مطالعات بین رشته ای ادبیات، هنر و علوم انسانی

Philologie in German (English philoloy; French philologie; Latin philologia ‘love of word’) is defined as the study of language in its historical context. It is considered a part of historical linguistics which traces the development and etymology of words in a language and across languages. John Peile defines philology as follows: It is the science which teaches us what language is. The philologist deals with the words which make up a language, not merely to learn their meaning, but to find out their history. He pulls them to pieces, just as a botanist dissects flowers, in order that he may discover the parts of which each word is composed and the relation of those parts to each other: then he takes another and yet another language and deals with each in the same way: then by comparing the results he ascertains what is common to these different languages and what is peculiar to one or more: lastly, he tries to find out what the causes are which operate on all these languages, in order that he may understand that unceasing change and development which we may call, figuratively, the life of language. (Peile1988, 5) In his book, Cours de linguistique générale, Ferdinand de Saussure offers a comprehensive definition of philology. Language is not the unique object of philology. The task of philology is above all to establish, interpret, and comment upon texts. This just concern leads philology to concern itself with literary history, customs, institutions, etc. . . . Everywhere it makes use of its own method, which is textual criticism. (qut. in Watkins 1990, 21)

This interdisciplinary, descriptive, library based research adopts Mark Elin’s theory of “Personality Disorder” to study William Dorrit’s character, whose title in the novel is the “Father of Marshalsea”. Elin’s theory of personality disorder is based upon the functions of “self-memory”, of which “Reality Testing” is an important one. Applying this theory, the research shows that in the first book of the novel, William Dorrit’s personality disorder vacillates between Narcissism and inferiority complex. In the second book, however, his personality disorder turns into “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” which is caused by the overwhelming events of the past. Reality-testing, does not operate properly in William Dorrit’s mind. Consequently, he is not capable of making distinctions between memory and reality. The final outcome of this incapability is his complete mental breakdown. The other finding of this research is the existence of a structural symmetry between chapters nineteen of both books of the novel, in which the major themes are William Dorrit’s mental and psychological agitations.

This study undertakes a comparative ecofeminist analysis of Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse and Simin Daneshvar's Island of Bewilderment and The Bewildered Cameleer. Through a nuanced examination of these literary works, it explores the intricate interconnections among women, nature, and patriarchal cultural structures within English and Persian contexts analyzing the narratives, interpreting the symbolic motifs such as nature and paintings, analyzing the discourse between men and women, and exploring the intersections of genders. The analysis reveals how both authors symbolically represent nature as a conduit for women's emotional journeys and personal growth, while simultaneously critiquing the oppressive forces of patriarchal ideologies that subjugate women and the environment. Characters like Lily Briscoe and Hasti emerge as emblems of resistance, challenging societal norms and redefining their identities beyond the confines of traditional gender roles. The novels also highlight the pervasive influence of patriarchal structures within cultural traditions and celebrations, perpetuating gender stereotypes and marginalizing women's voices. However, the narratives offer alternative perspectives by portraying women as embodiment of "Mother Nature," possessing inherent strength, resilience, and a profound connection to the natural world. This ecofeminist lens challenges the binary opposition between culture and nature, advocating for a harmonious coexistence that recognizes the interdependence of all life. Ultimately, this comparative analysis contributes to the ongoing discourse on ecofeminism, gender studies, and environmental justice, underscoring the urgency of addressing the intertwined oppression of women and nature within patriarchal societies.

This research explores the complex relationship between changing environmental conditions and political dynamics in India, concentrating on The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, A Novel by Arundhati Roy. The research attempts to disentangle the complex aspects of eco-political changes in the Indian context by critically examining the story. The novel provides a literary framework for examining the intricacies of environmental transformation, encompassing matters such as resource exploitation and land use, as well as the effects of development strategies on underprivileged groups. Using ideas from the Anthropocene discourse, the study looks at how characters and settings respond to and reflect environmental issues, illuminating the wider socio-political ramifications of these changes. Through a critical engagement with the text, this study advances our understanding of the complex interplay between political power structures and environmental change in modern India. To disentangle the intricate relationships between nature, power, and identity that the narrative portrays, the research draws on ecocriticism and political ecology. In the end, it makes the case that literature is a potent tool for comprehending and tackling ecological and political concerns.

