore the novel of The Silly Girl from the perspective of carnival humor and believe that the teenager in this story with his carnival behavior is a message of change and dynamism. Conclusion Modernity caused a huge change in the west in various intellectual, cultural, artistic and economic fields. It also created changes in the field of children's and adolescent’s literature, even in Iran. The present study examines the most prominent semantic components of modernity in the works of Mohammad Reza Shams. This research shows that in the works of Mohammad Reza Shams, the components of differentiation and stereotyping, critical thinking and alienation have become more evident. People in the present society are unaware of their true existence because of a plethora of problems, and this leads them to the alienation that appears in stories in the form of death, loneliness, identity crisis and bewildered characters. The characters of the stories have not become self-conscious due to this identity crisis; therefore, they act according to the prevailing rules of the society, and some characters think about loneliness and death. In the field of critical thinking, writers believe that children of the society should be familiar with the problems of the modern society. Therefore, in a critical context, the injustices of society such as patriarchy, weakness in administrative bureaucracy, environmental crisis and child labor are criticized. Consequently, intellectuals who are concerned with the economic and social political conditions of the time and age cannot remain silent. In another context, modernist literature addresses the specific spectrum and preferences of people in the society. Elites who behave very cautiously; however, modern children are not restricted by the algebra of tradition and choose their own way of life. They are not afraid of distinction. These children are living in a different world than the adult world, a world in which children think about peace and international relations using fantasy elements and want to choose their own way of life by preserving freedom and independence. Such people, because of their different way of thinking, distance themselves from those around them and dare to think through the component of individuality and break the norms and withdraw from others. This component leads children to appear in a powerful new era and make themselves the centerpiece of things and not be dominated by adults. Keywords: alienation, critical thinking, stereotyping, Mohammad Reza Shams, modernism. References: Ahmadi, B. (1998). The question of modernity. Markaz. (in Persian). Ahmadi, B. (2004). Modernity and critical thoughts. Markaz. (in Persian). Aminpour, Q. (2004). Tradition and innovation in contemporary poetry. Elmi va Farhangi. (in Persian). Aqapour, F. & Hesampour, S. (2016). Analysis of the carnivalesque elements in Iranian adolescent novels based on Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory. Contemporary Persian Literature, 6 (1): 1-23. (in Persian). Aronson, E. (2002). Social psychology (H. Shokrkon, Trans.). Roshd. (in Persian). Ashouri, D. (2004). Modernity and us. Serat. (in Persian). Bazrafshan-Moqaddam, M. & Baqerzadeh, D. (2004). Reasons for employees to avoid work and solutions for preventing and dealing with it. Police Human Development, 1 (2): 56-72. (in Persian). Berman, M. (2000). The experience of modernity (M. Farhadpour, Trans.). Tarhe Now. (in Persian). Boroujerdi, M. (1998). Iranian intellectuals and the west (J. Shirazi, Trans.). Farzan-e Rooz. (in Persian). Bradbury, M. & Mc. Farlane, J. (1991). Modernism: A guide to European literature. Penguin books. Camus, A. (1955). The myth of Sisyphus. Vintage books. Fromm, E. (2015). The sane society (A. Tabrizi, Trans.). Behjat. (in Persian). Hicks, H. J. & Gullett, C. R. (1990). Organizations: Theory and Behavior (G. Kohan, Trans.). Ettela’at. (in Persian). Jahanbegloo, R. (1995). Modernity, democracy and intellectuals. Markaz. (in Persian). Khosrownejad, M. (2008). Inevitable re-readings. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Mahdavi, M. (2017). Intricate labyrinth: Analyzing the principles of magic realism in the story The dance of the genies. Children & Young Adults Quarterly Book Review, 4 (15): 19-34. (in Persian). May, R. (2008). Man’s search for himself (S. M. Sorayya, Trans.). Danjeh. (in Persian). Mehdipour-Omrani, R. (2003). Mother-bearing in two acts. Book of the Month of Children and Adolescents, No.75, pp. 70-73. (in Persian). Mehdipour-Omrani, R. (2007). Textual passages and fictional opening spaces. Research Journal of Children’s and Adolescents’ Literature, No. 51, pp. 107-133. (in Persian). Milani, A. (2003). Modernism and fighting modernism in Iran. Akhtaran. (in Persian). Mohammadi, E. & Farouqi, H. & Sadeqi, S. (2011). Turning of time into myth in some short stories by Shahryar Mandanipour. Persian Language and Literature, 19 (70): 137-166. (in Persian). Naeimi, Z. (2005). Mohammad Reza Shams’s literary manifesto. Book of the Month of Children and Adolescents, No.21, pp. 92-100. (in Persian). Parastesh, S. (2010). Children’s newly independent world: An article on the anthropology of children’s literature. Journal of Children’s Literature Studies, 1 (1): 31-54. (in Persian). Parsaei, H. (2007). Fantastic and irregular minimalism. Research Journal of Children’s and Adolescents’ Literature, No. 51, pp. 148-156. (in Persian). Qezel-ayagh, S. (2009). Children’s and adolescent’s literature and reading promotion. SAMT. (in Persian). Sabouri, M. (2000). Sociology of organizations. Shabtab. (in Persian). Sadeqi, S. & Behnamkhoo, Z. (2018). Fantasy-making techniques in the stories of Mohammad Reza Shams. Researches in Persian Language and Literature, 16 (49): 123-152. (in Persian). Said, E. (2001). The role of the intellectual (H. Azdanloo, Trans.). Ney. (in Persian). Said, E. (2003). Signs of intellectuals (M. Eftekhari, Trans.). Agah. (in Persian). Shams, M. R. (2003). Aunt stork. Shabaviz. (in Persian). Shams, M. R. (2008). Are you my mother? Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Shams, M. R. (2010). Me and my big head. Ofogh. (in Persian). Shams, M. R. (2010 b). Breakfast of dream. Chashmeh. (in Persian). Shams, M. R. (2012). Stupid girl. Houz-e Noqreh. (in Persian). Shams, M. R. (2016). Aunt cherry. Hoopa. (in Persian). Shams, M. R. (2018). Painter’s gun. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Shaygan, D. (2014). New enchantment (F. Valiani, Trans.). Farzan-e Rooz. (in Persian). Sheikh-ol-eslami, H. (2007). Reading the coils: A look at Stupid girl. Research Journal of Children’s and Adolescents’ Literature, No. 51, pp. 137-147. (in Persian). Shoarinejad, A. A. (1991). Children’s literature. Ettela’at. (in Persian).

Research Paper

The Symbolic Function of Colors and its Applications in the Poetry of Children and Adolescents with a Focus on the Poems from 1980 to 2010

