Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 PhD in Communication Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Journalism, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Public Relations, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Works by prominent authors can serve as valuable accounts and narratives that capture the inherent relations within a society. Analyzing these literary works not only provides insight into the intellectual fabric of the society but also aids in uncovering the fundamental elements that shape it, including social status and gender dynamics. In some of his widely recognized narratives such as Boof-e Koor (The Blind Owl), Alaviyeh Khanoom (Ms Alaviyeh), Seh Ghatreh Khoon (Three Blood Drops), Aroosak-e Posht-e Pardeh (The Doll Behind the Curtain), and Zani ke Mardash ra Gom Kard (A Woman Who Lost Her Man), Hedayat delves into the topic of women's social roles and gender dynamics in society. Drawing from a qualitative content analysis, this study examines Zani ke Mardash ra Gom Kard to explore the social status of the female gender, focusing on its formation through human communications. The findings posit that by accentuating the role of human communications in shaping women’s social status, Hedayat has provided a thorough portrayal of their issues that remains relevant in our contemporary society. According to Hedayat, if these issues are not resolved, women will silently fall victim to their tragic presence within the society. To further enunciate our discoveries, tables and graphs will be employed for greater clarity and illustration.
Introduction and Statement of the Problem:
The significance of human communications in defining the status of individuals or gender groups within society has burgeoned. To comprehend and analyze the social status of people or gender groups through a sociological perspective, it is essential to examine their relationship with diverse components. Literary works constitute a critical element in this context. Literary works serve as a window through which we can discern how leading intellectual figures within a society perceive and encapsulate components of life, such as social status and gender dynamics. Consequently, it can be asserted that the intellectual contributions of writers and poets shape the intellectual landscape of a society and reflect the collective attitude towards these integral elements, including gender. Conversely, the analysis of literary works, with a focus on exploring the social status of a gender and expounding on the role of human communications as a pivotal element in determining this status, can prove to be a laborious endeavor due to the vast number and diversity of available texts. This explains why scholars opt to select specific works by renowned authors that hold significant value and address this topic. By conducting case studies on such works, it may be possible to ensure that the outcomes obtained sufficiently align with our research objectives. Consequently, this study focuses on one of Sadegh Hedayat’s short stories, titled: Zani ke Mardash ra Gom Kard. In this narrative, similar to other works like Boof-e Koor, Aroosak-e Posht-e Pardeh, and Alaviyeh Khanoom, Hedayat emerges as a significant writer consistently concerned with women and their challenges in his oeuvre. His substantial proficiency in realms such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology (derived from studying the works of thinkers who were prominent during that era) enhanced the intellectual dimension of his fiction.
Research Method:
Since the nature of the chosen story aligned perfectly with a qualitative method, we opted to perform a content analysis and compile library data. Through analyzing the work and extracting crucial concepts, we sought to address several key questions: What was Hedayat’s attitude towards women and their social status, as a representative of the society he inhabited? How did he approach this issue? What role and influence did he attribute to this status, and to human communications? How prevalent were these communications, and at what levels did they materialize? Can the findings of our analysis be utilized to diagnose women’s social status and the roles bestowed upon them by society, While formulating our queries, we underscored the focus on the contemporary Iranian society. Moreover, it is vital to highlight that the theoretical framework applied in the content analysis of the story hinges upon the theory of attraction and repulsion in human communications.
Conclusions:
Hedayat adopts a humanitarian, altruistic, and supportive stance toward women as members of a society with a cultural system that is traditional and male-biased. He firmly believes that Iranian women confront a vast assortment of challenges, including economic and cultural poverty, unfounded and ill-informed presumptions about women, abuse of particular conventional and religious norms, a patriarchal system, erroneous interpretations of religious doctrine, polygamy, communicable diseases, a lack of appropriate sanitary facilities, and men’s overly self-serving view of women. Hedayat's penchant for tragic endings, akin to his other stories, serves to depict women as mute victims of prevailing circumstances, yet simultaneously exacerbating the situation themselves. This cycle perpetuates unless society seeks remedial solutions for these issues.