Enthusiasm in the field of comparative studies, concentrating on similarities, variations and influences enhanced in the early decades of the nineteenth century with the rise of Occidental interest in Oriental advancements. About a century later, Michael Foucault introduced his cutting-edge theory, in which he illustrated how the various discursive institutions in a society are related to the circulation of power/knowledge. Hayden White revolutionized the historical outlook towards narrating events by emphasizing on the relationship between the supremacy and the oppressed, while insisting on the disclosure of cause-effect relationships in historiographical analysis. It is the objective of this study to investigate and trace the key notion of “influence” as proposed by the French School of Comparative Literature in the selected pieces, “When in Rome” by Mari Evans and “The Teacher and the Student” by Simin Behbahani in order to reveal how the texts, under the influence of hyper-contextual links of causality which are present in socio-cultural discourses, lead and contribute to the circulation of power and knowledge. Findings will indicate how the comparison of distinct artistic works demonstrates similitude in the expression of views and intentions while relying on factors which are extrinsically appended to them.

The issue of masculinity has always proved radically challenging. In Tobias Wolff’s “Hunters in the Snow” (1981), each character, constantly exercising their masculinity, attempts to gain the upper hand over his peers. As the story unfolds, the volatility of this concept causes each character’s masculinity to undergo minor to major transformations. In this state of flux, the current research analyzes Wolff’s short story via the lens of Connell’s model of gender and Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s schizoanalysis to trace the manifestations of different masculinity types and study their transformations respectively. Raewyn Connell’s three-fold model of gender is based on power, production relations, and cathexis, thus the present research initially studies each masculinity type in the world of Wolff’s three male characters as a certain rhizomatic zone in society and, then, how they are swapped in a process of deterritorialization to establish new ones (reterritorialization). At the opening of the story, each one of Wolff’s characters (Kenny, Frank, and Tub) represents a certain type of masculinity; while Kenny exercises dominance by bullying others (hegemonic), Frank serves as his accomplice in taking advantage of Tub (complicit and marginalized respectively). However, as the story reveals, these long-held rhizomes are de/reterritorialized in a moment of role reversal, leading to a tragic ending. The findings indicate that the two extreme ends of the masculinity hierarchy can be equally harmful to society as the experience of abuse adversely affects both the abuser (hegemonic and complicit) and the abused (marginalized), leading to corruption and devastation.

This article aims to examine the representation of power relations, disciplinary practices and defiance in Houshang Moradi Kermani's school story, The Smile of the Pomegranate, through a Foucauldian lens. Employing a descriptive-interpretive approach and thematic data analysis, this research is situated within the field of comparative literature as defined by Henry Remak (1961), who posits that comparative literature is concerned with the relationships between literature and various other fields of knowledge, including sociology. Given that Foucault's perspective explores intersection of literature with broader social dimensions of power relations and disciplinary practices, this research aligns with the sociological aspect of comparative literature. The findings indicate that the fictional characters are transformed into docile bodies that serve the utility and productivity of society through the implementation of significant disciplinary techniques such as examination, surveillance, hierarchical observation, documentation, internalization, and normalization, along with micro-penalties related to time, speech, and behavior. Moreover, the story elucidates the complicity of the family with the school institution in the formation of docile bodies. to mold pupils into docile bodies, the headmaster suppresses students' inherent childhood playfulness, viewing it as a hindrance to the cultivation of productivity. The use of symbols and proper names functions as a mechanism for disciplinary practices as well. Nevertheless, this story also introduces a form of resistance that diverges from Foucault's framework. While Foucault envisions resistance within existing power structures, the character’s resistance in this story seeks to radically subvert the entire disciplinary system, thereby challenging the conventional hierarchy between child and adult.

Adaptation studies gained a renewed focus on the understanding of the mutations contained in the area of film adaptation namely by drawing on theorists like Linda Hutcheon and Robert Stam. This being the case, studying the film adaptation is to work as a platform to detect the social, political and cultural changes of the history. Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a nationally definitive work for the American literature has been persistently adapted to films since the advent of cinema. Mostly these adaptations occur at specific historical times in American history like Taurog’s adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1931) that studies the existential reality of the novel during the 1860s. And as adaptation studies, in this perspective, expand the horizon for cultural materialists who investigate the historicity of the text, the type of thinking that is promoted in this study is how the film adaptation ideologically has challenged the core of this nationally definitive text of American literature to further probe into the social and historical issues of the time of adaptations.

