Examining the Relationship between Magical Realism and the Concept of Resistance in Contemporary Persian Literature

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 u

2 Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, University of Neyshabur

Abstract

The modern era represents a transition from realistic narratives and interpretations of the world. This transition primarily signifies a critique of the rationality that has failed to realize its slogans and ideals. Therefore, it is not surprising that numerous counter-narratives have emerged in opposition to realistic narratives. In this context, literature, particularly the novel, has served as a field for confronting the new rationality and its subsequent outcomes, which have led to the overturning or, at the very least, the weakening of historically established structures that were mistakenly perceived as natural. This article explores magical realism in literature as a tool for resistance against the onslaught of colonial Western powers, analyzing contemporary Persian fiction from this specific perspective. The results derived from the analysis of the most prominent texts in magical realism indicate that these works emphasize several axes, including the focus on indigenous cultures and local traditions as a form of cultural resistance against the dominance of colonizers and specifically the policies aimed at suspending local cultures in favor of a global culture; highlighting economic inequalities as a protest against economic systems that produce inequality and exploitative practices in a bipolar world; critiquing materialism through the construction of magical elements in opposition to material-centric rationality; and ultimately, negatively representing the West in symbolic and metaphorical forms as a stand against colonial domination.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Resistance Literature
Volume 16, Issue 31
March 2025
Pages 195-215

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