Extended Abstract:
Introduction
The significance of human communication in defining the social standing of people or outlining the role of a particular gender within society is increasingly conspicuous and influential. This underscores the necessity to scrutinize society and comprehend the social standing of individuals or a specific gender in society. In other words, to engage in a thorough analysis of society. To accurately assess a specific gender, it is pivotal to examine and elucidate the relationship between this gender and various factors, one of which involves studying and analyzing the literary works bequeathed to society. The social status and roles of a particular gender can be discerned by inspecting the prevailing literary works.
The writers and poets, as representatives and mirror of the society and the relationships within it, have experienced life and its various aspects, such as the status of individuals and genders in society, and have documented these experiences through their writings. In particular, the noble works left behind by authors and poets primarily serve as the intellectual fabric of the society. These works also implicitly reveal the state and status of the psychological landscape within the society, with factors like gender serving as prominent indicators.
However, the examination and analysis of literary works, like fiction, in order to delve into the specific socio-gender position of women entails an expansive and time-consuming endeavor. The vast array and abundance of available literary works pose a significant challenge in this regard. Given the constraints of time, researchers opt to strategically select exemplary works that thoroughly address the subject matter and have been authored by individuals who possess profound insights and specific linguistic expressions in this field. By doing so, the results derived during the research process from such case studies may closely align with the intended goals. Therefore, we purposefully chose a short story by Sadegh Hedayat titled Zani ke Mardash ra Gom Kard to achieve our objective. Hedayat is renowned for creating masterpieces such as Boof-e Koor, Aroosak-e Posht-e Pardeh, and Alavieh Khanoom. His distinctive and compelling writing style has always been evident, as demonstrated in his selected short stories. Furthermore, Hedayat consistently addresses and considers issues related to women in his works, placing a prominent and central focus on them. Additionally, Hedayat's profound awareness and knowledge - derived from studying the works of renowned global thinkers prominent in literary circles
statement of the problem:
Given the nature of the story, by employing the qualitative research method and through thematic analysis, with the aid of collecting data from documentary and library sources, we aim to examine and analyze the work in order to extract pertinent concepts such as social status and human relations. By doing so, we endeavor to determine if Sadegh Hedayat is portrayed as a storyteller and a representative of the mass of the society he inhabited. We delve into his perspective on women, explore how he regarded her station, and scrutinize the approach he adopted. Furthermore, we aim to uncover the role and significance he assigned to this position and human relations, as well. It is particularly important to emphasize that the theoretical framework employed for analysis is the theory of human communication's attraction and repulsion. Additionally, Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis is utilized to explain the results.
Conclusion:
Hedayat adopts a fundamentally humane and supportive stance in dealing with women. He acknowledges that women living in an Iranian society with cultural, social, traditional, and patriarchal structures confront numerous issues and challenges. These issues encompass economic and cultural poverty, ill-informed beliefs about women, misuses of specific customary and religious practices, lack of knowledge, the dominance of the patriarchal system, distorted interpretations of religious doctrines, and polygamous practices, as well as inadequate healthcare facilities and resources.
Hedayat also raises concerns about hygiene, the instrumental view of women, and other pertinent matters. This is why he ends the story with a tragic ending, effectively asserting that women are passive victims of the current situation. They are not only affected by these problems, but are also partially responsible for perpetuating them. Unless society adequately addresses these issues and formulates sustainable solutions, women will continue to endure the status quo. It is also worth noting that the analysis of this story and Hedayat's other stories reveals that Hedayat, contrary to some perceptions, does not take a misogynistic stance nor views women from a top-down perspective.
Indeed, Hedayat's works often address the obstacles faced by women in Iranian society, and he explicitly critiques the patriarchal mindset prevalent within that society. He underscores how this detrimental situation is formed through the interactions between men and women. The story Zani ke Mardash ra Gom Kard is emblematic of this, as it delves into the role women play in perpetuating and shaping this predicament. Hedayat attributes women's ignorance, superstition, devotion, and misguided influences as contributing factors in the emergence of this negative status quo.
Keywords
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