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The Impact of the Modernity Discourse on Persian Fiction

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The Impact of the Modernity Discourse on Persian Fiction Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Comparative Studies in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Saeed Honarmand, M.A. Graduate Program in Comparative Studies The Ohio State University 2011 Dissertation Committee: Richard Davis, Advisor Margaret Mills Philip Armstrong Copyright by Saeed Honarmand 2011 Abstract Modern Persian literature has created a number of remarkable works that have had great influence on most middle class people in Iran. Further, it has had representation of individuals in a political context. Coming out of a political and discursive break in the late nineteenth century, modern literature began to adopt European genres, styles and techniques. Avoiding the traditional discourses, then, became one of the primary characteristics of modern Persian literature; as such, it became closely tied to political ideologies. Remarking itself by the political agendas, modern literature in Iran hence became less an artistic source of expression and more as an interpretation of political situations. Moreover, engaging with the political discourse caused the literature to disconnect itself from old discourses, namely Islamism and nationalism, and from people with dissimilar beliefs. Disconnectedness was already part of Iranian culture, politics, discourses and, therefore, literature. However, instead of helping society to create a meta-narrative that would embrace all discourses within one national image, modern literature produced more gaps. Historically, there had been three literary movements before the modernization process began in the late nineteenth century. Each of these movements had its own separate discourse and historiography, failing altogether to provide people ii with one single image of a nation. Throughout the centuries, people of this land have called themselves Iranian; however, the image that they conjured from this word has never been the same. The various images have had social aspects as well that all together have created several layers of disconnectedness. Modern literature, as the fourth movement, borrowed its discourse from Europeans. The historiography that it offered was also adopted from the European discourse of modernity. Unable to compromise with others, or to create an Iranian discourse of modernity, the modern movement eventually added yet another layer of disconnectedness. By contradicting other narratives, modern literature reflects a new narrative identity that, by distorting the historical knowledge, tries to refigure the history of Iran through a so called universal history borrowed from Europeans. This narrative in every respect is speculative and without inquiry into the conditions of possibility. What is important here is the paradigm of universal time under the European historiography that refers back to the universe of narrative structure, or rather part of the universe that depicts ‘us’ – Iranians- as a backward country or culture. The modern Persian narrative identity then is confused, because it denies the past and wants to refigure the future based on the European past. Narrative time, under this situation, could not match with historical time and old narrative identities, which were also broken in turn. iii With disconnectedness and the broken narrative identity, modern Persian literature has created novels that have been written in a political framework with particular motifs. Some writers and critics have mentioned these problems; however they have rarely attempted to examine the discourses in which these works are formed. This dissertation attempts to analyze the problematic aspects of the discourse of modern Persian literature, and the disconnectedness that was added to Iranian culture by its influence. iv Dedication Dedicated to my family And to the Memory of Jazbieh Andalibi Abadan v Acknowledgments I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all those who assisted in this undertaking, particularly my advisor professor Dick Davis, who dealt patiently with me. It has been an honor to be his student. I appreciate all his contributions of time, ideas, and funding to make my Ph.D. experience productive and stimulating. I am also grateful for the assistance and support given by Professors Margaret Mills, Sabra Webber, as well as Philip Armstrong, who influenced me in so many positive ways. For all of their professional advice, I am endlessly grateful. I would like to thank my wife, Mehri Farzaneh and children, Poormehr and Azadeh for their support and constant encouragement, especially, Azadeh, my daughter, with her key contributions to this project. Without their support I