Mahdieh Eslamiat; Seyed mahmood Elham bakhsh; mohamad kazem kahduee

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 25-54

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2020.36724.1781

Abstract

The Symbolic Function of Colors and its Applications in the Poetry of Children and Adolescents with a Focus on the Poems from 1980 to 2010 Mahdieh Eslamiat ((Ph.D.) Candidate in Persian ... Read More The Symbolic Function of Colors and its Applications in the Poetry of Children and Adolescents with a Focus on the Poems from 1980 to 2010 Mahdieh Eslamiat ((Ph.D.) Candidate in Persian Language & Literature, Yazd University Seyed Mahmood Elham Bakhsh Assistant of Persian Language and Literature, Yazd University Mohamad Kazem Kahduee Associate of Persian Language and Literature, Yazd University IntroductionThis study seeks to shed light on the symbolic function of colors, their applications in the poetry of children and adolescents, and their role in the semantic elaboration of poems. Unlike the poetry of adults, children’s poems lack numerous semantic layers. This is due to the limited vocabulary of children as well as their little knowledge of how to analyze or interpret symbols. On the other hand, children are endowed with good imagination and the capability of imagery and self-identification. This enables them to understand many images and form meaning links and take artistic joys, which expands the scope of their communications. Symbols can, thus, be used in a limited way. It is to be noted that children of different ages understand an image differently. For example, due to their lack of cognitive power for semantic interpretation, pre-school children can rarely make a sense of symbols. Symbols not only give a depth to literary texts, but also help to enhance one’s sense of aestheticism and creativity. As Chevalier and Gheerbrant (2000) state, symbols certainly play a significant role in shaping the minds of both adults and children. They are spontaneous expressions, create consistent relationships and serve as tools for creative imagination and invisible realization. MethodologyThe data of the study were collected through library research. First of all, 134 collections of children’s poetry were reviewed. They belonged to nine poets including M. Rahmandoost, A. Sha’bannejad, J. Ebrahimi (Shahed), Q. Aminpour, M. K. Mazinani, N. Keshavarz, B. Maleki, A. Sha’bani, and A. Salehi. Then, 32 collections were found to contain symbolic colors, 21 collections of which were assigned to the adolescent age group. After the extraction of the poems with symbolic contents, a descriptive-analytical method was used to classify, describe and explain the likely meanings of the symbolic colors. Finally, old and modern poems were compared in terms of the symbolic meanings encoded in these colors. The frequency of such symbols was also measured in different age groups. Literature review In his book Figures of speech, Shafie Kadkani (1971) dedicates a whole chapter to the critical analysis of colors used in the Persian poetry. Nikoobakht and Qhasemzadeh (2005) discuss the symbolic application of colors in the works of three poets. Hassanli and Ahmadian (2007) analyze Shahnameh for the mythical and psychological features of black and white colors. So far, the poems of Sanai, Sa’di, Nezami, Nima, Sepehri, Sereshk and Monzavi have been investigated from the viewpoint of colors, too. In her book ‘From This Eastern Garden’, Salajeqheh (2006) has a brief discussion of the old patterns of colors used in children and adolescents’ poetry. Despite such studies, no research has ever been conducted on the symbolic functions of colors and their application in the poetry of children and adolescents. DiscussionBlackIn Iranian myths, black symbolizes demon and demonic forces. Some ancient Persian poems such as Shahnameh use black as a concept not only to describe night, hair, multitude of warriors, devils and witches, but also to depict royal majesty, mourning atmosphere and enmity (Hassanli and Ahmadian, 2007). As the analysis of the poems showed, black as a symbol is the most frequent color. It is applied in children’s and adolescents’ poetry to criticize poverty, deprivation, hostility, bereavement, ignorance, sin, and despotism. The following example sentence is suggestive of the function of this color: “The alleys of the city, like homeless children, are asleep under the black umbrella of the sky which looks in patches. No one except the black shadow of the clouds moves in those alleys” (Maleki, 1992: 14). WhiteIn Shahnameh, the color white symbolizes beauty. For instance, Keykhosrou attains immortality in a white atmosphere (Hassanli and Ahmadian, 2007). Similarly, it is the symbol of chastity or avoidance of sins in Haft Peykar (Varedi and Mokhtarnameh, 2007). In modern poetry, as in Sepehri’s works, it also connotes purity and honesty (Nikoobakht and Qhasemzadeh, 2005). This is also the case in the poems written for children and adolescents. Color white suggests beauty, purity, innocence, hope, waking time and rebirth. For example: “Black clouds have screened the moon, but snow has whitened the hair of this dark night” (Maleki, 2003: 78) GreenIn the contemporary poetry, the color green is suggestive of hope, growth, life, habit, God, revelation and spirituality (Hassanli and Seddiqhi, 2003; Nikoobakht and Qhasemzadeh, 2005). In children’s and adolescents’ poetry, green sometimes imparts hope and satisfaction. As Itten (1963) states, “happiness, hope, and a combination of faith and knowledge are among the concepts that green represents” (p. 95). Also, as Ebrahimi (2003) writes: "One can see green blossoms in the tired face of the leaves / Face of God shines on the tree when in fall it quietly bereaves.” Green as a representative concept is also frequently used in poems about the promised savior. In this regard, Beaucorps (1994) believes that, in religious ceremonies, green indicates hope and expectation for salvation as well as the second coming or resurrection. For instance: “When swallows begin to fly and dive, / A rider in green is seen to arrive. / He smells like a rose that in April springs, Butterflies on the tippet that he slings” (Maleki, 2003). RedIn Shahnameh, this color symbolizes death and sometimes exciting life with love (Hassanli and Ahmadian, 2008). In contemporary poetry, however, red is used with a religious flavor to represent martyrdom (Nikoobakht and Qhasemzadeh, 2005). This is true about the children;s and adolescents’ poetry as well: “His blood lies in the heavens, / The rainbow is what it reddens. / When it falls through the heavens’ rips, / It can be found down there upon tulips.” The color red also connotes shame and love, as it is the case nearly everywhere around the world (Sattari, 1997). Note the following verse: “Our eyes greet as they meet, / Turning us red in shame and heat; / Then into hearts love gets its feet.” (Rahmandoost, 2004) BlueIn children’s poetry, religious or spiritual concepts are often associated with blue. This color is usually considered very positive, as a reminder of truth, religious feelings, security and spiritual purity (Guerin et al., 1997). As Rahmandoost (2000) writes: “Wondering if you know about the sky, / Blue is the news of those that there lie. / All is heard sounds sweet and good, / No better news elsewhere you hear could.” YellowIn children’s poetry, apart from the gold of the sun, yellow is associated with the fall and the death of leaves. It also sometimes implies decrepitude and disease. Here is a representative lyric by Sha’bani (1994): “Canaries can tweet but sometimes not, / Yellow of their feathers make their moods rot.” GrayGray has been favored by contemporary poets (Moradi, 2016), but it is often avoided in children’s and adolescents’ poetry. Indeed, symbolization is done so much less with gray than with other colors. What it imparts is sorrow, depression and despair: “A gray silence has seized the village, / Lack of breeze and roses caused it a ravage.” (Rahmandoost, 2000) ConclusionAccording to the reported statistics, color symbols have a frequency of 119 in the adolescents’ poetry, which is higher than that in the children’s poetry. The most frequent colors used as symbols in the children’s and adolescents’ poetry are black, white, green, red, blue, yellow and gray. In the studied poems, black suggests bereavement, sorrow, sin, being astray, poverty and injustice. It also refers to oppressors in poems about war. From this perspective, the children’s and adolescents’ poetry is not without sadness. The color white, however, compensates this by injecting hope and light into the poems. It symbolizes purity, innocence, vigilance, riddance from darkness and rebirth. As another color in positive symbolism, green connotes luxuriance, livelihood, dynamism, security and the expectation of the promised savior. In the poems written for children, the color red often relates to revolution, war or Ashura event. In the same context, blue is suggestive of tranquility, beauty, love and spirituality but its frequency is low as a symbol, which is due to the dynamic nature of those points. Yellow is applied dubiously since it refers both to depression and sadness as negative concepts and to charm and happiness as positive ones. As for gray, it imparts grief and gloom. The analysis of the color instances has shown that each color has the same symbolic meaning in such poems as it commonly does in the society. References: Aliakbarzadeh, M. (1999). Colors and education. Misha Publications. (in Persian). Aminpour, Q. (1989). Like a fountain, like a river. Soroush. (in Persian). Aminpour, Q. (1994). On day 10 at noon. Soroush. (in Persian). Bahar, M. (1997). A study of Iranian mythology. Agah Publishers. (in Persian). Beaucorps, M. de. (1994). Les Symboles Vivants (J. Sattari, Trans.). Nashr-e Markaz. (in Persian). Chevalier, J. & Gheerbrant, A. (2000). Dictionnaire des symbols (S. Fazayeli, Trans.). Jeyhoon. (in Persian). Cooper, J. C. (2000). An illustrated encyclopaedia of traditional symbols (1st edition) (M. Karbasian, Trans.). Farhad. (in Persian). Daad, S. (2008). Dictionary of literary expressions. Morvarid Publishers. (in Persian). Ebrahimi, J. (1993). The smiles of dews. Madreseh Publications. (in Persian). Ebrahimi, J. (1996). Oh, Iran. Sureh Publications. (in Persian). Ebrahimi, J. (2003). The apple and the bird. Neyestan Books. (in Persian). Eslamiyat, M. (2019). The functions of symbols, myths and parables in children and adolescents’ poetry. Ph.D. dissertation, Yazd University. (in Persian). Guerine, W.L., Morgan, J. & Wilingham, J. (1997). A handbook of critical approaches to literature (F. Taheri, Trans.). Niloofar. (in Persian). Hassanli, K. & Ahmadian, L. (2007). Functions of colors in Ferdousi’s Shahnameh with a focus on black and white. The Journal of Literary Studies, 2: 143-166. (in Persian). Hassanli, K. & Ahmadian, L. (2008). Reflection of red, yellow, green and violet colors in Ferdousi’s Shahnameh. The Journal of Literature and Humanities (Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman), 23: 59-89. (in Persian). Hassanli, K. & Sadighi, M. (2003). Analysis of colors in Sepehri’s poetry. The Journal of Literature and Humanities (Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman), 13: 61-103. (in Persian). Itten, J. (1978). The art of color (1st edition) (H. Maljaie, Trans.). Danesh Type Publications. (in Persian). Karkia, F. (1996). Color, productivity and innovation. Tehran University Press. (in Persian). Keshavarz, N. (1991). Seeds, sparrows, butterflies. Kouchak-e Jangali. (in Persian). Keshavarz, N. (1998). Their fruit is peace, their shadow is breeze. Benafsheh Books. (in Persian). Keshavarz, N. (1998). Whatever you are is the best. Soroush. (in Persian). Keshavarz, N. (1999). Bald Hassan looking for a cookie in the alley. Ofoqh Publications. (in Persian). Luscher, M. (1997). Psychologie der farben (M. Ravanipour, Trans.). Yadvareh Academy. (in Persian). Maleki, B. (1987). The rain star. Barg Publications. (in Persian). Maleki, B. (1991). On the wing of the rainbow. Soroush. (in Persian). Maleki, B. (1992). Beyond a smile. Benafsheh Books. (in Persian). Maleki, B. (1997). Coming from the morning weather. Soroush. (in Persian). Maleki, B. (2003). Picking a gardenful of stars. Neyestan Books. (in Persian). Maleki, B. (2010). The scarecrow was in love. Ofoqh. (in Persian). Mazinani, M. K. (2007). The seats are tired. Monadi Tarbiat Cultural Institute. (in Persian). Moradi, M. (2016). The variety of colors in Hossein Monzavi’s poems and the analysis of their innovative and imitated instances. The Journal of Poetry Studies, 3 (29): 139-163. (in Persian). Mussen, P. H., Conger, J. J. & Kagan, J. (1989). Child development and personality (M. Yasayie, Trans.). Markaz. (in Persian). Nikoobakht, N. & Qhasemzadeh, S. A. (2005). The symbolic application of colors in the contemporary poetry. The Journal of Literature and Humanities (Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman), 18 (15): 209-238. (in Persian). Nima-youshij (1989). On poetry (S. Tahbaz, Ed.). Daftarhay-e Zamaneh. (in Persian). Oliverio Ferraris, A. (1992). Children’s drawings and their meanings. Dastan Publishers. (in Persian). Pashaie, K., Heydarjoo, T. & Adelzadeh, P. (2005). The study of symbolism with colors in the works of Sa’di. The Journal of Baharestan-e Sokhan, 29: 61-82. (in Persian). Rahmandoost, M. (1984). The source of light. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Rahmandoost, M. (1990). Blue alleys. Mehrab-e Qhalam Publications. (in Persian). Rahmandoost, M. (1995). Music of the wind. Madreseh Publications. (in Persian). Rahmandoost, M. (2000). Roses of smile and greeting. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Rahmandoost, M. (2001). The Sky is Still Blue. Mehrab-e Qhalam Publications. (in Persian). Rahmandoost, M. (2005). A Hope for Thy Speech. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Rouhani, M. & Enayati, M. (2011). A critical study of the functions of colors in the poem ‘M. Sereshk’. The Journal of Language and Literature, 29 (26): 157-181. (in Persian). Salajeqheh, P. (2006). From this eastern garden. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Salehi, A. (1996). By the permission of the spring. Noqhteh. (in Persian). Sattari, J. (1997). An introduction to mystic cryptology. Markaz. (in Persian). Sha’bani, A. (1994). My music sounds a cricket. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents. (in Persian). Sha’bani, A. (1997). Sky glass. Amirkabir Books. (in Persian). Sha’bannejad, A. (1991). A bowl of dews. Madreseh Publications. (in Persian). Sha’bannejad, A. (1991). Snow blossoms. Ketabhay-e Shekoufeh. (in Persian). Sha’bannejad, A. (2007). Highway. Tuka Books. (in Persian). Shafie Kadkani, M. (1971). Figures of speech in Persian poetry. Agah Publishers. (in Persian). Sun, H. & Sun. D. (1999). Color your life. Hekayat Publications. (in Persian). Varedi, Z. & Mokhtarnameh, A. (2007). A study of colors in the anecdotes of Haft Peykar by Nezami. The Journal of Literary Studies, 2: 167-189. (in Persian).

Research Paper

An Introduction to the Affordances of Nezami’s Haft Peykar for Making Role-Playing Video Games

Alireza Pourshabanan

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 55-82

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.39349.1852

Abstract

Alireza Pourshabanan Assistant Professor, Tehran University of Art Introduction Besides entertainment and education, video games create a new type of communication ... Read More Alireza Pourshabanan Assistant Professor, Tehran University of Art Introduction Besides entertainment and education, video games create a new type of communication whose attractiveness can be appropriately utilized in the reorientation of the cultural influences on the mindset of the users. Considering the rich and valuable potentials of Iranian art and literature, and considering the fact that the audience of video games is mainly consisted of children and adolescents, it is advisable to use the potentials of favorite texts of this group of audience or recreate Persian classic texts with new readings appropriate for the making of the video games. It is conveniently possible to use the fantastical elements in classic epics and romances such as Nezami’s Haft Peykar (literary meaning Seven Bodies). This genre exists in many favorite works and media in the world in different forms such as literary works, cinematic productions and video games. The potentials of these texts can be brought to fruition in addition to the educational objectives especially with local and national cultural approaches. As such, Haft Peykar is one of the prominent classic texts which, considering its remarkable characteristics such as having various types of challenges and adventures, can be read in a new light and used in the making of an attractive role-playing video game. Review of Literature and Methodology In previous research, Haft Peykar is studied from dramatic, narrative, literary, comparative, historical and even psychological perspectives; therefore, this study tries to investigate it in a descriptive-analytical method as a type of romantic epic literature to find its positive potentials for making video games. The study tries to answer the question how this text and similar texts can be used in the creation of role-playing video games. Discussion Haft Peykar is an epic text which can be studied from the different perspectives such as the story and different elements of narrative such as characters and various creatures in it, as well as its recreation of different conflicts and mental and physical challenges. It can be said that the story is of significance for making open world role-playing video games from different perspectives such as main plot, subplots, variety of themes and settings and, especially, the emphasis on the creation of an open and wide world. Accordingly, the usual practice stage of an adapted game can be designed for the users’ learning and getting skilled in hunting, exercising map-reading, getting mastery over the main characters and guiding and controlling her. In the first stage, weapons and tools for fighting against dragons and other human and supernatural creatures can be deduced from the text or added by the makers based on up-to-date graphic designs, having in mind the mentalities of today’s children and adolescents. In the second stage, the presence of the hero in the competition field in the court and snatching the crown from between two lions and killing the lions and different missions to reach the throne can be recreated. Fighting against Khan of China and the different heroes of his army can be a convenient setting for creating the third stage based on physical challenges and various types of fights. The fourth and fifth stages will consist of a selection of seven anecdotes such as the fight against different types of magic and passing through various obstacles and mental examinations based on the user’s creativity to take the main character to the prince based on “Red Dome” story and also fighting against various dragons and escaping devils based on “Blue Dome” story. Destroying Rast-Rowshan and his associates in the court and eliminating the danger of the Khan of China with a combination of hand to hand fights and the use of different strategies and mental examinations and reading informational inscriptions can be the sixth stage. Finally, the seventh stage, concomitant with the “seven” in the title, can be the entrance into the cave for hunting the special zebra and using appropriate tools and entering the last phase of the story and getting disappeared. One the other hand, a wide range of role-playing, especially combative role-playing video game audiences can be attracted by themes such as fighting for the sake of the oppressed with an emphasis on revenge, fighting lions and dragons, showing courage and superhuman abilities and concentrating on love and melodramatic relations. Additionally, these tales and themes are set in various atmospheres and places such as jungles, plains, mountains, caves and wonderful places such as Khawarnaq Castle and the seven colorful castles of the princes. The creators of the game can design settings for an open world game for the experience of various small and big missions by the use of exaggeration in the final design and creating more diversity and emphasizing Iranian elements such as architecture, lighting and color, natural and geographical environmental attractions understandable for children and adolescents. In addition, the existence of various creatures and characters like superhuman heroes, ogres and wild beasts are concomitant with the practical necessities of an interactive game. The variety of roles in the text is a good opportunity for creating various and multiple positive and negative characters who engage in different activities such as fighting, searching, going on adventures and passing through different types of mental and physical examinations relying on different types of controlling skills. Conclusion In sum, one can note that Nezami’s Haft Peykar is a romantic epic with a suspenseful narrative full of romantic and attractive themes which can be effectively used in making role-playing video games. Therefore, in the answer to the main question of the research, one can claim that this text has the potential to entertain the audience by its attractive and adventurous story which can be reflected in different types of narrative complexities in role-playing video games. Also, the variety of the settings can be used by the makers of the video game to create boundless atmospheres appropriate for role-playing open world games and to create a game with standard temporal setting. Additionally, multiple roles of the hero of the game in different settings improve its potentials for adventure and makes it possible to engage the player in the game by controlling each of these roles in different missions and to give the player a unique experience by creating some modifications in the narrative of role-playing games, especially by creating suspense through the conflicts and using cinematic interludes. Keywords: video game, Persian literature, romantic epic, Haft Peykar, role-playing games References: Amuzegar, J. (2007). Language, culture, myth. Moein. [in Persian] Ang, C. S., Panayiotis, Z. & Stephanie, W. (2010). Computer game and sociocultural play: An activity theorical perspective. Sage pub. Arberry, J. A. (1992). Persian classic literature (A. Azad, Trans.). Astan-e Qods-e Razavi. [in Persian] Aristotle (1972). Poetics (A. Zarrinkoub, Trans.). Bongah-e Nashr o Tarjomeh Ketab. [in Persian] Azizi, F., Atabak, M. & Afkhami, H. (2018). Video games and the representation of women: semiotic analysis of the game collection Elsa. New Media Studies Quarterly, 4 (14), 217-247. [in Persian] Babasafari, A. (2009). Romantic and epic stories in Persian literature. Iranain Studies Journal, 8 (16): 113-132. [in Persian] Bahar, M. (2007). From myth to history. Cheshmeh. [in Persian] Berry, M. (2006). Interpretation of Haft Peykar (J. Alavinia, Trans.). Ney. [in Persian] Campbell, J. (2007). The power of myth (A. Mokhber, Trans.). Markaz. [in Persian] Connolly, T. M., Boyle, E. A., MacArthur. E, Hainey. T & Boyle, J. M. (2012). A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games. Computers & Education, 59 (2): 661-686. Davidson, D. (2008). Stories in between narratives and mediums. ETC Press. Gardner, J. E. (1991). Can the Mario Bros, help? Nintendo games as an adjunct in psychotherapy with children. Psychotherapy, 28 (4): 664 - 670. Gholami, H., Zolfaqari, M., Mashidi, J. & Heidari, H. (2019). Decoding the concept of hunting in Haft Peikar based on mythological approach. Journal of Poetry Studies, 11 (3): 43-62. [in Persian] Jafarpour, M., Kahdouei, M. K,. & Najjarian, M. R. (2014). The analysis of deep structure of the type of love and relation in epic. Journal of Poetry Studies, 6 (4): 47-80. [in Persian] Khaniki, H. & Barekat, M. (2015). Representing cultural ideologies in video games. New Media Studies Quarterly, 1 (4), 99-131. [in Persian] Kline, S., Shrder, K., Drotner, K. & Murray, C. (2003). Researching audiences: A practical guide to methods in media audience analysis. Arnold. Kowsari, M. (2010). Age of game. Daricheh Now. [in Persian] Lebowitz, J. & Klug, C. (2011). Interactive storytelling for video games. Focal Press. Lee, K. M., Namkee, P. & Seung-A, J. (2006). Narrative and interactivity in computer games. Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences (P. Vorderer & J. Bryant, Ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 259-274. Morrison, J. et al. (2001). History of Iranian literature. Gostareh. [in Persian] Nezami (2005). Haft Peykar (H. Vahid Dastjerdi, Ed.). Zavvar. [in Persian] Nicolae, S. (2014) Game preview. E-book by Author. Ostaji, E. (2011). Structure and characteristics of romantic epic stories. Dorr-e Dari Quaterly, 1 (1): 7-26. [in Persian] Pourshabanan, A., Pourshabanan, A. & Fanaei, Z. (2017). A study of Persian classic epic literature for making video games. Third International Conference on Video Games: Opportunities and Challenges. Isfahan university, pp. 1-11. [in Persian] Rastegar Fasaei, M. (2004). Transformation in myths. Research Institute for Human Sciences and Cultural Study. [in Persian] Razmjoo, H. (2002). Territory of Iranian epic literature. Research Institute for Human Sciences and Cultural Study. [in Persian] Safa, Z. (1984). History of Iranian literature (2nd Volume). Fredows. [in Persian] Servatian, B. (2003). Thoughts of Nezami Ganje-i. Aidin. [in Persian] Shafiei Kadkani, M. (1993). Literary types and Persian poetry. Development of Persian Literature and Education, 8 (32 & 33): 4-9. [in Persian] Shafiei Kadkani, M. (2007). Imagery in Persian poetry. Agah. [in Persian] Shamisa, S. (1999). A new look at rhetoric. Ferdows. [in Persian] Shaverdi, T. & Shaverdi, S. (2009). A study of the opinions of children, adolescents and mothers about the social effects of video games. Cultural Studies Quarterly, 2 (7), 47-76. [in Persian] Sweetser, P. (2008). Emergence in games. Charls River Media, Inc. Taheri, A. & Sowhani, K. (2014). Audience and the contracts of using media texts: comparative study of films and video games as two genres of media texts. Communication Studies Quarterly, 21 (3): 147-173. [in Persian] Toghyani, E. (1998). Concise comparison of Iranian and non-Iranian epics. Journal of the Department of Literature and Human Sciences of Isfahan University, 12: 98-130. [in Persian] Vakili, S. (2010). Mythology of Iranian heroes. Pazineh. [in Persian] Warner, R. (2007). Encyclopedia of myths (A. Esmaeilpour, Trans.). Ostoureh. [in Persian] Yavari, H. (1995). Psychoanalysis and literature. Iranian History. [in Persian] Zarrinkoub, A. (2001). Pir of Ganjeh in search of utopia. Sokhan. [in Persian] WWW.gamefa.com/524746, Accessed: March 29, 2020.

