Journal of Literary Criticism and Rhetoric

scientific-research

A Comparative Study of Coherence in Arabic and Persian Rhetoric and Related Knowledge

HOMA RAHMANI; Abdollah Radmard; EHSAN GHABOOL

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 1-24

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.377961.2007

Abstract

Coherence is a concept found in the sources of both Arabic and Persian rhetoric. Usama ibn Munqidh first introduced this term in the 6th century, defining it as improvisation and speech ... Read More

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Motif in Bahram Beyzaie’s Play The One Thousand and First Night

Abdolreza Naderifar; Masoumeh Ahmadi

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 25-44

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.395808.2061

Abstract

Bahram Beyzai is one of the most prominent playwrights in contemporary Iranian dramatic literature whose regeneration, innovation and creativity are evident in each of his plays. One ... Read More

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Political hermeneutic analysis of the stories "The Woman of Many" and "The Children of the People" written by Jalal Al-Ahmad based on Frederick Jameson's theory

faezeh arab yousefabadi

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 45-66

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.392584.2052

Abstract

One of the prominent features of committed literature is its reflection of power relations and domination within the social context. In this regard, Zan-e Ziadi (The Superfluous Woman) ... Read More

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The comparative study of the hero's journey pattern in Bijan Najdi's narratives based on Joseph Campbell's model

mahboobeh mobasheri; majid houshangi; fatemeh amozegar

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 67-94

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.400078.2074

Abstract

Archetypes are the shared experiences and collective memory of ancestors that have been passed down from the past to the new generation. As a result, one of the most fundamental phenomena ... Read More Archetypes are the shared experiences and collective memory of ancestors that have been passed down from the past to the new generation. As a result, one of the most fundamental phenomena of the modern era is the confrontation of modern and postmodern humans with archetypal issues. Joseph Campbell, in the field of mythology, proposed the theory of the Hero’s Journey.Archetypes are the shared experiences and collective memory of ancestors that have been passed down from the past to the new generation. As a result, one of the most fundamental phenomena of the modern era is the confrontation of modern and postmodern humans with archetypal issues. Joseph Campbell, in the field of mythology, proposed the theory of the Hero’s Journey. He believes that the stories of different nations follow a specific pattern, and their differences are due to cultural, historical, and other variations. Campbell describes three stages in his theory — "Departure, Initiation, and Return" — which are further divided into seventeen detailed steps.The present study conducts a comparative analysis of Campbell's theory in two narratives: Giyahi Dar Quarantine and Shabe Sohraab Keshan’s by Bijan Najdi. This comparison is made with consideration and awareness of the multifaceted differences between classical and modern narratives. It is based on the assumption that the flow of myths continues fluidly and subtly in narratives of all eras, especially in the contemporary world, and the findings are grounded in this fluidity.The research method is descriptive-analytical. The results show that the complete Hero’s Journey as described by Campbell does not occur in the movement of Najdi’s heroes. It can be inferred that, unlike the heroes in the stories Campbell recounts, the heroes in Najdi’s stories are fragmented individuals who lack the endurance to face difficulties and do not have the ability to create a new destiny or reclaim what once belonged to them. This issue arises from Najdi’s narratives and the downward, fallen journey of his heroes, which unlike the classical system, takes shape within the context and space of the contemporary world.

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From the Dream of Equality to the Reproduction of Violence: A Sociological Analysis of the Novel Notes of a Dictatorof a Dictator

Hesam Khaloei; MohammadSadegh Basiri; Najmeh Hosseini Sarvari

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 95-121

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.399312.2070

Abstract

With a critical and sociological approach, this article offers an in-depth examination of Notes of a Dictator, a novel by Hedayatollah Hakim-Elahi. It analyzes the intricate trajectory ... Read More With a critical and sociological approach, this article offers an in-depth examination of Notes of a Dictator, a novel by Hedayatollah Hakim-Elahi. It analyzes the intricate trajectory of the protagonist’s transformation—from a marginalized citizen who appears to champion justice, into an ideological and totalitarian dictator. The study seeks to reveal how social, psychological, and class-based contexts pave the way for this tragic metamorphosis, and how hidden forces of power and ideology gradually turn a social actor—initially committed to liberation and justice—into a reproducer of the very violence he once sought to resist. This analysis rests on a multilayered theoretical framework. First, the principles of Critical Marxism, with emphasis on class conflict and alienation, illuminate the economic and social foundations of the protagonist’s downfall. Second, the sociology of literature—drawing on the insights of Lucien Goldmann and Georg Lukács—interprets the novel as a reflection and representation of the material and class structures of society. Third, Michel Foucault’s concepts of power provide the tools to identify the subtle, microscopic mechanisms of domination and the production of ideological “truth” within the narrative. The findings demonstrate that the novel’s dominant socialist discourse, in the absence of regulatory institutions and participatory mechanisms, gradually loses its emancipatory meaning. In its entanglement with pathological structures of power, it becomes an instrument for legitimizing violence, suppression, and the reproduction of inequality. The protagonist—initially a symbol of the fervor for justice and the ideal of equality—through the workings of ideological mechanisms, as theorized by Louis Althusser, becomes ensnared in reproducing social and mental misrecognition. Ultimately, he emerges not as a liberator, but as an instrument of the ruling class’s domination.