This article aims to indicate how Akhavān-Sāles- the greatest defender of Nimāei poetry- introduced Nimāei poetry as the superior poetry and norm against the rival and sometimes contradictory poetic currents of his period. Our approach is based on the theory of discourse analysis by Laclau and Mouffe. By analyzing how discourses are articulated in literary works, we examine the influence of broader social, political, and cultural elements on the creation and reception of literature. This approach will enrich our understanding of critical literary works and demonstrate the power of interdisciplinary research to provide a deeper understanding of the social and political contexts that influence literary texts. The results show that Akhavān, with his mastery and sufficient knowledge of Persian poetry and a tendency towards socially committed literature, deconstructed and rejected other poetic discourses by expressing their structural (aesthetics) and content flaws. By introducing Nimā’s method as a mythical approach, free from other poetic discourses’ defects and shortcomings, Akhavān endeavored to convince Nimā’s opponents and revealed the superiority of his poetic style and its distinction from other poetic currents. Akhavān’s embracing of classical poetry and thought and his attempt to adapt the intellectual and formal themes and roots of Nimā’s innovations with classical poetry’s style is the secret of his success in reconciling the traditional and modern thought in the world of poetry.

Hypocrisy is described as the mother of evils in both Islam and Christianity. In scriptures of these religions, the hypocrites are described as those who apparently profess to the two faiths but in heart they are either antagonistic to them or exploit them as means for satisfying their worldly desires. However, the evil becomes menacing when the hypocrites claim a place in the political power structures. In the fourteenth-century societies of England and Fars (Shiraz,) due to the pervasive presence of hypocrite clerics and their significant influence both on the common people and in the power structure, the hypocrisy of these men was a major topic in literature of the time. In two masterpieces of English and Persian literatures of this century, that is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1342/43- 1400), and the Divan of Khājeh Shams-Adīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī (1325- 1390), the hypocrite men of religion were prime target of ridicule and criticism. This article is an attempt to show that despite the difference in genre, the two works seem to focus on and highlight the same concern about hypocrisy and the hypocrites. Moreover, in their treatment of the theme of religious hypocrisy, the two poets seem to have adopted some similar methods of characterization and focused on identical and shared features of the hypocrite men of religion in the Divan and The Canterbury Tales.

The present paper examines the ways in which short stories, "Who's Irish" by the Chinese-American writer Gish Jen and "Souvenirs" by the Sudanese-Egyptian writer Leila Aboulela re-imagine states of belonging and family relationships in postmigration contexts. To do so, the paper adopts a postmigrant research perspective to analyze familiar key concepts such as belonging, home, family and identity. The concept of postmigration emerged in theater in early 2000's and then found its place in academic research with the aim of addressing gaps in studies on migration and broadening the perspective on the complex phenomenon of migration and its transformative effects on both immigrants and the hosts (Anne Ring Petersen, Moritz Schramm, and Frauke Wiegand 2019: 3). The paper draws on theories such as those offered by Roger Bromely on concepts of belonging and ethnicity to argue that even though these stories predate the academic conceptualization of postmigration, they represent the ways in which ascribed identities are challenged and new belongings are created. The research questions address how narratives under investigation problematize confining concepts on ethnicity, the ways in which family ties and relationships are affected in postmigration contexts and what these new spaces of belonging are like. The study concludes that "Who's Irish" and "Souvenirs" depict postmigrant "spaces of plurality" (Bromley 2017:39) which are conflictual but transcultural and trans-ethnic too.