Research Paper

Does the Text Embrace the Child? the Implied Reader in the Stories of the Elementary School Persian Textbooks (the first three-years)

Soudabeh Shokrollahzadeh

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 83-110

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.40895.1882

Abstract

Does the Text Embrace the Child? the Implied Reader in the Stories of the Elementary School Persian Textbooks (the first three-years) Soudabeh ShokrollahzadehAssistant professor of ... Read More Does the Text Embrace the Child? the Implied Reader in the Stories of the Elementary School Persian Textbooks (the first three-years) Soudabeh ShokrollahzadehAssistant professor of education, department of education, Allameh Tabataba'i University IntroductionIn the National Curriculum of the Islamic Republic of Iran eleven areas of teaching and learning are defined, one of which is "Persian language and literature". In this document, the approach to teaching of this area is "communicative" which not only orients the classroom teaching and learning, but also pervades other mediators such as elementary school Persian textbooks, wherein the communicative approach is more outstanding than other textbooks; because they mainly deal with literature, which is the manifestation of language. From Bakhtin's point of view, language essentially addresses, that is "all language is addressed to someone, never uttered without consciousness of a relationship between the speaker and the addressee" (Guerin et al, 2005: 362). Therefore, any media dealing with language (whether oral, written, or visual) always forms a relationship with the audience, so does the elementary school Persian textbooks. It is therefore impotent to address how Persian textbooks communicate with their audiences through their stories, as this communication plays role in the child's construction of subjectivity.Research method, literature and the research purposeThis research is qualitative. The samples are fourteen stories of elementary school Persian textbooks (the first three-years). Data analysis method is deductive-inductive content analysis in terms of which I analyze the samples based on the components of Aiden Chambers' theory of "the reader in the book", namely, style, point of view, taking sides and tell-tale gaps, as well as the criterion of " taking sides of children and adolescents as the fictional characters" as proposed by the picturebook group of SUCCLS.The literature review reveals that the issue of implied reader in textbooks has especially been taken as a theoretical framework in mathematics and geometry, but it is understood and applied differently from what Chambers conceptualizes. As far as the objective of this research is concerned, it purports to investigate the implied reader of the stories of elementary school Persian textbooks (the first three-years) based on Aiden Chambers theory of "the reader in the book". In this connection there are three objectives: 1. Investigating the ability of stories used in Persian textbooks in drawing the readers in to the text 2. Discerning the embedded child in the stories 3. Examining whether these stories can be considered as children's works.DiscussionIn this section, I investigate Chambers' components of implied reader in the stories. StyleIn the analysis of style, plot, tone, figures of speech, imagery, choice of words, omissions occurred in the process of retellings, simplification and compression of stories in the retellings are considered. The main weakness of plot in most stories is underdeveloped obstacles the protagonists face to conquer. In other words, the plot is devoid of serious challenges or they are very superficial in that a character rather than the child solves the problems quickly; while no space of inquiry, problem-solving, decision-making and constructing subjectivity is left for the child. Imageries are weak too. The words are very formal and adult-like and sensory verbs are rarely used. The tone of speech is serious, cold, and distant from the child. It is used in an abstract and descriptive way. The omission of parts of the story and fading the humor are stylistic changes in retellings that has reduce the aesthetics of the work. point of viewThe omniscient and limited third person point of view are the two dominant points of view for narrating these stories. Surprisingly, no stories are narrated in first peson and the child is not the narrator. Taking sideDue to strict educational goals, most of the stories do not take side of children as much as they should, and hence, didacticism leaves no space for being child-likeness, and experiencing childhood. The tone of the narrator in these stories is warning and cautionary; The child has obey the adult's warnings about the consequences of her/ his actions and not transgressing them, otherwise s/he will be faced with the result of her/his behavior. Tell-tale gapsRegarding tell-tale gaps, there are deep deficiencies. The stories do not call for the ambiguity and not allowing the reader to have different interpretations so that the reader cannot participate in meaning-making. It seems that the reason for this is the tendency towards strong didacticism, in that the priority is the message transmitted, not giving space to the audience to create meaning.ConclusionIn this research, I have investigated three questions: 1. Can the stories used in the elementary school Persian textbooks draw the child into the text? How do these stories establish relationship with the child? 2. What concept of the child is embedded in these stories? 3. Can these stories be considered children's work or not? The answer to the first question is negative. the concept of child embedded in these stories is a static child who does not participate in meaning-making and imagination. The stories do not "halve this matter amicably". S/he is an ignorant and cognitively incomplete being whom, under the heavy shadow of adult authority, must submit to intense didacticism in order to reach the adulthood developmental endpoint. Given the findings, the answer to the third question seems negative. But what is the solution? I suggest that the textbook policymakers and authors need to benefit from existing children's literature which can both meet the goals of literacy and language learning intended by formal education and establish a democratic relationship with the child by taking her/him into account.Keyword: Aiden Chambers, Implied Reader, Story, Elementary school Persian textbooks, Child ReferencesAmiri Khorasani, Ahmed; Sadrizadeh, Nagin. (2017). A study of audience development in children's and young adult resistance literature. (based on Aiden Chambers' theory of "the reader in the book"). Journal of resistance literature, 18, 25-52. (in Persian)Berger, M. (2017). Reading mathematics text: a study of two empirical readings. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. 17 (2), 3Biesta, G. J.J. (2004). "Mind the gap!": Communication and the educational relation. In C. Bingham & A. M. Sidorkin (Eds), No education without relation (11-22), New York: Peter Lang. Chambers, A. (2008). the reader in the book. In M. Khosronejad, in quest for the centre (ed) (pp 113-152). Tehran: Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. (in Persian)Guerin, W. L; et al (2005). A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. Fifth edition. New York: Oxford University Press.Herman, D; Jahn, M; & and Ryan, M.L. (eds). (2010). Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory. London: Routledge.Hessampour, S. (2010). A study of implied reader in in Ahmad Akbarpour's fiction (based on Aiden Chambers' theory). Journal of Children's Literature Studies, 1 (1), 101-127. (in Persian)Hessampour, S; Pirsufi Amalshipour, Z; and Asadi, S. (2012). The implied reader in two of Ahmadreza Ahmadi's children's fiction. Literary Criticism, 21, 111-135. (in Persian)Johnson, G & Arp, T. R. (2018). Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sens (13th edition). Australia: CENGAGE Learning.Khazaei, Dawood et, al. (Unpublished). Encyclopedia of children's literature. (in Persian)Khosronjad, M. (2003). Innocence and experience: an introduction to the philosophy of children's literature. Third edition. Tehran: Nahr-e-Marzan. (in Persian)Kiefer, B. (2002). Charlotte Huck's children's literature (children's literature in the elementary school). U.S.A: McGraw-Hill HumanitiesMcCallum, R. (1999). Ideologies of identity in adolescent fiction: The dialogic construction of subjectivity. New York: Garland publishing.McGillis, R. (1991). The embrace: Narrative voice and children's books. Canadian Children's Literature. 63, 24-40.Mirzaei Perkali, J; and Gholami, F. (2017). From theory to practice: a study of " the reader in the book" in Aiden Chambers' A Handful of Wheat. Research in Contemporary World Literature, 23 (1), 215-234. (in Persian)Moini, F; and Hessampour, S. (2018). Implied reader as the criterion for text selection in retelling (a study of implied reader in Kalileh and Demaneh based on the theory of Aiden Chambers). Textual criticism of Persian literature. 4 (44). 1-16. (in Persian)National curriculum of the Islamic Republic of Iran. (2011). Tehran: Higher Council of Education in cooperation with Educational Research and Planning Organization. (in Persian)Nikolajeva, M. (2005). Aesthetic approaches to children's literature: an introduction. Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.Salehi, P; and Bagheri, K. (2015). A study of implied reder in Zakaria Tamer's children's fiction based on the theory of Aiden Chambers'. Lasan Mobeen Quarterly (Arabic Literature Research), 26, 45-71. (in Persian)Sell, R. d. (2002). children's literature as communication. Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing CompanyShabani, A. (2016). De-childization in elementary textbooks in Iran. Quarterly Journal of the Iranian Association for Cultural and Communication Studies, 46, 37-69.Short, C.G. (2011). Reading literature in elementary classroom. In S. Wolf, K. Coats P. Enciso & C. Jenkins (Eds), Handbook of research on children's and young adult literature (pp 48-62). New York: outledge.Sobhi Mohtadi, F. (1387). Sobhi's tales. Vol. 2. Tehran: Moin. (in Persian)Weinberg, A., & Wiesner, E. (2011). Understanding mathematics textbooks through reader-oriented theory. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 76, 49–63.

