An Analysis of the Novel Curse of the Land (Nefrin-e Zamin) within the Framework of Daniel Little’s Social Theories

جستارهای نوین ادبی

Article 3, Volume 46, Issue 1 - Serial Number 180, June 2013, Pages 85-104   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jls.v46i1.24024

Author

Ebrahim Ranjbar^*

Abstract

Besides being a literary work, the novel Curse of the Land (Nefrin-e Zamin) is a social document. In this great work, Al-e Ahmad intends to give a social analysis of this own era, and warn his readers against the devastating consequences of modernity. Viewed from this perspective, it is regarded as his most sophisticated work representing his social thoughts and theories. In this paper an effort is made to introduce these theories and compare them with famous explanation models in social sciences in order to indicate the social and historical value of the novel and to clarify the position of its author, whose works are still popular, as a social intellectual in the realm of social theorization. The result of the comparison of his social theories with other models of explanations shows that they cannot be explained with a single model and, to explain them adequately, several models must be employed. It is also concluded that all his theories are not correct and defendable and some of them are seriously flawed.

Keywords

Curse of the Land; Jalal Al-e Ahmad; intellectual; Theory; explanation