This interdisciplinary study discusses Svetlana Alexievich’s The Unwomanly Face of War, a literary work that focuses on the history of World War Two from the perspective of female soldiers of the Soviet Union.  The women are veteran soldiers, a part of war history who continue their lives after the war and who suffer various mental disorders as a result of the war. These mental disorders are not only the aftereffects of the war, but also the consequences of political and social taboos of the Soviet Union. We analyze the women’s testimonies as they pertain to Cathy Caruth’s trauma theory. By analyzing trauma theory as it applies to the female soldiers, we see that if the society were to treat the female soldiers as heroines, to treat them with the same respect with which male soldiers are treated, the women would suffer fewer psychological disorders, but unfortunately, many of them suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD).  Trauma theory draws on psychoanalysis to establish a connection between the characters in the novels and real-life people, allowing a consideration of each character as a more well-rounded and in-depth individual, improving the studies of both literature and psychology.

This interdisciplinary study is a mystical reconsideration of Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love (2011), FRL hereafter, based on the theologian Mircea Eliade’s perspective on the notion of sacred life as hierophany. Considering the huge bulk of reviews analyzing the Eastern Sufi aspect of the novel as a mystical stand, this investigation probes the compatibility of Eliade’s Universalist spiritual stand with the Sufi perspective reflected in the novel, considering the Islamic tradition through focusing on Maulana’s mystical transformation via Shams of Tabriz. It also pays attention to the Western cultural manifestations absent in most of the reviews and considers the Orientalist features attributed to the novel by some critics. The investigation concludes that the form of Sufism represented in the novel is close to Maulana’s original perspective, and there is a spiritual congruity between Maulana’s Islamic stand, being affected by Ibn Arabi, and Eliade’s Western Christian one. This justifies the depiction of the characters’ mystical transformation within FRL as being touched by Islamic principles and not totally submissive before the Orientalist discourse.

In Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, based on his analysis of the relationship between the body and soul during his sickness, John Donne reaches the conclusion that man is unable to resist all the temptations of sin. It is proposed in this study that as a result of this belief, Donne encounters a theological problem, which he attempts to resolve by showing that despite the imperfections of the human nature, God has provided humans with every means necessary for achieving salvation. Therefore, it is argued that in the Devotions Donne creates a Leibnizian theodicy, according to which in spite of the existence of problems in creation it is possible to prove that God has created the best possible world. The purpose of this study is to provide a very different reading from the most established interpretations of the Devotions, in which it is assumed that Donne is simply encouraging his readers to avoid sin and to behave well. It is demonstrated that Donne actually tackles a serious theological problem by creating a Leibnizian theodicy in the work.

As one of the most important literary works written by an American writer, A Farewell to Arms has been studied from the perspective of a variety of critical approaches.  The present study examines this novel from the point of view of trauma studies, especially as discussed by Judith Herman. Hermann divides trauma into several types and proposes three basic steps for the healing process: immunization, recalling and mourning, and reconnecting with life. Using her ideas, this paper concludes that the protagonist of the novel goes through traumatic experiences, whose effect deeply transform his very elemental characteristics. Furthermore, it illustrates how the main character makes an attempt to reconnect with the pre-traumatic society in a doomed way. The reason is attributed to the simple fact that he has not been able to confront and accept trauma and provide a reliable narrative. The main reason for his failure is that he does not go through all the stages Herman believes a trauma survivor should go through to relieve the pain and suffering.

This article examines the reception and interpretation of Shakespeare’s works in modern-day Iran, beginning with an overview of the Qajar Dynasty (1789–1925) and focusing on Post-Revolutionary Iran. The study aims to illuminate an often-overlooked aspect: a significant shift in attitudes toward Shakespeare’s plays between pre- and post-Revolutionary Iran, shaped by the dominant policies and ideologies of each era. Prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, adaptations of Shakespearean works such as Macbeth and Hamlet demonstrated discernible political orientations. In contrast, post-Revolution adaptations, including Tardid and Mortal Wound, adopted a more sophisticated moralistic perspective. This transformation extended not only to thematic content but also to the medium of adaptation. During the pre-Revolution period, Shakespeare’s plays were primarily translated into dramatic performances. However, the post-Revolutionary era saw a shift toward visual adaptations, including cinematic productions and home-video renditions. The contrast between these periods offers insights into Iran’s contemporary outlook, revealing the interplay between historical power structures and the reception of Shakespeare’s works. This study highlights the extent to which prevailing systems of authority shape the acceptance and adaptation of cultural expressions across distinct historical contexts.