Research Paper

Mythological Insights into Children's Fantasy Stories of the Eighties

Emran Sadeghi; BIJAN ZAHIRINAV; MAHDI ROSTAMI

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 111-134

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.34957.1735

Abstract

Mythological Insights into Children's Fantasy Stories of the Eighties Emran Sadeghi Assistant of Persian Language & Literature,University of Mohaghegh ... Read More Mythological Insights into Children's Fantasy Stories of the Eighties Emran Sadeghi Assistant of Persian Language & Literature,University of Mohaghegh ArdabiliBijan Zahirinav Associate of Persian Language & Literature,University of Mohaghegh ArdabiliMahdi RostamiAssistant of Persian Language & Literature,University of Mohaghegh ArdabiliIntroduction Myth is one of the original sources of children's stories. Every child's imagination contains all the experiences that human beings have had through history. The scope of this reflection is especially evident in the fantasy genre. Fantasy also has an essential affinity with myth. The direction of both implies something beyond reality. Myth should be considered as a Minoan story, the origin of which is usually unknown, and is a description of a natural action, belief, institution, or phenomenon that is inextricably linked to religious mirrors and beliefs. In children's stories, elements of myth and fantasy are widely used. MethodThe present study aims to investigate the connection between the fantasy stories of children and adolescents with myths in a descriptive-analytical way by studying the fantasy stories of the eighties. In our opinion, these aspects are the origin of fantasy stories. The aspects studied in this article are: plant-human characteristics, mythical characters such as giants and fairies, magic, the archetype of the hero's journey, metamorphosis and animism. The stories studied in this research have been selected from the authors of the field of children and adolescent literature. DiscussionUsing mythical elements is not a goal for a fantasy writer; it is a very effective tool. With these elements, he/she can create a new world full of surprises for the audience. The child is a myth-oriented being and the subconscious layers of his/her mind are still connected to the mythical world and its connections; therefore, he/she will enjoy the story the most.The story of Six-Thousand-Year-Old Green Man by Fariba Kalhor is based on the ideas of plant-human myths. This story is a description of a green man that is six millennia old. He has been the companion of many people and scientists. Even the title of the eleventh chapter of the book is human-plant. The six-thousand-year-old green man, like the legendary Gilgamesh, seeks the mystery of immortality.Another story in which human-plant features are evident is the famous story Nokhody [The Little Pea] by Qasemnia. This story is rooted in the Persian myth of the plant growing from tears. In Nokhodi stories, which have been rewritten based on ancient stories, we encounter the birth of a plant from human tears.The Fairy of the Palm Grove by Hossein Fattahi uses mythical characters such as the fairy. In creating the unreal characters of the story, in addition to the capacities of those characters, the author has also paid attention to their mythological aspects, such as pigeons and crows. The important point is that the author pays attention to the ecology of the southern region. The author has chosen the characters of his story from the birds and plants of the same area. The fairy of the palm grove who is one of the most important characters in the story is originally a palm tree.Animals are often used in children's stories. We witness this fact in the previous story and also in Autumn on the Train by Mohammad-Kazem Mazinani, in which part of the story is based on the relationship between a child and some animals.The magic object expresses one of the most important human needs. Many fantasy stories are based on the pattern of the magical object, and we will confine ourselves to the story Three Magical Whistles. In this story, too, the child character of the story takes refuge in a magical whistle in the face of danger and insecurity.The fantasy world is also a world of wonders. Some of these creations are in the form of animal-shaped sculptures in fantasy stories. The two stories of The Boy Who Became a Crow by Mohammad Kazem Mazinani and The Wolves Do Not Cry by Mohammad Reza Yousefi are written based on metamorphosis. Rebellion against oneself and against one's false traits can be the basis for writing a beautiful didactic story. To do this, the author has resorted to symbolism, as the wolf is a symbol of the ugly and predatory aspect of man.A large part of the texts produced for children and adolescents deal with the issue of animism in different forms. In addition to representing the mythical mentality of their creators and their audiences in the form of poems, songs and anecdotes, they are also important from an aesthetic point of view. Animism is very evident in the story Autumn on the Train. ConclusionMythology is the source of inspiration for children's stories because every child in his/her imagination provides the seeds of all the experiences that human beings have gone through in their history. The child discovers fire like a primitive human. There is no way that the early man walked through and the child does not walk in his/her childhood world and his/her games. The subconscious layers of the child's mind are still connected to the mythical world and its connections; therefore, the poet and writer of children and adolescents’ stories and especially poems in which the dominance of consciousness is less, make use of their mythical mentality in the moment of composing poetry for them and communicate with their audience through that part of their minds.Many aspects of mythic insight are influential in children's stories, especially children's fantasy stories. Mythical characters, the re-creation of mythical stories, the archetype of the hero's journey, and animism have an undeniable effect. It can be said that any story that has benefited the most from mythology has been more welcomed by children and adolescents.The space that pervades fantasy stories is highly dependent on mythological elements, especially animism and identification which in fantasy stories is not cross-sectional; it can be seen throughout the text of the story and turns the story into a whole. Keywords: Children's literature, fantasy, myth, magic, archetype.References Abyar, N. (2009). The boy with a worm on his shoulder and the moat. Ofoq.Akbarpour, A. (2010). Three magic whistles. Ofoq.Amuzadeh-Khalili, F. (2009). Black yellow. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.Amuzegar, J. (2008). Mythical history of Iran. SAMT.Armstrong, K. (2007). The great transformation: The world in the time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah (N. Pashaei & E. Pashaei, Trans.). Forouzan.Aydanloo, S. (2002). Mythical motif of the growth of plants from humans and its reflection in Shahnameh and Persian literature. National Conference of Iranian Studies. Iranian Studies Foundation.Bahar, M. (1974). Iranian myths. Iranian Culture Foundation.Barthes, R. (2008). An introduction to structuralist analysis of narratives (M. Ragheb, Trans.). Farhang-e Saba.Beaucorps, M. de (1997). Les symboles vivants (J. Sattari, Trans.). Markaz.Bettelheim, B. (2004). Children need stories (K. Behroozkia, Trans.). Afkar.Christensen, A. (2004). Les types du rremier homme et du prmier roi dans l'historie legendaire des Iraniens (J. Amouzegar & A. Tafazzoli, Trans.). Cheshmeh.Eliade, M. (1989). Myth and reality (N. Zangouei, Trans.). Papyrus.Eliade, M. (2008). Myth and mystery (J. Sattari, Trans.). Markaz.Eqtedari, A. (1976). The land of kings (2nd Volume). National Heritage Society.Faranbagh Dadegi. (2001). Bundahish (M. Bahar, Trans.). Tous.Fattahi, H. (2009). Fairy of the palm tree grove. Qadyani.Hesampour, S. & Arameshfard, S. (2010). A look at the narrative dimensions of Ahmad Akbarpour’s story, Three magic whistles, based on the theory of Maria Nikolaeva. Journal of Children’s Literature Studies, 3 (1), pp. 19-46.Hinnells, J. (2003). Persian mythology (J. Amouzegar & A. Tafazzoli, Trans.). Farhang-e Moaser.Horri, A. (2014). This imaginative pen: Poetics of horror, marvels and miracle literature. Ney.Horri, A. (2009). Function of archetypes in classical and contemporary Persian poetry in light of a structuralist approach to Shamlou’s poetry. Mystical and Mythical Literature, 5 (15), pp. 9-33.Hosseini, M. & Azimi, M. (2016). Analysis of Iranian fairy tales based of Bettelheim’s theories. Popular Culture and Literature, 4 (9), pp.102-124.Jahandideh, S. (2012). Time, narrative, identity: How to understand time in the imaginative narratives of West and Iran. Studies in Literature, No. 19, pp. 121-151.Kalhor, F. (2001). The six-thousand-year-old green man. Mehrab-e Qalam.Kaviani-Pouya, H. (2017). Comparative study of the creation of human in the mythology and religions of Iran and Mesopotamia. Comparative Theology, 7 (17), pp. 139-156.Khanian, J. (2010). Childhood of the earth. Amir-Kabir.Khosrownejad, M. (2004). Innocence and experience. Markaz.Leick, G. (2010). A dictionary of ancient near eastern mythology (R. Behzadi, Trans.). Tahouri.Mazinani, K. (2008). Autumn in the train. Soureye Mehr.Mohammadi, A. & Rouzbehani, A. (2012). I have a fantasy in seven days of the week. Journal of Children’s Literature Studies, No. 5, pp. 87-108.Mohammadi, M. H. (1999). Fantasy in children’s literature. Rouzegar.Parsanasab, M. & Manavi, M. (2015). Changes in the motif of crow from mythology to popular culture. Popular Culture and Literature, 1 (1), pp. 71-92.Parsinejad, K. (2005). We had a war, we had a story. Sarir.Pouladi, K. (2008). Principles of children’s literature. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.Pourkhalqi, M. & Jalali, M. (2010). Fantasy and methods of fantasy-making for Shahnameh in children’s and adolecents’ literature. Journal of Children’s Literature Studies, 1 (1). 55-73.Qasemnia, S. (2009). Adventures of Nokhodi. Peydayesh.Qazal Iyaq, S. (2007). Children’s and adolescents’ literature and reading promotion. SAMT.Rastegar-Fasaei, M. (2004). Transformation in myths. Research Institute for Social Sciences and Cultural Studies.Razi, A. & Hajati, S. (2011). Analysis of the signs of non-verbal communication in the story Two friends. Journal of Children’s Literature Studies, 2 (1), pp. 91-114.Rowshanfekr, K. (2013). Symbol, mask and myth in resistance poetry of Qeisar Aminpour. Literary Devices, Esfahan University, 5 (1), pp. 35-52.Salajeqeh, P. (2008). From this eastern garden. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.Sarkarati, B. (2006). Hunted shadows. Qatreh.Sarmadi, M. (2004). Faramarznameh. Society for the National Heritage of Iran.Shamisa, S. (1994). Literary genres. Ferdows.Shaygan, D. (2012). Mythical insight. Asatir.Yahaqqi, M. J. (2012). Encyclopedia of myths and fables. Farhang-e MoaserYousefi, M. R. (2010). Wolves don’t cry. Ofoq.

Research Paper

Reproduction of Traditional Ideas of Gender Discourse in Children and Adolescents’ Writings

Fatemeh Farshchi; Ghodratallah Taheri

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 135-160

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.37770.1804

Abstract

Reproduction of Traditional Ideas of Gender Discourse in Children and Adolescents’ Writings Fatemeh FarshchiMA in Children's & Adult LiteratureShahid beheshti 's University ... Read More Reproduction of Traditional Ideas of Gender Discourse in Children and Adolescents’ Writings Fatemeh FarshchiMA in Children's & Adult LiteratureShahid beheshti 's University of Tehran Ghodratallah Taheri Associate of Persian Language & Literature,Shahid beheshti 's University of Tehran IntroductionSince 1989, in addition to its cultural and literary content, The Speaking Doll magazine has published manuscripts for children and adolescents in the form of stories and essays on specific topics. In these writings, child readers have appeared as authors. Various aspects of these texts can be analyzed. In the present study, we will analyze how children and adolescents reflect their gender identity in their narratives and stories. Using Norman Fairclough's critical discourse analysis approach, children's autobiographical texts at three levels of description, interpretation and explanation have been studied and analyzed to show how their gender identity is represented.Gender identity is the most important part of any person's identity. The gender that people are born with creates characteristics and traits for them from the very beginning and affects all aspects of their lives. Children gain their gender identity around the age of three, and especially in the final years of childhood, they begin to identify with their same-sex parent. The boy considers a male role model and the girl considers a female role model. By reinforcing these patterns, they gradually acquire gender roles. Gender roles are a set of behaviors that any society, based on its definition of “masculinity” and “femininity”, deems appropriate for people of that gender.In recent years, there have been many changes in attitudes toward gender and gender roles in Iranian society and family. Therefore, in view of these changes and distancing from the traditional approach of the patriarchal family, it seems necessary to examine the extent of change in the perceptions of children and adolescents of their genders. MethodologyIn this research, using Norman Fairclough’s theories and critical analysis of discourse, stories and writings (essays) of children and adolescents that have been published in The Speaking Doll magazine from 2001 to 2009 have been reviewed. In addition to critical discourse analysis, some sociological and psychological theories about gender have been used. The following questions have been the focus of the study:What are the most prominent gender characteristics that each child or adolescent writer has described for themselves?What is the gender role of children and adolescents in these stories?To what extent are the sentences, phrases and conversations of the characters in the stories influenced by gender stereotypes?What are the attitudes of children and adolescents towards those of the same and the opposite gender in these stories?Given the vast changes that have taken place in the institution of the Iranian family in today's world, what is the reaction of children in their writings to gender stereotypes in the last two decades?According to the qualitative approach of the work, to answer these questions, we selected and reviewed 56 texts written by children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 using purposive sampling, of which 40 were stories and 16 essays. These samples, selected from texts written by children and adolescents in the two decades of 2000 (20 cases) and 2010 (36 cases), each of them reflected the gender identity of their authors. It should be noted no study has been done so far on children's writings in Iran. Discussion In the stories of children and adolescents, the narratives of boys are often centered on their own gender, and in few cases, such as the subject of the essay, they comment on girls. But this is not the case with girls. Girls write texts in which the main characters and protagonists are boys. In addition to this, we frequently encounter texts written by girls who wish to become boys.In addition, in examining the important gender stereotypes that have been reflected in the writings of children and adolescents, we found that the extent and manner in which female gender stereotypes are represented has changed significantly in the two decades of 2000 and 2010. In the 2000s, women are mostly represented by the cliché of the housewife, and then, by other clichés such as the victim and the beautiful woman. But in the 2010s, women are dramatically less represented in the stereotype of the housewife, and most representations of women were beautiful and passive woman. Also, for the cliché of submissive woman which was reflected in several texts in the 2000s, no examples were found in the texts studied in the 2010s.In the case of male gender stereotypes, men are mostly represented by the stereotype of violent man in the 2000s, but the use of this stereotype sharply declines in 2010s. The stereotypes of man in the outside world, the strong man and the smart man have been the most frequent in the 2000's. Also in the 2010's, the stereotypes of man in the outside world, the violent man and the working man are used most frequently. In addition, we encountered 7 cases of breaking or questioning a particular gender stereotype in the texts of the 2010s, while we found only one such case in the texts of the 2000s.It should be noted that these changes are related to a part of a story or narrative, and the child or adolescent author represents the traditional discourse of gender in other parts of his / her writing. In addition to what has been said, other results have been obtained from the analysis of the samples examined in the text of the research. In these texts, 14 stories and narratives have compared the two genders, of which 13 or 93% of them, considered the boy as the superior sex and only one case or 7% considered the girl as the superior sex. There is no mention of equality between the two sexes. ConclusionAs a general result, it can be said that the Iranian society is moving towards modernity and we are witnessing changes in gender ideas, including changes in the gender roles of women in society, under the influence of the western discourses; however, the traditional discourse in Iranian society also plays a role in reproducing some of the gender stereotypes and it can be well seen in the writings of children who are directly and indirectly influenced by this discourse. In other words, in the minds of children and adolescents, male and female roles are formulated separately based on the remnants of the patriarchal system. Keywords: The Speaking Doll, gender ideas, Critical Discourse Analysis, Fairclough, ideology, child and adolescent writers ReferencesAkbarzadeh, N. (2019). I'm still washing. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 315.Coupland, N. & Jaworski, A. (1999) The discourse reader. Routledge.Fairclough, N. (2000). Critical discourse analysis (S. Piran, Trans.). Center for Media Studies and Research. Garret, S. (2017). Sociology of Gender (K. Baqaei, trans.). Ney.Ghasemlooeian, S. (2008). Fatherly curse. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 201-202. Hasan, F. (2004). Reza supermarket. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 146.Jenadeleh, A. & Rahnama, M. (2015). Transformation in the conventional model of the Iranian family. Family Research Quarterly. 39: 277-296.Jorgensen, M. & Philips, L. (2010). Discourse analysis as theory and method (H. Jalili, Trans.). Ney. Kiani, K. (2010). Doomsday. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 219.Mahdavi-hezaveh, A. (2014). But well, I'm not a girl! The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 269-270.Makaryk, I. R. (2005). Encyclopedia of literary theories (M. Mohajer & M. Nabavi, Trans.). Agah.Mardani, M. (2016). Who would you like to be? The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 295-296.Mir-Mohammad-Rezaei, Z. & Sarookhani, B. (2018). The Role of globalization in the changes of the Iranian family in the last two decades. Cultural and Educational Quarterly of Women and the Family, 44: 131-164.Motamednejad, K. (2010). Communications in the contemporary world. Shahr.Paknia, M. & Mardiha, M. (2009). Dominance of gender. Ney.Rezaei, M. (2011). In old times. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 230.Rouh, P. (2014). Happy family. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 267-268.Sadeghi, S. & Erfanmanesh, I. (2017). Discourses and the Iranian family: The sociology of family patterns; after the controversies of modernity in Iran. University of Tehran Press.Saeedi, A. (2016). Would you like to be someone else? The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 293-294.Salamat, S. (2017). I was destroyed. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 303. Serri, R. (2015). According to the title. The Speaking Doll Magazine, No. 289-290.Trudgill, P. (1997). Sociolinguistics: An introduction to language and society (M. Tabatabaei, trans.). Agah.

