Recreating Classical Texts as a Way to Confront Tyranny; a Comparative Reading of the Novels The Hellish Life of Mr. Ayaz and The Sand of Maya based on Linda Hutchen's Theory

The major subject of argument in the current paper is how contemporary writers in many Eastern societies, living in conditions of oppression and tyranny, confront tyranny by recreating classical literary texts as an important and effective tool. This technique allows literary creators to keep themselves out of danger behind classical masks and, given the existing cultural backgrounds emerging from classical texts, to present their political messages to audiences easily, widely, and effectively in the role of critics and social activists. Adopting Linda Hutchen's theory of adaptation, this article examines the addressed process in two novels from Iranian and Algerian literature with two novels of “The Hellish Day of Mr. Ayaz” by Reza Baraheni and “The Sand of Al-Maya” by Wasini Al-Araj, respectively. Both novels are adapted from the History of Bayhaqi and the Thousand and One Nights, respectively, and show that this method (i.e., the use of narrative in political actions) is a widespread literary approach in the literature of third world countries. Furthermore, they, under the yoke of tyranny, are unable to directly represent the conditions of society. The results of the research show that the authors have highlighted and eliminated some elements, as well as changing and triying to localize and adapt the work to the existing conditions in society while maintaining the original spirit of the work. In specific, Baraheni has spoken about the tyranny of the Pahlavi regime in Iran by adapting the story of tyranny of Sultan Mahmud, and Wasini has spoken about the Islamic fundamentalist movements in Algeria by adapting the Thousand and One Nights. 
Introduction:
Adaptation refers to the process of taking techniques, methods, and themes that are well-known and successful in other art forms and integrating them into a new mode of expression. This concept was developed by Linda Hutcheon. While adaptation is commonly associated with cross-media transformations—such as adapting a novel into a film or vice versa—the scope of adaptation has expanded to include re-creation within the same medium. Examples include adapting a film from another film, a novel from another novel, or one written work from another. From this perspective, re-creation involves reinterpretation and transformation, effectively making the story one’s own by refining it through personal instincts, interests, and talents. In fact, adaptation in this sense breathes new life into the static body of a classical text by aligning it with contemporary developments and the author’s ideological and social concerns, preparing it for new perspectives and objectives through deliberate changes. This process removes the exclusive control of classical texts from filmmakers and other visual adaptors, enabling literary writers to reinterpret classical works in their own unique style and form. In many East African and Asian countries with similar political and social conditions, innovative and creative writers use the method of recreating classical texts to confront tyranny. In these regions, this approach is regarded as a safe yet symbolic form of protest that helps political and literary activists achieve their goals. Notable figures employing this method include Wassini Al-Araj, a prominent Algerian writer, and Reza Baraheni, a renowned Iranian author. Both authors emerged from similar social and political conditions, with confronting tyranny and addressing social concerns as the central themes in their novels. Some of their works involved adapting classical texts to achieve these goals. Notable examples include the novel The Sand of Maya by Wassini Al-Araj, which is adapted from One Thousand and One Nights, and the novel Hellish Life of Mr. Ayaz by Reza Baraheni, which draws from the history of Bayhaqi.
Method:
The theoretical basis of this research is based on the concept of re-creation from the perspective of Linda Hutchen. She describes re-creation from three perspectives, of which the second perspective, the act of adaptation as a process of creation, is considered in this article. In this perspective, adaptation requires reinterpretation and re-creation. Depending on the point of view of the individuals, such a thing can be called both the appropriation of the text and the salvation of the text. Against every belligerent appropriation that is defeated by a political opponent, there is a patient savior. Hutchen considers three components for this level of adaptation as follows: highlighting, deletion and displacement, localization.
Results and Discussion:
The capacities for reproduction and decomposition of the book “Alif Lailat Lailat” in Arabic literature and the history of Bayhaqi in Persian literature have led both authors to adapt and recreate the work. The most important opportunity that the possibility of recreating the One Thousand and One Nights has given to Wasini in creating a protest work is the numerical form of the One Thousand and One Nights, which has given the author the opportunity to create other stories by expanding the number. The marginality of the character Donyazad and his lack of development by the anonymous authors of One Thousand and One Nights have provided Wasini with the opportunity to utilize this silent character for political purposes within his narrative work. Similarly, the specific historical form of Bayhaqi—whose initial and final volumes have been lost, leaving only the middle volumes intact—and the neglect of many turning points in the history of the Ghaznavid sultans have allowed Baraheni to create a new chapter and sequel to this book. In addition, Bayhaqi's style of historical characterization, along with his inclusion of independent anecdotes from historical figures such as Hassanak, Bushel Zuzani, and Abu Nasr Meshkan, enabled Barahini to leverage Ayaz's marginal presence in this book—limited to only a few references and allusions—to create a work of politically charged protest and recreation.
Conclusion:
An examination of the re-creation process in two novels from Iranian literature (The He llish Life of Mr. Ayaz by Reza Baraheni) and Algeria (The Sand of Maya by Wasini al-Araj) is adapted from the history of Bayhaqi and the One Thousand and One Nights, respectively. It shows that this method (the use of narrative in political actions) is a pervasive literary approach in the literature of third world countries that, under the yoke of tyranny, are unable to directly represent the conditions of society. The research results show that the authors, while preserving the original spirit of the work, have highlighted and removed certain elements, as well as modified and attempted to localize and adapt the work to the prevailing societal conditions. Specifically, Baraheni addressed the oppressive tyranny of the Pahlavi regime in Iran by adapting the story of Sultan Mahmud's tyranny, while Wasini focused on Islamic fundamentalist movements in Algeria by adapting tales from One Thousand and One Nights.