would not be half the person I am today. I also like to thank Maureen Pritchard, who also helped me with this project, and some of my dearest friends and strongest supporters, Jafar Vali, Mehran Andalibi Abadan, Sohrab and Nasreen Behdad, Afkham Darbandi Davis, Snadhya Kocher and Farshad Zahiri. To all of you, I love you all and I cannot thank you enough. vi Vita 1969…………………………. Elementary School, Sheikh Bahai 1975…………………………. High School Diploma, Neshat 1977…………………………. Teaching Certificate, Daneshsara Tarbiat Dabir 1980…………………………. B.A., University of Isfahan, Iran 2005…………………………. Master, Ohio State University Publications Published Books Gurogli: the Tajiki Epic, translation with Dilshod Rahimov, 2010. Chand jostār darbāreh-i adabiyāt-e dāstāni (“Essays on Literary Narrative”), Javan Books, Winter 2008. To in rā fasāneh madān: Shānāmeh dar parto-e entezār-e nāji (“See It Not A Myth: Reading the Shāhnāmeh in the Context of Messianic Expectation”), Javan Books & Pegāh Books, Spring 2008 Chāhār Divān: hazliyāt-e chāhār shā’er (“Four Volumes: the Erotic Poetry of Four Iranian Poets”) (under penname: S. H. Azar), Javan Books & Pegāh Books, Spring 2008 Hameh tā dar-e āz rafteh farāz: Jostāri chand darbāreh Shāhnāmeh (“The Heights of Greed: Essays on the Shāhnāmeh”), Javan Books & Pegāh Books, Winter 2007 Cheraa Bouf-e Kour (“Why the Blind Owl”), Preface and 4 chapters, Pegāh Publication, Toronto 2001. Piramon-e Mas’leh-I Zaban dar Dastanha-I Farsi (“Regarding the Problem of Language in Persian Fiction”), criticism, one introduction and 9 chapters, 1998, Pegah Publication, Toronto 2000. Howz-e Sangi, a novel, Javan Books 1997. RanginKaman-e Taghazul (“The Rainbow of the Lyre”), Introduction and 8 chapters, Nay Publication 1992. Articles and Essays “Violence in Terms of Power: Three Cases in Persian Literature” (Khoshunat o ghodrat in she dāstān-e Irani), Arash: No. 105, January 2011) “Malakut (the kingdom of heaven – and also a feminine name) written by Bahrām Ṣādeqi,” Encyclopædia Iranica: February 18, 2011. vii “Sadeqi, Bahram,” Encyclopædia Iranica: February 18, 2011. “Epic Genre: A Comparative Study” (Ganre hamaseh: baresis-e miyan-e guneh-ha va asar-hai matrah), Hamzaban: No. 2, September 2010. “Power of Discourse” (Ghodrat-e goftmān), Baaraan: No. 24-25, December 2009. “Two Aspects of Love in Persian Literature: Possessive-Love and Sublimation-Love” (Do guneh eshq dar dāstān-hāi Farsi), Asar, November 2009. “Language, Imagination and Poetry” (zabān, takhaul va she’r), Davat, October 2009. “Two Aspects of Love in Persian Literature: Possessive-Love and Sublimation-Love” (Do guneh eshq dar dāstān-hāi Farsi), Gong-e Zamān Quarterly, January 2009. “Emotions and Actions in the Narrative Genre” (Ehsāsāt o konesh-gar-hā dar dāstān), Atiban Monthly, November 2008. “The Mutual Relation between Language and Narrative” (Ertebāt-e Do Suyeh Zabān o Revāyat), Shahrvand Weekly, Toronto, Canada: May 2008. “Meaning vs. Structure: Hermeneutics vs. Poetics”. Shahrvand Weekly, Toronto, Canada: December 2007 “Epilogue of Suffering in Epics”. Shahrvand Weekly, Reprinted. Toronto, Canada: November 2007 “The Role of the Discourse of Modernity/Backwardness in Motifs of Modern Persian Fictions”, Atibān. Fall 2007. “Epilogue of Suffering in Epics”, Atibān, Summer of 2007 “Space in the Shāhnāmeh”, Kalamāt and Atibān, Spring 2007 “Two Styles, Three Methods”, Kalamāt, Winter 2006. “The Poetry of Language”, Zendeh Rud, No. 39-40, Summer and Fall 2006. “The Role of Time in Novels: The Sound and The Fury” (Naghsh-e Zaman dar Sheklgiri Roman-e Khashm o Hayaho) (Re-publication) Kalamāt, Fall 2006. “Epic Genre: a Comparison Study”, Adabiyāt O Farhang, May 2006. “The Waste Land” (Bibarestaan), Negah-e Now 66, July 2005 (Mordaad 1384). “A Critical Look at A Textbook” (Negaahi Enteghaadi be yek Ketaab), Shahrvand Weekly, Shorai Gostaresh Zabaan o Farhang, May 2005. “The Role of the Discourse of Modernity/Backwardness: In Motifs of Modern Persian Fiction” (Goftmaan-e ‘Aqab Maandegi/Pishraft dar Roman-haai Modern Farsi), Negah-e Now 63, October 2004. “The Differences between Persian Medieval and Modern Stories” (Tafavot-e Miyaan-e Adabiyaat- e pish az Renosance va Modern), Shahrvand Weekly, June 2004. “Why Plot, Story, and Narrative” (Cheraa Peysaakht, Revaayat, and Daastaan), Negah-e Now, June 2003 (Mordaad 1382). “The Oldest Poem of the World: Inanna: Lady of Largest Heart, Poems of the Sumerian High Priestess Enheduanna” (Kouhan-tarin She’r-e Donyaa: Innana, Baanoyi Bowzowrg-tarin Ghalb). Translation and Preface, Negah-e Now, Shahrvand, Adabyaat o Farhang, and Asr-e No, April and May 2003. viii “Self-censorship and Revolt in Language: Taboos and Transgressions in Literature” (Shouresh dar Zabaan: Shekastan-e Mouharamaat va Taboo-haa), Short version, Negah-e Now, April 2002
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