Research Paper

Manifestation of Spirituality in Claire Joubert's Child Stories Based on the Theory of Communication Consciousness

Fateme Ghane; Mohammad Reza Najjarian; Majid Pooyan

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 161-186

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.38951.1839

Abstract

Manifestation of Spirituality in Claire Joubert's Child Stories Based on the Theory of Communication Consciousness IntroductionSpirituality is one of the dimensions of human existence. ... Read More Manifestation of Spirituality in Claire Joubert's Child Stories Based on the Theory of Communication Consciousness IntroductionSpirituality is one of the dimensions of human existence. There are different tendencies in the definition of spirituality. The historical tendency is that spirituality is known as a subset of religion (Koenig , 2011: 198). In Islamic education, spirituality is also known in relation to religion, and one will be a spiritual person who is a true religious person. While the other group does not necessarily consider spirituality limited to the structure of religion. The existence of different theories in the field of hopeful spirituality is that spirituality has been one of the most important issues in human history throughout history, as far as the discourse of spirituality for children is more than ever considered. In this article, we have used the theory of "communication awareness", which is one of the most codified theories in the field of children's spirituality, as the scientific framework of our discussion. Therefore, first we will review the background of the research, then we will explain the theory of communication awareness and its outlines, and based on what He and Nye have explained, we will redefine the foundations of this theory for use in critique of children's stories. Materials & MethodsRebecca Nye first introduced the "theory of communication awareness" in 1998 in her thesis entitled "Psychological Perspectives on the Spirituality of Children". She later introduced the concept in her co-authored book with David Hay, “The Spirit of the Child” (2006) and numerous articles. According to He and Nye, there are five elements in the discussion of children's spirituality: "contexts, conditions, strategies, processes and consequences" (Nye, 1998: 236). The contexts encompass four axes of communication with which spirituality forms: God, other people, the world and own. The themes in children's spiritual stories are reflected into the main source of the story. Condition is the language chosen by the author to convey spiritual concepts to the child. Strategies is the author's strategy to bring spiritual concepts to the story and Finally, in the processes and consequences section, the part of the character changes that the author refers to directly or indirectly in the story is considered as part of the consequences and the main consequences are also interpreted based on the characters' moods, conversations and behaviors at the end of the story. Results & DiscussionFollowing four books by Claire Joubert based on the theory of communicative consciousness:In search of GodThe background of this book is about the child's relationship with God. In terms of circumstances, Joubert used religious language. Dealing directly with the concept of God, which is essentially a religious concept, illustrates this claim. God is also described throughout the story in a way that is often described in Islamic religious literature. In the strategies section, searching and asking questions is the main strategy that the author has dealt with in writing this spiritual work, and the consequence of this story is more knowledge of God.God's cookiesAccording to the theme, the main theme of this book is about the relationship between the child and others. In terms of context, the language that Claire Joubert chooses to convey spiritual concepts in this book is, on the one hand, a religious language and, on the other, a language of values and morals. In this story, Joubert's most important strategy is search and travel scenario. Finally, the most important consequence that accompanies the audience is a change in the little bear's attitude.Goodbye old raccoonThe main theme of this book focuses on the child's relationship with the world and the axis of transmission of spiritual concepts is based on the subject of death, life before birth and continuation of life after death. In the context section, Joubert conveys spiritual concepts from the passage of religious language to children. His most important strategy in this story is to use symbolic space to express spiritual concepts. The main allegory of this story, that is, the child coming out of the mother's womb, on the basis of which the raccoon describes the process of death, is based on a word from the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Ultimately, the consequence of reading this book for children, in addition to awareness of the quality of death and the world after it, is a sense of peace and confidence in the ultimate good.The grief of the little green lizardThe main context of this book and the spiritual concept that the author intended to convey to the child is in the context of the child's relationship with himself. The language that Keller has used in this book, according to his direct hints, is derived from the concept of God as creator, from religion. In addition to religious language, the author has also used the language of the natural world. Ultimately, the result of reading this book is a sense of calm, gratitude, and a sense of worth. ConclusionThe results of our studies show; In the context section, Joubert includes all four contextual axes in the theory of communicative consciousness in his fiction books. In the context section, the most important space that the author receives and carries spiritual concepts to children is the religious literature. In each of the four books in this article, the religious attitude has a strong role in the selection of subjects and ideas and thoughts and actions of fictional characters. It seems the author's personal life and the discussion of religion change from Christianity to Islam and then his theological education (level of two areas) are one of the key factors of this tendency and concern in this area. Finally, the most important process and consequence of these four spiritual stories is primarily to change the level of spiritual awareness and attitude of children, and secondly, the ending of the stories, induces a sense of peace and confidence in the ultimate good. Also in the consequences section, we can mention the sense of worth and gratitude (in the grief of the little green lizard) and the sense of moral goodness (in the God’s cookies) that accompany the audience at the end of the story. Keywords: Relational consciousness, David Hay, Rebbeca Nye, Claire Joubert, Children's spirituality. Resources:English:Ann M. Trousdale. (2004). “Black and white fire: the interplay of stories,imagination and children's spirituality”, International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 9:2, 177-188(2005). “Intersections of spirituality, religion and gender” in children’s literature, International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 10:1, 61-79Bigger, S. (2008). “Secular spiritual education?”, e-journal of the British Education Studies Association, 1(1), 60-70.Bosacki, S. L. (2002). “Spirituality and self in preadolescents: Implications for a connected curriculum”. Journal of Beliefs and Values , 23 (1), 55 - 67.Engel, G.L. (1977). “The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine”. Science, 196, 129–136.(1978). “The biopsychosocial model and the education of health professionals”. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1978, 310, 169–187.Halstead, J. M. & Waite, S. (2001). “Nurturing the spiritual in children’s sexual Development”. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 6 (2), 185 - 206.Hay, David & Nye, Rebecca (1996) "Identifying Children's Spirituality: How Do You Start Without a Starting Point?", British Journal of Religious Education, 18:3, 144-154(2006). The Spirit of the Child. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley PublishersHunt, Peter. (2009). "Children’s literature and childhood", in An introduction to childhood studies. P50-69. Edited by Mary Jane Kehily. New York: Open University PressKoenig, H. G. (2011). Spirituality & health research: Methods, measurement, statistics & resources. West Conshohocken, PA, USA: Templeton Press.Nye, Rebecca. (1998). Psychological perspectives on children's spirituality. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.Schweitzer, Friedrich. (2006). "Differences Between Religion and Spirituality in Children and Adolescents" in Encyclopedia of Religious and Spiritual Development. P119-122. edited by Elizabeth M. Dowling, W. George Scarlett. London and New York: Sage Publication.Thomas, Trudelle. (2006). "Literature, Children’s" in Encyclopedia of Religious and Spiritual Development. P262-265. Edited by Elizabeth M. Dowling, W. George Scarlett. London and New York: Sage Publication.Wenman, T. (2001). “Reporting the spiritual in primary schools”. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 6 (3), 311 - 324. Persian:The Holy QuranIbn Babawiyyah, Muhammad ibn Ali. (2010) altoohid. Translated by Yaghoub Jafari, Qom: Nasim Kowsar.Baghgoli, Hossein. (2013) A Critical Study of Spiritual Education in the Contemporary World: A Comparison of Religious and Emerging Spiritualities in the Field of Education, PhD Thesis. Faculty of Education and Psychology. Mashhad Ferdowsi University.Bahonar, Nasser (2008) Teaching Religious Concepts Along with Developmental Psychology, Tehran, International Publishing Company.Payende, Abolghasem (2003) Nahj al-Fasaha Collection of short words of Hazrat Rasool P. Fourth Edition, Tehran: The World of Knowledge.Tamimi Amadi, Abdul Wahid Ibn Muhammad (1987) Tasnif Gharr al-Hakam and Dar al-Kalam. First Edition, Qom: Advertising Office.Hamili, Parvin, A Study of Religious themes in Children's Literature, Publications of the Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents, 1980s, M.Sc. Thesis, Supervised by Hamid Khanian, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch, 2014.Zolfaghari, Azam and Franak Forouzanfar. (2014). "Childish verses; "A Study of teaching the themes of theology to children in the Works of Claire Joubert with Emphasis on Four Special Stories." Journal of Children and Adolescents Book Review, No. 3, pp. 278-265.Zare, Fatemeh, Pathological study of the theological techniques in children's literature of the eighties, master's thesis, under the guidance of Zarrin Taj Wardi, Shiraz University, 2015.Joubert, Keller. (2005) In Search of God. Tehran: Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.ــــــــــــــــــ. (2006) Grief of the little green lizard. Tehran: Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.ــــــــــــــــــ. (2008) God's cookies. Tehran: Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.ــــــــــــــــــ. (2009) Goodbye old raccoon. Tehran: Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.Siouti, Abdul Rahman Ibn Abu Bakr (1429 AH) Al-Jame 'Al-Saghir. Volume 2, Beirut: Dar al-Fikr for printing, publishing and distribution.Salehifar, Nasim, Analysis of Islamic Thoughts in Children and Adolescent Fiction 1921- 1978 Master thesis, led by Ali Mohammadi, Bu Ali Sina University, 2011.Qayyumi, Samira and Zahra Jalaifar.( 2017). "The capacity to rewrite the mystical texts in order to promote the spiritual development of children according to the theory of communication awareness", the ninth national convention of language research and Persian literature, Birjand, https://civilica.com/doc/829392._______________________ 2017. “Spirituality in Children's Poetry Based on the Theory of Communication Awareness ", Clear Spirituality: Abstract of the National Conference on Children and Adolescent Literature and Spirituality, Mashhad.Majlisi, Mohammad Baqher (1404 AH) Baharalanvar. J 74, Beirut: Dar al-Fikr.Mohammadi, Mohammad Hadi (1999) Methodology of Criticism of Children's Literature. Tehran: Author.Mughniyeh, Mohammad Javad. (2003) A new approach to Islam. Translated by Ali Reza Ismail Abadi. Mashhad: Behnsher Publications.