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Sectarianism as a Static Structure in the Trilogy of Abutorab Khosravi

Hossein Joudavi; Mohammad Ali Mahmoodi; Mohammad Amir Mashhadi

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 121-146

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.395211.2057

Abstract

This study aims to analyze cultism as a molar structure in Abu Torab Khosravi’s trilogy, comprising Asfar-e Kataban (Scribes’ Journeys), Rud-e Ravi (The Ravi River), and ... Read More This study aims to analyze cultism as a molar structure in Abu Torab Khosravi’s trilogy, comprising Asfar-e Kataban (Scribes’ Journeys), Rud-e Ravi (The Ravi River), and Malakan-e Azaab (Angels of Torment). Drawing on the theories of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari—particularly concepts such as molar structures in contrast to rhizomatic structures—it demonstrates that cultism in this trilogy reproduces hierarchical, centralized, and static structures through mechanisms such as the repression of desire, negation of multiplicity, blockage of lines of escape, reterritorialization of deterritorializations, and the substitution of subjugated subjects for the body without organs. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and a critical reading of the texts, this study argues that Khosravi, through complex narratives, not only exposes the oppressive and non-dynamic nature of cults but also condemns superstition and dogmatism, thereby representing the tension between molar structures (imposed order) and molecular structures (the possibility of emancipation).In terms of methodology, this interdisciplinary study relies on narrative text analysis to explore signs of cultism across the trilogy’s fictional layers, characterizations, and ideological discourses. Data were collected by extracting themes related to mechanisms of domination (e.g., subjection of individuals, distortion of truth, and instillation of fear) and their contrast with rhizomatic elements (e.g., micro-resistances, sudden escapes, and polyphony). Using Deleuze and Guattari’s theoretical framework, concepts such as deterritorialization and reterritorialization were analyzed within the narrative context of the trilogy to reveal processes of power consolidation and resistance within cults.The findings indicate that Khosravi’s trilogy functions as an anti-cult text, exposing mechanisms of domination and inviting readers to reflect on the dangers of fixed, closed collective identities. By contrasting passive characters (molar subjects) with multidimensional ones (molecular subjects), the text demonstrates how cults nullify the potential for transformation or escape by controlling desire and restricting freedom. These findings not only deepen the understanding of Khosravi’s trilogy but also contribute to contemporary literary studies on the intersection of literature and ideological critique.

scientific-research

"A Study of the Cultural Discourse of Postmodern Poetry in Iran"

ahmad khalili

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 147-174

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.395388.2058

Abstract

The formation and circulation of postmodern poetry is a disputing problem in today Persian poetry. In the viewpoint of critics, this poetic trend has send out the running process of ... Read More

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The examination of the correlation between the poetic meter and traditional Iranian vocal modes

Mohammad Hasan Arjmandi far

Volume 14, Issue 2 , September 2025, Pages 175-200

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2025.379087.2006

Abstract

The traditional vocal modes of Iran have long been performed alongside Persian poetry, as if they are twin souls. The common element that strengthens this ancient bond is the "rhythm." ... Read More The traditional vocal modes of Iran have long been performed alongside Persian poetry, as if they are twin souls. The common element that strengthens this ancient bond is the "rhythm." Based on this, there are two viewpoints: some believe that the rhythms of Persian poetry are born from the vocal modes, while others believe the opposite. This research, hypothesizing that there is a correspondence between the rhythm of poetry and the vocal modes in the radif of traditional music, measures and categorizes the rhythms of poems used by the vocal masters Abdullah Davami, Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Nouraddin Razavi Sarvestani, Mahmoud Karimi, and Esmaeil Mehrtash in their teaching methods of the radif. The frequency of rhythms these masters chose for teaching the vocal modes was evaluated using the "Sharaahang" method. It is worth noting that Sharaahang is a modern method of Persian poetry rhythmology that names and categorizes the rhythms of Persian poetry based on the weight or temporal value of syllables in each line.To verify the statistical accuracy of the first part of the research, the rhythms of poems in fifteen vocal modes performed by Mohammad-Reza Shajarian in nearly fifty private, stage, and studio performances were measured, confirming previous results. Ultimately, it was found that in the classification of traditional vocal modes into two categories—modal and rhythmic—the suitable rhythm for rhythmic modes is often fixed and in specific rhythms. In contrast, the suitable rhythm for modal modes is often in 15-syllable patterns (including seven long and eight short syllables), within a maximum range of three more or three fewer long syllables. Additionally, it was revealed that the most frequently used rhythms in the ghazal collections of Hafez Shirazi, Saadi Shirazi, and Jalaluddin Rumi are also the most frequently used rhythms in traditional Iranian vocal music. This not only strengthens the hypothesis of Hafez's mastery in the art of singing but also suggests that Iranian vocal music has reached the present generation with minimal changes since at least the 7th century.

