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Diasporic Iranian Women’s Life Writing: An Analysis Using a Transnational Feminist Lens Farida Abla A Thesis In the Department of Humanities Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Humanities) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada December 2020 © Farida Abla, 2020 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Farida Abla Entitled: Diasporic Iranian Women Life Writing: An Analysis Using a Transnational Feminist Lens and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Humanities) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: Chair Dr. Viviane Namaste External Examiner Dr. Eva Karpinski External to Program Dr. Rachel Berger Examiner Dr. Homa Hoodfar Examiner Dr. Sarah Ghabrial Thesis Supervisor Dr. Gada Mahrouse Approved by _____________________________________________ Dr. Marcie Frank, Graduate Program Director ________, 2020 _____________________________________________ Dr. Pascale Sicotte, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Science ABSTRACT Diasporic Iranian Women’s Life Writing: An Analysis Using a Transnational Feminist Lens Farida Abla, Ph.D. Concordia University, 2020 This thesis examines fourteen diasporic life writing in English by Iranian women who mainly reside in North America (the United States and Canada), with a particular interest in how and why they write about their lives. The women authors bring to the fore questions of home, nation, identity and belonging in narratives where the public and the political are deeply intertwined with the personal. The thesis provides an analysis of the authors’ responses to the events that impacted their lives, their use of English, and their dynamic process of identity construction, as manifested in their narratives. Recognizing the growing circulation of life writing by Iranian women in the United States, the study also investigates how these life writing deconstruct and/or reinforce Western stereotypes about Iranian women. I argue that the authors successfully cross borders and boundaries by adopting the life writing genre, an interdisciplinary feminist medium, in their quest to share knowledge about their experiences in their home country, Iran, as well as their lives in Diaspora. And by doing so, it is an act of transnationalization of their narratives and a call for human as well as women’s rights. I also assert that their life writing not only reflect the feminist slogan the personal is political but show as well that the political is personal in the life of these women authors who probe the region’s history and its geopolitical trajectory. Furthermore, the study confirms that these life writing came in waves in response to socio-political as well as historical events in Iran and the host country such as, the Islamic Revolution (1979), the 9/11 tragedy (2001), the Iraq War (2003), and the 2009 Iranian presidential elections. Moreover, the findings show that these life writing articulate what Homi Bhabha refers to as “hybrid” and “ambivalent” identities. The women authors—living in what Brah (1996) calls a “diaspora space” —carve complex, multifold identities that draw upon Iranian cultural values and practices, as well as those of the host countries. They also construct hybridized spaces—that defy strict categorization—both for themselves as well as other women in the diaspora. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the support, understanding, and encouragement of different individuals who believed in me and stuck by my side through all the multiple health and financial challenges I had to overcome throughout my doctoral studies. My first debt of gratitude is to the amazing intellectuals who accepted to serve as members of my doctoral committee: Professors Homa Hoodfar, Gada Mahrouse, and Sarah Ghabrial. I was blessed to have their guidance, support, and patience for a long journey that had to be interrupted at multiple times due to unexpected circumstances. I appreciate the leadership of Gada Mahrouse, my supervisor, who assumed this role once Homa Hoodfar was not able to do so, saving my doctoral project from being delayed. She also acted as my mentor while teaching my class “Feminism and Autobiography” last fall at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute (SDBI) at Concordia. Her invaluable comments and suggestions greatly improved my syllabus as well as my teaching style and experience. Words cannot express enough how grateful I remain to Homa Hoodfar who was the first to believe in my potential, helped me build my knowledge about Iran with loads of recommended readings, and encouraged me to pursue this topic. I appreciate her accepting to remain on my committee as a minor supervisor once she couldn’t be the major one anymore as well as her efforts throughout my learning journey and writing process. I also appreciate Sarah Ghabrial joining my committee as my second minor advisor and our many discussions while preparing for the comprehensive exam. I also would like to extend my gratitude to the personnel at the interdisciplinary Humanities program as well as the Dean’s Office who were accommodating and comprehensive of the different circumstances I faced during my doctoral studies. I also thank Concordia’s librarians and personnel at the Financial Aids and Awards Office who never failed to answer any request for help. I am also thankful to all the employment opportunities at Concordia such as the teaching assistantships with Gada Mahrouse at the SDBI, the writing assistant position at the Writing Center, and the volunteer ambassador position at the Volunteer Center to name a few. Last but not least, I thank my family and friends for their love and support for I would not have succeeded in my studies without their emotional support especially while writing my dissertation. Most importantly, I am grateful to my husband, Mohammad, whose support, love, and patience helped me overcome the obstacles I was facing and made this project possible. Finally, I am eternally indebted to my belated parents who taught me to believe in myself, to persevere in order to achieve my goals; and, to have the sky as the limit. This thesis is dedicated to them. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapters’ Outline ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1: Iran: A 20th Century Socio-Political Overview .................................................................. 3 Chapter 2: Autobiography: Evolution and Criticism ............................................................................ 4 Chapter 3: The Life Writing of Iranian Women in Diaspora: A Literature Review ............................. 4 Chapter 4: Methodology and Theoretical Framework .......................................................................... 4 Chapter 5: Life writing by Iranian Women in Diaspora: How a Boom Began ..................................... 5 Chapter 6: Life writing by Iranian Women in Diaspora: A Way To Tell ............................................. 6 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Iran: A 20th Century Socio-Political Overview ............................................................................................ 8 The Qajar Dynasties (1785-1925) ............................................................................................................. 8 Tobacco Movement 1890 ......................................................................................................................... 9 Constitutional Revolution (1905-11) ........................................................................................................ 9 From the Constitution Revolution to Reza Shah Pahlavi (1911-1925) ................................................... 11 Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925-1941) .............................................................................................................. 12 World War II (1939-1945) ...................................................................................................................... 13 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1941-79) and the White Revolution ................................................... 14 The Uprisings and Women’s Role .......................................................................................................... 16 The 1979 Islamic Revolution .................................................................................................................. 17 The Iraq-Iran War (1980-1988) and Its Impact on Women .................................................................... 18 Iran after Khomeini ................................................................................................................................. 19 The American-Iranian Relationship ........................................................................................................ 20 Chapter