Research Paper

Critical Analysis of Discourse in the Novel “Shabhaye Bisetareh” Based on Norman Fairclough

Mohamad Mojavezi; Tara Akbarzadeh

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 187-210

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.38770.1829

Abstract

Critical Analysis of Discourse in the Novel “Shabhaye Bisetareh” Based on Norman FaircloughExtended abstract IntroductionDiscourses have a two-way relationship with society; ... Read More Critical Analysis of Discourse in the Novel “Shabhaye Bisetareh” Based on Norman FaircloughExtended abstract IntroductionDiscourses have a two-way relationship with society; On the one hand, the ruling powers of the society attempt to form discourses aligned with themselves, and on the other hand, the discourses shape society's thoughts in the process of their naturalization. The critical approach of discourse pays attention to the relationship between ideology and power in society structures, especially cultural structures. The most prominent branch in this approach is Norman Fairclough's critical analysis of discourse, which deals with three levels: 1- description of linguistic structures, 2- interpretation of the context and context of discourse production, 3- explanation of the relationship between power and discourse in the text. MethodThis research is based on the approach of critical discourse analysis by Norman Fairclough and in a descriptive-analytical way, relying on examples of the text. DiscussionEvery ideology, in its structure, feeds on assumptions and value systems that are individualized in a person or group. One of the approaches of discourse analysis is to examine the relationship between power and Dominant and defeated discourses. Among the naturalized discourses in all societies are misogynist discourses. In this novel, the dominant discourse, using its power that it has institutionalized in the structures of society, based on the attitude of absolute valuation and religious and traditional beliefs, it places women in a lower position than men and through this gender valuation, it deprives women of their authority over their destiny and makes them under the guardianship of men., and then by naturalizing this ideology, it limits and controls women in all structures of society, including the family. On the one hand, with critical questions, the narrator enters into a conversation with the dominant discourse and interacts with it, and on the other hand, he tries to change its inhibiting elements in favor of his own discourse.The novel Shabhaye Bisetareh, which was written for teenagers, tries to make its audience think and ask questions in the face of this discourse. According to Fairclough's theory, the present research shows how anti-feminist elements flow in the heart of society and in the hidden layers of linguistic and social structures and how a teenager faces it.The author portrays the opposition of the two traditional and anti-traditional discourses in linguistic constructions, including words, pronouns and verbs that are ideologically charged, in the statements of the characters attributed to both discourses. Also, the process of making titles, which leads to the superiority of men and the inferiority of women in the traditional view, is one of the challenges raised in this novel. One of the elements of language that shows the ideological function of discourses is the naming process that the author used in the title of the novel to express his desired goal. The interpretation of a very beautiful paradox (starless nights), which is the name of the narrator and the central character of the story, on the one hand refers to the traditional discourse on the removal of “stars” and on the other hand, a symbolic interpretation of the evolution and awareness of “stars” in reaching it is one's rights that is associated with an image of a rainy and starless night.Using the war-torn atmosphere of the society, while showing the effort and ability of women to accompany men, the text shows one of the conflicts between these two approaches; Limiting a woman's role to the home and housekeeping is one of the common stereotypes in the traditional discourse governing the society in order to keep her away from social activities and as a result independence. The opposition and ridicule of the narrator's father to the activities of his wife and daughters outside the home, shows the devaluing of the role of women in social activities by the dominant discourse of the society, in contrast to the prominence of one of the figures of the tradition-breaking discourse -Mrs. Fahimi- in Roles such as the person in charge of the mosque base and his ability in martial training are an attempt that the text uses to neutralize the traditional attitude. The author also represents the reproduction of the traditional anti-feminist discourse by using several intertextualities that are suitable for the audience's age and questions it from the narrator's language. With the story of Khaleh Souske, it represents the historical position of Iranian women. Referring to the cartoon “Don Chuck Monogatari” is the author's attempt to break the society's sexist view and derogatory view of women and induce weakness, incapacity and fragility.The author's references to the book “A Room of One's Own”, which is a historical example of women's efforts to achieve their human freedom and is indicated and represented in the words of the narrator, emphasizes the need for women's independence and tries to underline the objectification of women. He asks questions and makes his audience think. The author uses the story “The Ugly Duckling” to show the rejection of the narrator by his family due to the violation of anti-woman laws. Finally, the narrator reaches maturity and self-awareness in his challenges against these beliefs and crosses the barrier. slow This metatext symbolically portrays the narrator's differentness and rejection, who represents all women in his position. At the same time that the novel shows the critical and questioning view of the youth in the face of the ideology ruling the society, it has implicitly shown its support for the anti-traditional discourse. ResultsThe obtained results show that language constructions in the dominant discourse are associated with a harsh and degrading tone towards women. The author has used the war-torn atmosphere of the society, where anti-women attitudes have been more intense, for his novel, which can be generalized to the current society as well, and shows the transition from traditional discourses that consider the position of men to be higher than women. It still faces many obstacles that make this transition slow and difficult. Since the ruling power strongly supports the anti-women discourse, the social structure, including the family, is at the service of this discourse, which causes domestic violence against women and their escape from the home environment. The extent and power of the dominant and traditional discourse in the structures of society is such that even women have made and accepted obedience to men as a moral behavior part of their belief. However, the novel did not intend to completely ignore the traditions and positive values of the society, rather it sought to modify the traditional attitude by challenging the traditional discourse.Keywords: Critical Approach, Shabhaye Bisetareh, Fairclough, Anti-woman discourseReferencesAhmadi, Babak. (2008). The mystery of modernity. Tehran: Markaz.Aqagolzadeh, Ferdows. (2007). Critical discourse analysis, Tehran: Elmi-Farhangi.Aqagolzadeh, Ferdows; Ghiasian, Maryam. (2007). Dominant approaches in critical discourse analysis, Language and linguistics, 3(5): 40-54.Tong, Rosemarie. (2008). A comprehensive introduction to feminist theories, Manizheh Najm Araqi, Tehran: Ney.HassaniFar, Abdolrahman. (2014). Discourse analysis as a method, Contemporary political essays, 5(1): 49-67.De Beauvoir, Simone. (2001). The Second Sex, Translated by Qasem Sanavi, Tehran: Tous.Soltani, Seyed AliAsqar. (2005). The power of discourse and language, Tehran: Ney.BahramPoor, ShabanAli. (2000). An introduction to discourse analysis and discourse analysis, Tehran: Farhang e Gofteman.Safavi, Kourosh. (2008). An introduction to semantics, Tehran: Research Institute of Islamic Culture and Art.Fowler, Roger. et al. (1990). Linguistics and literary criticism, Translated by Maryam Khouzan and Hossein Payandeh, Tehran: Ney.Fotouhi Roudmajani, Mahmoud. (2013). Stylistics; Theories, approaches and methods, Tehran: Sokhan.Fairclough, Norman. (2000). Critical analysis of discourse, Group of translators, Tehran: Media Studies and Research Center.Graham, Allen. (2010). Intertextuality, Translated by Payam Yazdanjou, Tehran: Markaz.Ganji, Hamzeh. (2007). General Psychology, Tehran: Savalan.Lotfipour Saedi, Kazem. (1993). An introduction to speech analysis, Journal of Linguistics, 9(1): 9-40.Makaryk, Irena Rima. (2003). Encyclopedia of contemporary literary theories, Translated by Mehran Mohajer and Mohammad Nabavi, Tehran: Agah.Morin, Edgar. (2005). Human identity, Translated by Amir Nikpey and Faezeh Mohammadi, Tehran: Qasideh Sora.Nafari, Marziyeh. (2016). Shabhaye Bisetareh, Tehran: Shahrestan Adab.Van Dijk, Teun Adrianus. (2003). Critical analysis of discourse, Izadi Translators Group, Tehran: Media Studies and Research Center, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.Woolf, Virginia. (2005). A Room of One's Own, Translated by Safoura Nourbakhsh, Tehran: Niloofar.Jorgensen, Marianne; Phillips, Louise. (2010). Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method, Translated by Hadi Jalili, Tehran: Ney.

Research Paper

Criticism of the Adolescent Novel “This Blog Will be Ceded" Based on the Principles of Lakanian Criticism

Ayoob Moradi

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 211-238

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.37231.1794

Abstract

Criticism of the Adolescent Novel “This Blog Will be Ceded" Based on the Principles of Lakanian Criticism AbstractLacanian criticism is a branch of contemporary literary ... Read More Criticism of the Adolescent Novel “This Blog Will be Ceded" Based on the Principles of Lakanian Criticism AbstractLacanian criticism is a branch of contemporary literary criticism that examines the process of subjectivity in the individual. The ideas of this branch of criticism come from the thoughts of Jacques Lakan, the renowned French psychologist Lakan considers the process of individuality to pass from the imaginary to the symbolic. In the imaginary stage, the child that cannot distinguish between objective and subjective does not differentiate himself or herself from the other. After the transition from infancy, the imaginary union of the child and the mother disappears upon the arrival of the father and the child enters the symbolic period. At the symbolic stage, the father and his law dominate. By acquiring language and internalizing many social rules, the child gains living Conditions in the symbolic stage. But, he can never be safe from the rush of sweet memories of the imaginary stage. Farhad Hassanzadeh, a well-known author of children's and adolescent literature, ‌ in the novel " This blog will be ceded " ‌, ‌ tells the story of a teenage boy named "Zal" whose absence of parents has had a profound psychological effect on his life. The two factors of mother's absence in childhood and father's departure in early adolescence play an important role in shaping Zal's psychological structure. Influenced by these two events, Zal has problems that have led him to a certain type of life. The presence of symptoms such as a strong desire to return to the imaginary union with the mother, turning to the substitute objects of maternal desire, and also wandering among the various objects of desire, shows that Lacan's approach is the best model through which the psychological characteristics of this character can be analyzed.MethodThis research has been done by descriptive content analysis method and in it, an attempt has been made to, according to Jacques Lacan's ideas in the fields of individuality process, imaginary realm, symbolic realm and father's name, the novel "This blog will be ceded" ‌ Farhad Hassanzadeh to be analyzed. In the method of content analysis, the main emphasis is on finding and presenting hidden messages in the text, and since the present study is writing to validate and expand the framework of Jacques Lacan's theory, it is of the directional content analysis method.DiscussionAccording to Lacan, in the Oedipal period, the child, realizing the mother's desire for the father, tries to maintain a bond of solidarity with his mother, which he experienced in the pre-Oedipal period, by imitating what the mother likes. According to Lacan, the mother, who is the center of the child's demands in infancy, becomes the central nucleus in the child's psyche, whose presence or absence can disrupt the child's psyche. In the story "This blog is ceded", the main character does not have a mother and has nothing in mind except fading memories.With the transition of the child from the imaginary realm to the symbolic realm, the imaginary bond between the child and the mother breaks and this issue eliminates the mother in the symbolic system; therefore, the subject tries to replace the lack of objects. In the symbolic realm, Zal replaces Ms. Turan with her mother. In different parts of the story, the reader can feel this. Whenever Zal talks about Turan, the desire to return to the feeling of wholeness and oneness of the imaginary realm arises in the mind. Zal's constant and unwanted attractions towards Turan's house, where the possibility of experiencing pre-Oedipal relaxation is represented, shows in story in different situations.However, as Jacques Lacan says, after the subject enters the symbolic realm, it is impossible to return to the imaginary realm. The lack of this impossibility is only filled by some objects, which Lacan calls small objects a. The most important object of Zal that covers the feeling of absence in her is Fariba, the daughter of Turan and Zal's lover.Both Fariba and Turan and even the character of Reza tailor are motherly symbols for Zal, which reminds her of the tranquility of the imaginary realm. That is why in Zal's mind, Fariba joins Turankhanum. According to the characteristics, we see of her, Fariba fits into Lacan's proposed system of small )a( object, but in Zal's fantasies, when there is no more step left than death and the rupture of the symbolic realm, Fariba remembers the main symbol of her mother's desire, Turankhanum. Zal cannot return to the realm of imaginary union with the mother; but it can restore that lost alliance with mother replacements.In addition to maternal symbols, Lacan also considers the subject of the small (a) object to be one of the main refuge of subjects in the symbolic realm. According to the evidence in the text, Zal cannot remain in the symbolic realm and is constantly seeking to escape from this realm. He cannot tolerate the homelessness of the symbolic realm and on the other hand, he cannot escape it. Paying attention to various objects of desire (small a), such as Fariba, Tuba (Fariba parrot) and, most importantly, the key group, each of which is a symbol of longing for the mother, are some of her attempts to escape the symbolic realm, but none of them succeed.In addition, in Lacan's model, the symbolic field of domination space of multiple signs has no meaning. The subject in this space cannot reach the signified and is only engaged in signs. Only the name of the father as the regulator of social law can free the subject from confusion between signs. Just as the subject first acquired a unified image in the age of the mirror, it is possible to achieve wholeness and unity in the symbolic realm by seeing oneself in the mirror of society. The father's name symbolically regulates social law. A child who survives the oedipal period symbolically imitates the father, and social rules and conscience are the result of the internalization of the father's character. It goes without saying that if this period of assimilation with the father is not done properly, the person will not have a stable personality and the constant hesitation resulting from this shortcoming will delay the process of identification in him. Since the father's name is a node that ends the permanent suspension of meaningless signals, his existence is considered a basic condition for stabilizing the character. Therefore, the faltering identity of Zal can be attributed to the absence of a father in his life.Result"Zal" is the protagonist of the story "This blog will be ceded", a child who is deprived of his parents. His mother was lost when he was a child, and his father left him to another person and suffered a vague fate. The loss of the mother, whose vague memories are in the corner of her mind, causes her to repeatedly throw herself from the symbolic to the imaginary tranquility of the imaginary realm with the aim of repeating sweet experiences. Zal also covers the absence of the mother in the symbolic realm by substituting maternal objects. Ms. Turan is the main maternal object for her; but besides this character, there are other characters such as Fariba and Reza Khayat who mix in Zal's mind with the character of Turan from the perspective of representing the peace of the lost mother. The consequence of the absence of the father also causes the permanent suspension of Zal among the multiple signs in the symbolic realm.refrenc- Eagleton, Terry (2001). Literary Theory: An Introduction, translated by Abbas Mokhber, Tehran: Markaz Publishing.- Iman, Mohammad Taqi and Mahmoudreza Noushadi (2018) "Qualitative Content Analysis", Research, Year 3, Number 2, pp. 15-44.- Bertens, Hans (2014). Literary Theory Basics, translated by Mohammad Reza Abolqasmi, Tehran: Mahi Publishing House.- Tabrizi, Mansoureh (2013) "Analysis of qualitative content from the perspective of analogical and inductive approaches", Social Sciences Quarterly, No. 64, pp. 105-138.- Payandeh, Hossein (2017). Critical Theory : An Interdisciplinary Course book, vol. 1, Tehran: Samit.- ......, ....... (2009). "Poetry "Winter" from the perspective of Lacan's psychoanalytic theory, literatury text research, vol. 42, pp. 46-27.- Jalahvand Alkami, Majid (2016). "The Boofe koor narrator in the chain of endless signifiers of symbolic order", Journal of Literary theory and Criticism, Year 6, Number 1, pp. 177-159.- ................, ........ (2014). "The Boof Koor narrator, death and gap in the symbolic system", Adab Pazhuhi, No. 33, pp. 36-9.- Hafeznia, Mohammadreza (2017) An Introduction to the Research Method in Humanities, Tehran: Samt.- Hassanzadeh, Farhad (2017). This blog is handed over, Tehran: Ofoq.- Zanjanbar, Amirhossein, Fateme Bostani and Gholamhossein Karimi Bostan (2019). " A psycho-metaphoric Analysis of Childish Story: ‘Something from Nothing’ Based on the Thory of Linguistic Unconscious", Journal of Literary Criticism and Rhetoric, Year 9, Number 1, pp. 33-66.- Žižek, Slavi (2017). Looking Awry, translated by Maziar Eslami and Saleh Najafi, Tehran: Ney Publishing- ........, ............. (1392). How to read Lacan, translated by Ali Behrouzi, Tehran: Rokhdade Now.- Schultz, Doan (2018). Personality theories, translated by Yousef Karimi et al., Tehran: Arasbaran- Ali Panahlou, Maherkh and Saeed Ahmadi Zawiya (2015). "A Comparative Study of Pari and Hamoon’s Encounter (in Mehrjui’s Movies) with Lacanian Symbolic Order”, Motaleate-e Tatbighi-e Honar, Year 6, Number 12, pp. 96-87.- Feist, Jess and Gregory Feist (2004). Theories of Personality, translated by Yahya Seyed Mohammadi, Tehran: Ravan.- Moradi, Narges, Ali Taslimi and Mohammad Ali Khazaneh Darlou (2017). "The ideal lover; Beloved - mother. A review of Lacanian love in the poem "The Cold Inside" by Ahmed Shamlou", Contemporary Persian Literature, Year 8, Number 1, pp. 195-220.- Homer, Shun (2008). Jacques Lacan, translated by Mohammad Ali Jafari and Mohammad Ebrahim Tahai, Tehran: Ghoghnoos- Mavlaly, Keramat (2013). Fundamentals of Freud-Lacan psychoanalysis, Tehran: Ney Publishing.