Potentialities and Limitations of the Bakhtinian Approach in Literary Criticism

Volume 12, Issue 3 , December 2023, , Pages 1-19

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2023.361223.1944

Abstract

Mikhail Bakhtin is one of the most influential theorists of literary criticism in the twentieth century whose ideas, particularly in the field of novel criticism, have been widely embraced ... Read More Mikhail Bakhtin is one of the most influential theorists of literary criticism in the twentieth century whose ideas, particularly in the field of novel criticism, have been widely embraced by scholars in literary studies worldwide. In Iran, however, the Bakhtinian approach is less known compared with other critical approaches such as mythological-archetypal criticism or psychoanalytical criticism. Bakhtin initially started his literary scholarship in association with the Russian Formalists, but gradually distanced himself from their viewpoints and established his own independent approach in criticism. The Russian Formalists believed the function of language in literary texts to be “defamiliarisation”. As such, they argued that figures of speech are tools that poets and writers use in order to make the literary use of language different from its non-literary usage. Bakhtin disagreed with the Formalists and argued that language also has social and discursive aspects that need to be taken into account so that the critic would be in a position to offer insights into the deeper, hidden layers of social behaviour. Therefore, unlike the Formalists who focused their attention on the rhetorical and formal aspects of literary works, Bakhtin tried to analyse literature as discourse. Highlighting the social aspects of the novel, he emphasizes that the critic’s central concern should be to investigate how language is used in the novel. In his view, language in the novel, in distinction to poetry, is marked by concreteness. Therefore, novelistic prose is always orientated towards concrete details, as it also is in journalistic as well as legal and political texts. This concrete orientation necessitates that linguistic usage in the novel be consistent with actual language use by social groups. Concentrating on the novel as an essentially polyphonic genre marked by heteroglossia, he put forward a theory about the carnivalesque in the novel.This essay aims to expound the Bakhtinian approach in literary criticism by focusing on the tripartite concepts of “polyphony”, “heteroglossia” and “carnival”. To do so, we first discuss Bakhtin’s ideas on the essential contrast between the language of poetry and the language of the novel and then move on to consider his viewpoints on the multiplicity of voices in the novel, linguistic reflection of social stratification in this genre, and its carnivalesque qualities. In order to clarify the theoretical aspects of the Bakhtinian approach, we complement our exposition of Bakhtin’s theory with critical readings of three sample texts of Persian literature, which include selected extracts from Ferowsi’s Shahnameh, a poem by Mehdi Akhvan Salles entitled “Sonnet No. 3”, and the novel Shazdeh Ehtejab by Hooshang Golshiri. In the conclusion to this essay, we offer our assessment of the potentialities as well as the limitations of Bakhtin’s theory in literary criticism in addition to drawing a perspective of the expansion and updating of this critical approach

Quiddity and How "Symbolic Realism" in Literary Texts

Volume 13, Issue 1 , June 2024, , Pages 103-120

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2024.337803.1958

Abstract

The present research aims to explain symbolic realism in literary texts by reviewing and critically examining symbolic realism, while explaining three important aspects of symbolic ... Read More

Exaggeration: Beyond Imagination

Volume 2, Issue 2 , March 2014, , Pages 95-114

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2014.50571

Abstract

Exaggeration is a rhetoric picture which is often used to arrange the speech and to attract the audience. In exaggeration, the poet, shows his meanings by the use of two methods, to ... Read More

A New Look at Ambiguity in Persian Rhetoric

Volume 2, Issue 2 , March 2014, , Pages 115-134

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2014.50572

Abstract

Ambiguity is one of very important techniques in Persian rhetoric, but in spite of its importance, it seems there is not enough accuracy in its definition and types. The present ... Read More

A Comparative Study on Ambiguity and its uses in the Poems of Khaghani and Hafez

Volume 2, Issue 1 , December 2013, , Pages 37-56

https://doi.org/10.22059/jlcr.2013.35932

Abstract

Several structures, themes, content and semantic elements of the poems can be described to analyze the poetry of each poet, and the quality of their pristine and pure conditions and ... Read More

Volume 14 (2025)

Volume 13 (2024)

Volume 12 (2024)

Volume 11 (2022)

Volume 10 (2021)

Volume 9 (2020)

Volume 8 (2019)

Volume 7 (2018)

Volume 6 (2017)

Volume 5 (2016)

Volume 4 (2016)

Volume 3 (2015)

Volume 2 (2013)

Volume 1 (2012)

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