Research Paper

A Study and Analysis on the Discourse Disciplinary Techniques of Power and a Child’s Resistance Practices in Saedi’s Drama, Dikteh (Dictation)

Sara Matoori; Faramarz Khojasteh; Mostafa Sedighi

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 239-264

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.40028.1868

Abstract

A Study and Analysis on the Discourse Disciplinary Techniques of Power and a Child’s Resistance Practices in Saedi’s Drama, Dikteh (Dictation)Sara MatooriPhd Student in ... Read More A Study and Analysis on the Discourse Disciplinary Techniques of Power and a Child’s Resistance Practices in Saedi’s Drama, Dikteh (Dictation)Sara MatooriPhd Student in Persian Language and Literature, University of Hormozgan, saramatoori1981@gmail.comFaramarz KhojastehAssociate of Persian Language and Literature,University of Hormozgan faramarz.khojasteh@gmail.comMostafa Sedighi Associate of Persian Language and Literature,University of Hormozgan, navisa_man@yahoo.com IntroductionOne of the effective items on children’s living conditions in each era and society is the adults’ expectations from children. Officials and governments, on the one hand, and intellectuals, on the other hand, have undeniable effects on both the child and the concept of childhood. Each of them can lead a child to become obedient and passive or rebellious and active by means of their position and the means they own.Since the Nasseri era, in 1340 (Solar Hijri) (1960s), more attention was paid to studying children and the childhood era. This attention is reflected in the establishment of several children’s organizations and institutes. Establishing Children’s Book Council (1341 S.H, 1962 A.D), an NGO, along with two governmental institutes, i.e. Educational Publications (1341 S.H, 1962 A.D) and Children and Teens’ Intellectual Development Center (1344 S.H, 1965 A.D), shows that more attention was being paid to children’s identities and issues. These institutes and organizations, along with activities of authors and intellectuals, either right-wing or left-wing, under the predominance of discourses and ideologies, created a novel, different and even conflicting definitions of children and childhood.By the time of Reza Shah’s government coup, paying attention to children continued. Reza Shah’s militarism had led to a disciplined and punctuated army from one side, and from another side, to establishing military-like schools with the same style, discipline and arrangement. This kind of disciplinary technique took all army, corps to other organizations and institutes under its predominance. The establishment of schools in the form of the modern ones was one of the elements of progress and development, promising a change in the attitudes towards children and new era; however, they fostered uniformity, silence and obedience as the heritage of the past. It was as if schools were established to train obedient soldiers for the future in the age of dictatorship.In 1340s (1960s), a variety of intellectual mainstreams appeared and thus, various voices could be heard through this. Left-wing intellectuals are one of the most impressive intellectual mainstreams in that era. The effect of this group on the outlook toward children and childhood is undeniable. Methodology, Review of Literature and PurposeStudying the discourse of resistance –which was advertised and followed by these intellectuals –from one side, and the discourse of strength and traditions from another side, is necessary to find today’s children’s descent. The purpose of this study is the confrontation point of these two discourses regarding children and childhood, their method of confrontation, sociability, and their education.Gholam Hossein Saedi is one of the left-wing intellectual artists of the 1340s era. Since his adolescence, he expressed his enthusiasm in politics –or literally, escaping from incuriosity– when he joined the Toodeh party (Communist party in Iran), wrote articles and published different reviews. He wrote Dikteh in 1340s which brought him a lot of attention and received lots of criticism; however, there has been no research with the present research approach on this drama.In this study, the disciplinary techniques as well as children’s method of resistance against it shall be investigated and reviewed by means of the inductive qualitative context method and Michel Foucault’s opinions. The current study tries to find an answer to these questions: What disciplinary and criticism techniques are seen in this drama? What are their results? How does the child resist it? Does the confrontation and line-up of these two thoughts and mentalities seen in this drama release the child from the adults’ subduing string? DiscussionStudying the connection between the subject and power is one of Foucault’s main discussions. Foucault tries to show that applying strength will be possible by means of a mechanism which can be checked and classified as the disciplinary and its techniques. Foucault believes that power acts and moves on by marginalization, rejection, encouragement and punishment, permanent care and observation, and a pyramid hierarchal way. In Dikteh, these points can be seen as well. It shows a part of a student’s life who is supposed to be apparently assessed via an exam by teachers and schoolmaster for his literacy and science acquisition, while in fact, he is examined for his/her obedience. But the child / student does not obey and does not do whatever they order him/her to do.In traditional discourse, obedience was the survival condition in the society; if someone started to disobey, rejection was the least consequence. Different techniques were used to persuade a child to be obedient and subdued. In an overall view, the dialogues in this drama show two intellectual mainstreams which are developed based on the marginalization between the two concepts of the good student and the bad student. The destiny of such a confrontation can be found in both traditional and power discourses. In these discourses, the child must be obedient to his/her teachers and older people and even to the punishment as well and keep silent. Obedience is considered essential and vital for the student’s success in these two discourses. ConclusionIn Dikteh, these two mentalities and thoughts about childhood are juxtaposed with each other. The first one is the representative of the not-released-from-tradition power discourse and the latter is risen up from the left-wing intellectual discourse. In this confrontation, the strength discourse enjoys disciplinary techniques like marginalization, frightening from the bad consequence and rejection, threatening, and encouragement to make the child obey; and on the other hand, there is a child against power who is endorsed by the intellectual mainstream and attempts to insecure the authority of the strength side by resisting. On this path, he/she uses ways like silence and disobedience, questioning and rebellion, laughing and ridiculing.In this play, Saedi tries to consider one of them superior to the other by creating two confronting images. In these images, the rebel and disobedient child is superior to the obedient child. This image shows a perceptible distancing from the traditional thought, which means that the child has moved from margin to the center and is no more obedient as he/she used to be; however, he/she is grasped by the encrypted ideologies of the day. Therefore, it can be concluded that Saedi’s represented child has not gotten rid of the adults’ strings yet. References Ahmadi, B. (2014). The question of modernity. Markaz.Althusser, L. (2016). Ideology and ideological state apparatuses (R. Sadrara, Trans.). Cheshmeh.A’lam, M. (1948). The power of faith. A collection of lectures, music pieces and dramas for the education of the minds. Education of the Mind Organization.Aminirad, K. (2018). A study of Gholamhossein Saedi’s plays based on political symbolism. M.A. Thesis, Tabriz University.Amn-khani, E. & Khoujeh, A. (2016). Children’s literature and the contemporary ideologies. Studies in Persian Language and Literature, 14 (42), pp. 139-166.Arafinezhad, S. (2015). Semiotics of place in plays Dictation and Golduneh-khanom. Azma, No. 110, pp. 38-40.Bashirieh, H. (2018). Social background of revolution in Iran (A. Ardestani, Trans.). Negahe Moaser.Behrangi, S. (1970). An investigation in the educational issues of Iran. Bamdad.Beizaei, B. (2008). Theater in Iran. Roshangaran and Motaleate Zanan.Bigdelo, R. & Shahidani, S. (2017). An analysis of the renovation of education system in Iran in the decades of 40 and 50, with an emphasis on the educational revolution conference in Ramsar. Iranian History, 10 (3), 25-44.Binazir, N. (2018). Power discourse and the mechanisms of disciplinary technology: A case study: Majid’s tales. Journal of Children’s Literature Studies, 9 (17), pp. 21-48.Burr, V. (2019). Social constructivism (A. Salehi, Trans.). Ney.Daftari, M. (1938). The education of the minds. A collection of lectures, music pieces and dramas for the education of the minds. Education of the Mind Organization.Daftari, M. (1939). General report on the education of the minds. A collection of lectures, music pieces and dramas for the education of the minds. Education of the Mind Organization.Dastgheib, A. (1992). Paradoxical tendencies in contemporary Iranian literature. Khonya.Davari-Ardakani, R. (2011). On education. Sokhan.Dreyfus, H. & Rabinow, P. (2013). Michel Foucault: Beyond structuralism and hermeneutics (H. Bashirieh, Trans.). Ney.Foucault, M. (1999). Discipline and punishment: Birth of the clinic (N. Sarkhosh & A. Jahandideh, Trans.). Ney.Foucault, M. (2010). Theater of philosophy (N. Sarkhosh & A. Jahandideh, Trans.). Ney.Foucault, M. (2010). Will to knowledge (N. Sarkhosh & A. Jahandideh, Trans.). Ney.Javadi, A. (2014). Piece before becoming piece. Afraz.Sa’di (2004). Selected Gulistan: A skirt full of flower (G. Yousefi, Ed.). Sokhan.Sa’di (2004). Selected Bustan: Searching for goodness and beauty (G. Yousefi, Ed.). Sokhan.Saedi, G. (1970). Parvarbandan. Nil.Saedi, G. (1973). Five plays from Constitutional Revolution. Amir-Kabir.Saedi, G. (1976). Pantomimes. Payam.Saedi, G. (2014). Dictation and angle. Negah.Saedi, G. (2016). Club-holders of Varzil. Negah.San’ati, M. (2001). Dialogue about intellectualism. Bokhara, No. 71, pp. 227-260.Sediq, E. (1938). What do we want from school? A collection of lectures, music pieces and dramas for the education of the minds. Education of the Mind Organization.Shahri, J. (1992). The old Tehran. Moein.Tabrizi, M. (2014). Qualitative content analysis from the perspective of deductive and inductive approaches. Social Sciences, 21 (64), pp. 105-138.Tajbar, N. (2011). Theory of humor based on remarkable texts of Persian humor. Mehrvista.Zokaei, M. S. & Imani-Khoshkhou, M. (2018). Weapon or relief: Cyber-ethnography of political laughter in the presidential election of 2016. New Media Studies, 5 (20), 1-36.Zarqani, S. M. (2011). Perspectives of contemporary Iranian poetry: Understanding the trends of Iranian poetry in the 20th century. Sales.Zohri, I. (1969). Dictation and angle: whatever is obvious does not need expressing. Negin, No. 45, pp. 4-5.

Research Paper

A Study of Functions of Skopos Theory in Translation of Children’s and Adolescents’s Literature: A Case Study of Persian Translations of Animal Stories in Quran by Ahmad Behjat

Mostafa Mahdavi ara; Seyyed mahdi Nouri keyzghani

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 265-288

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.38841.1831

Abstract

A Study of Functions of Skopos Theory in Translation of Children’s and Adolescents’s Literature: A Case Study of Persian Translations of Animal Stories in Quran by Ahmad ... Read More A Study of Functions of Skopos Theory in Translation of Children’s and Adolescents’s Literature: A Case Study of Persian Translations of Animal Stories in Quran by Ahmad Behjat Mostafa Mahdavi Ara Assistant Professor of Arabic language and literature, Hakim Sabzevari university Seyyed mahdi Nouri keyzghani Assistant Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, Hakim Sabzevari University Sabzevar, Iran Introduction In contrast to originalist theories such as the circle of Polish rhetoricians, the theory of Skopos is based on the principle that purposefulness is the main indicator of a translator's success in translation process and that the function of translation is completely dependent upon the level of knowledge, expectations and norms of target readers. Because writers of children’s literature do not belong to their intended audience, they sometimes incorporate their adult experiences into the writing process. When such books go beyond borders and are chosen to be translated into another language, the translator faces a dilemma: sometimes he/she focuses on the author according to originalist theory, and sometimes he/she focuses on audience in original language based on Skopos theory. The present paper seeks to examine the attention of translators of Ghesas-ol Hayavan fil Quran-alkarim [Animal Tales in Quran] by the Egyptian writer, Ahmad Behjat, to purposeful translation for children and adolescents and to answer the following important question: to what degree have Mojtaba Rahmandoust and Seyed Mohammad Hossein Hosseini as translators of this work adhered to the components of Skopos theory in their translation processes? Rahmandoust has translated and published this collection under the title, Guardian of the Cave, and Hosseini has translated and published the same collection under the title Animal Stories in the Quran. Research method, background and goal The present study is conducted based on descriptive-analytical method and content analysis. In the first step, the existing translations of the collection of stories by the name of Ghesas-ol Hayavan fil Quran-alkarim were gathered and studied, from which two translations were selected. Complete and perfect translation of the Arabic text was the basis of this choice. Other translations were discarded due to quantitative and qualitative deficiencies. After juxtaposing the two translations by Hosseini and Rahmandoust, comparative textual analysis of the texts as the research material was started, and the content and structure of the sentence as the translation unit was studied according to Hans Vermeer's theory. Relying on the basics of children’s and adolescents’ literature as well as the criteria of writing for children, the information was collected by library and indexing method, and the data was analyzed by content analysis and formation of a network of contents. Finally, three key lines were extracted as writing criteria for children and adolescents, namely “decoding of contents and interpretation”, “fluency and fluctuation of text”, “speech-like text and attention to tone”. After extracting the research lines, the two translations were thoroughly compared with the original text according to the mentioned lines, and numerous textual evidences were derived. Among the previous researches related with the present study is the paper by Hassanvandi et al. (2015) entitled “Translation of children's literature from the perspective of Skopos paradigm and balance theory: a case study of The Little Prince”, which examines three Persian translations of The Little Prince novella in the light of Skopos and balance theories. The noteworthy point in this paper is that the mentioned query in comparison section has only studied lexical translations and the use of verbal or eloquent language. However, in translating children's literature, purposefulness is not limited to the use of words, and includes topics such as decoding, demystification, localization of characters’ names, content censorship, translation of literary proverbs and stylistic devices, tone, style as well as other technical and cultural issues. Discussion In comparative analysis of the collection of stories titled Ghesas-ol Hayavan fil Quran-alkarim and its Persian translations based on Skopos theory, we found that as the translator gets closer to the purposefulness principle, his translation becomes more fluent and understandable for children. With respect to decoding and interpretation, the success rate of the translators of this collection is different. In some cases, both translators have failed to translate the text appropriate to the child's understanding due to their faithfulness to the content of source text. Obviously, in this regard, the translation by Rahmandoust is more consistent with purposefulness theory due to omissions and additions, the use of punctuation marks and patterns to which the child's mind is accustomed. Fluency and proper fluctuation in text are other criteria of purposeful translation for children and adolescents. In this regard, the translation by Rahmandoust is more successful due to the correct use of brevity and excerpts, and Hosseini's translation has lost its fluency due to the transfer of the source text’s structure. Also, the translation of proverbs in Rahmandoust's translation has made his text more comprehensible and fluent. In line with fluent writing for children and by interpreting stylistic devices such as similes, trope and metaphors, Rahmandoust has been compelled to expand the target text, which is in agreement with the theory of purposefulness, while in Hosseini's translation, the translation has been sacrificed by word-for-word interpretation of these similes and tropes. As for the tone, it is noteworthy that because all the stories were narrated by animals, the translators adhered to the same language of Arabic narration. The language of all stories is serious and formal, and changes in the tone of different animals have not been considered by translators. However, according to purposefulness theory, this analogous and formal tone could have been different, at least in some cases, to express the differences between the mood and temperament of animals for children and adolescents. Conclusion Since the translation of children's literature in Iran is done strategically and purposefully, Skopos theory can meet the needs of this approach. The first principle of this theory indicates purposefulness and pre-determined plan of the translator and other principles of this theory can be interpreted in the light of this purposefulness. Research findings show that adherence to the source text in translation-especially translation of children's literature- causes more ambiguity in the text for children and adolescents rather than raising their cultural understanding and introducing them to other cultures. In Skopos theory, the source text is somewhat set aside, and Hans Vermeer interprets this idea as dethronement, so that the source text is no longer the sole criterion for translator's translation method and strategy but a source and piece of information similar to other sources for the translator (like any other audience) who selects what he finds important, useful and sufficient for achieving their goals. Keywords: Skopos Theory, functions, translation of children’s and adolescent’s literature, Quranic stories References Al-Ghamdi, N. (2011). Ghesasol atfal laday Yaghoob Ishac arz va taghdim. MSc thesis, Saudi Arabia: Umm Al Qura University Al-Kaabi, F. A. (2012). Kayfa naghrao adab al atfal. Alvarragh. Al-Musa, A. A. H. (2010). Adab ol atfal fann ol mostaghbal. Dar Al-Nahdhat Al-Arabiya. Anani, M. (2003). Nazariyatal Tarjomatol Hadisah. Egyptian International Company for Publishing-Lunjman. Anani, M. (2005). Morshed-ol Motarjam. Al Egyptian International Company for Publishing-Lunjman. Behjat, A. (2000). Ghesas-ol Hayavan fil Quran-alkarim. Dar Al-Shorouk. Behjat, A. (2008). Guardian of the cave (M. Rahmandoust, Trans.). Surah Mehr. Behjat, A. (2015). Animal stories in the Holy Quran (S. M. H. Hosseini, Trans.). Arian. Hassanvandi, S. et al. (2015). Translation of children's literature from the perspective of Skopos paradigm and balance theory: A case study of The Little Prince. Language and Translation Studies, 3 (48) 117-137. Hussein, K. (2009). Adab-ol Atfal, Almafahim, Ashkal, and…. Dar Al-Alam Al-Arabi. Imam, A. (2014). Translation of children content into Persian: The challenge of tone. Language and Translation Studies, 3 (48) 105-122. Jaffa, M. (2009). How to write a story for children (M. Tehranianrad, Trans.). Soroush. Sarshar, M. R. (2011). Criteria for a good translation for children. retrieved August 20, 2016, taken from: https://article.tebyan.net/195652/ Zabihnia Imran, A. & Akbari, M. (2012). Character in children’s and adolescents’ literature. Hooman.

Research Paper

Analysis of the Titles of Adolescent Novels (the Novel Hasti, Call Me Ziba and Younes's Romances in the Belly of a Fish) from the Descriptive Perspective of Gerard Genet.

Sajad Najafibehzadi

Volume 13, Issue 1 , September 2022, Pages 289-312

https://doi.org/10.22099/jcls.2021.39284.1851

Abstract

Analysis of the Titles of Adolescent Novels (the Novel Hasti, Call Me Ziba and Younes's Romances in the Belly of a Fish) from the Descriptive Perspective of Gerard Genet. IntroductionThe ... Read More Analysis of the Titles of Adolescent Novels (the Novel Hasti, Call Me Ziba and Younes's Romances in the Belly of a Fish) from the Descriptive Perspective of Gerard Genet. IntroductionThe title as a contextual factor plays an important role in attracting the audience and reading the text. This component is doubly important and valuable in adolescent fiction. The title of the work must be chosen artistically in order to display the quality of the text. The importance of choosing a title for children's and adolescents' fiction is doubly important according to their needs and age conditions. Given the growth and development of cyberspace and computer games that are available to children and adolescents today, child writers must be creative in choosing the title, theme and theme of the story in order to compete with the virtual world. Encourage children to read and read stories. One of the creative tricks in attracting the audience is choosing the right title for the work. A title that encourages the child to read the story. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the descriptive function of the titles of the novels of Hasti, call me Ziba and the romances of Younes in the belly of a fish based on Gerard Genet's extra-textual and intra-textual theory. The titles of these novels have been studied and analyzed based on Gerard Genet. Theory and descriptive functions (thematic, ironic, metaphorical, etc.).Research method and research historyThe research method is qualitative analysis of the content of the works and the method of collecting information is in the form of library documents. No independent research has been done on the Analysis of the titles of adolescent novels based on the descriptive functions of Gerard Genet; but there have been studies on the subject of fiction and novels that point to some of the most important issues. Absolutely Maadikhah and Namvar (2013) in his master's thesis entitled "The context of the title and the title as the threshold of the text in cinema with emphasis on the works of Abbas Kiarostami" based on Gerard Genet's views on the vision of the text, "Title And "title" of the film are introduced as types of context that play an important role in how the audience reads the text of the work. Namvar Motlagh (2009) in the article on the title of Iranian works of art and literature, a semiotic study of the title of art from the fourth to the twelfth century, with a semiotic approach, the titles of literary and architectural works of Iranian culture from the fourth century AH. He studied until the end of the Safavi period and then points to the economic role of modern titles. Salehi, Sara et al. (1398) in the article "Study of the titles of war stories in the field of children and adolescents, addressed the category of titles in terms of structure and content. The results of this study showed that the structure of titles in the 60's is simpler than combined; as we distance ourselves from the war, the titles become more artistic, and the themes of the titles pay more attention to the time of the war than to the front or nostalgia for the war.DiscussionHasti and call me Ziba novels by Farhad Hassanzadeh and Younes's love novels in the belly of a fish by Jamshid Khanian have been selected for review. The titles of these novels have been studied and analyzed based on Gerard Genet theory. First, a summary of the novels is presented, and then the titles of the novels are analyzed based on Genet's theory and descriptive approach. According to Genet, the title of the novel has a function of identity. The title of the story includes the life of a teenage girl named Hasti. The character of the universe is present and plays a role in all scenes. From the point of view of Genet, the title of Younes's romance novel in the belly of a fish is an extra-textual title. This refers to mythical elements and characters. The subject of the novel also has a mystical and spiritual aspect. Younes' love for Sarah is a guiding and transcendental love. In terms of Gerard's descriptive functions, the title of the novel Call Me Ziba is a thematic title. "Thematic titles that represent the theme and are presented in different ways" (Zhou, 1394: 4). The title of the novel indicates the situation of people who have been neglected due to mental illness and now frustrated and helpless; they seek a way out of this situation.ResultThe study and analysis of the titles of adolescent novels based on Gerard Genet. perimeter theory and different functions of the title (descriptive, identity, absorption, etc.) showed that the artistic choice of the title has a great effect on encouraging the audience to read the text and story. Among the works reviewed, Younes's romance novel in Fish Belly, based on Genet's theory, has an extra-textual title and a thematic function. An extra-textual title is a title that also refers to the world outside the text and leaves the understanding of part of the message of the story to the background of the audience's mind. The words of Younes and the belly of the fish are reminiscent of the story of Younes for the audience. While the story of the novel is a narrative of spiritual and transcendental love, the symbolism of Younes' character, his symbolic death and his departure from the belly of the fish, which symbolizes the dark and material world, have revealed the extra-textual aspects of the work. The title of this novel, unlike the other two novels, has other functions such as absorption and metaphorical function. The title of the novel is a title of identity. Identity card shows the work and identity of the fictional character.ResourcesAllen, Graham. (1380) Intersexuality. Translation of Yazdanjoo Message, Tehran: Center.Ahmadi, Ali Asghar (2008) Personality and Behavior, Tehran: Rezaei Ashtiani.Bashiri, Mahmoud, Aghajani, Somayeh (2016) "Comparative study of the title in the novels of sustainability literature based on the novels of Da and Um Sad", Journal of Literary Text Research, Volume 20, Number 68, pp. 93-114.Jamali, Atefeh, Sheikhi, Tahereh (1397) "Semiotics of image layers on the cover of adolescent novels", Journal of Child Studies, Volume 9, Number 17, pp. 49-72.Hassanzadeh, Farhad. (1389) you are. Tehran: Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.Hassanzadeh, Farhad (2015) Call me beautiful, Tehran: Children and Adolescents Intellectual Development Center.Khanian, Jamshid (2010) Younes' romances in the belly of a fish, Tehran, Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents.Radmanesh, Shabnam, Sha'iri, Hamidreza (2013) "Semantic-semantic study of the relationship between title and painting" Case study "Continuation of Memory" by Salvador Dali and "Scream" by Edward Munch ". 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Psychology and Colors, translated by Moniro Ravanipour, Tehran: Yadavareh Academy Publishing Institute.Mohammadi, Ebrahim, Ghafouri, Effat and Abdolrahim Haghdadi (2014) "Comparative study of the title of the story in the stories of Sadegh Hedayat and Zakaria Tamer". Journal of Comparative Literature Research, Volume 2, Number 2, pp. 191-217.Mohammadi, Ebrahim and Tahereh Ghasemi Durabadi (2015). "Study and analysis of the titles of books and poems of Mehdi Akhavan Sales", Persian literature, year 6, number 1, (17 consecutive), pp. 77-92.Younesi, Ebrahim (2017) the Art of Fiction, Seventh Edition, and Tehran: Negah.

Volume 15 (2024)

Volume 14 (2023)

Volume 13 (2022)

Volume 12 (2021)

Volume 11 (2020)

Volume 10 (2019)

Volume 9 (2018)

Volume 8 (2017)

Volume 7 (2016)

Volume 6 (2015)

Volume 5 (2014)

Volume 4 (2013)

Volume 3 (2012)

Volume 2 (2011)

Volume 1 (2010)

Volume & Issue: Volume 13, Issue 1 - Serial Number 25, September 2022, Pages 1-312

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