Gender Study of the Exercise of Power in the Novels Tashari and Forget the Autumn (Referring to Michel Foucault's theory)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature, University of Ilam, Ilam, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Social Sciences, Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Feminist criticism seeks to explain the role of patriarchal culture in shaping the portrayal of women in literary works. Literary and artistic creations hold a significant place in the philosophical thought of Michel Foucault, who has extensively drawn upon these works to elucidate his intellectual project. Foucault views every discourse as emerging from power dynamics, with language serving as the arena where power relations arise, determining the dominant and the subordinate subjects. Accordingly, this study aims to examine and analyze Foucault's theory of power alongside the novel Tashari by Iraqi writer Inam Kajehji and the novel Forget the Autumn by Iranian writer Fahimeh Rahimi, employing the American school of comparative literature and a descriptive-analytical approach. The findings reveal that both novels incorporate various power-oriented discourses as conceptualized by Foucault. However, in Forget the Autumn, certain discourses—such as those of superstition, mastery and servitude, and love—are particularly prominent. The authors of these novels demonstrate that, although women in traditional Iraqi and Iranian societies are often victims of the power wielded by superiors across social classes, through resistance they have progressed from the confines of emotional passivity to the realm of reason and agency, moving beyond folk beliefs into political and social activism. 
Introduction:
Since the late 1960s, feminist literary criticism has emerged as a deliberate and collective approach to literature. Virginia Woolf is considered a pioneer of feminist criticism with her work A Room of One's Own. Aiming to expose the mechanisms of patriarchal society, feminist literary criticism ultimately seeks to transform social relations. Feminists argue that patriarchal society favors men and prioritizes their interests over those of women. In the contemporary era, literary criticism is closely connected to political feminist movements across social and economic spheres, as well as in the pursuit of cultural freedom and equality. The social norms established and upheld by those in power, primarily men, favored the dominant group. Consequently, women adopted various strategies to defend their identity and status. Part of their protest, as a segment of society that became aware of the challenges and injustices imposed upon them, was expressed through women's literature. Michel Foucault's theories on explaining the relationships between power and resistance are useful and inventive for discourse analysis. Literary and artistic works have a privileged position in Foucault's philosophical system, and he has benefited greatly from these works in explaining her intellectual project. Because important political and social events and changes are better reflected in literary works, especially narrative works. Accordingly, the present study has attempted to examine and analyze, the novel Tashari by the Iraqi writer Inam Kajehji, and the novel Forget the Autumn by the Iranian writer Fahimeh Rahimi by refering Foucault's theory of power.
Method:
This research is based on the descriptive-analytical method and referring Michel Foucault's theory of the exercise of power. First, Michel Foucault's components of power in the two novels under discussion are extracted and then analyzed and examined.
Results and Discussion:
In traditional Iraqi and Iranian societies, men have the power to act through social norms and in this way demonstrate their dominance over women's performance and lives. However, both authors have tried to use female characters to advance women from emotional and passive beings to the border of logical and active actors, and from folk thinking to the realm of social activities.
Conclusion:
In both novels, there are various types of power exercises, such as gender and power exercises, the power exercises of superstitions and folk beliefs, the power exercises of social superiors over social inferiors, the power exercises of dominant culture, and the preferential male agency in the formulation of love. In the novel Forget the Autumn, some discourses, such as the discourse of superstition, the discourse of mastery and servanthood, and the discourse of love, are the leading ones. The author of the novel "Tashari" through the character of Verdiyeh and the author of the novel "Forget Autumn" through the character of Rojan have presented different perspectives of traditional society regarding the exercise of power by social elites. A remarkable point is that, in some cases, subordinates have resisted their superiors and spoken out in protest. However, in many instances, subordinates become victims of the power wielded by superiors, who do not necessarily belong to a specific class. This aligns with Foucault's claim that power and resistance exist at all levels of society and within individual relationships. Consequently, this dynamic perpetuates both power and resistance.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Article Title [العربیة]

تحلیل روایتی طشّاری، وپاییز را فراموش کن بناءً على خطابات میشیل فوکو الموجهة نحو السلطة

Abstract [العربیة]

یحاول النقد النسوی توضیح دور الثقافة الأبویة فی الصورة المقدمة للمرأة فی الأعمال الأدبیة، وللأعمال الأدبیة والفنیة مکانة متمیزة فی المنظومة الفلسفیة للفیلسوف والمنظر الفرنسی میشیل فوکو، وقد استفاد کثیراً من هذه الأعمال فی شرح خطته الفکریة. تُعدُّ السلطة الکلمة المفتاحیة فی نظریات فوکو، بحیث یرى أی خطاب ینشأ من السلطة، وتأثرًا بفکر نیتشه، یری أن السلطة لا تنتمی فقط إلى الطبقة العلیا، بل هی موجودة فی جمیع الطبقات الاجتماعیة، واللغة هی ساحة علاقات القوة وتحدید الذات المهیمنة. بناء علی ذلک، تسعی هذه الدراسة تقصی نظریات فوکو حول السلطة فی الخطابات المستخدمة فی روایة طشّاری لإنعام کجه‌جی الکاتبة العراقیة، وروایة پاییز را فراموش کن لفهیمه رحیمی الروائیة الإیرانیة، مستفیدة من المنهج الوصفی- التحلیلی وعلی أساس مدرسة الأدب المقارن الأمریکیة، ووصلت إلی نتائج، منها: فی کلتا الروایتین، تم استخدام خطابات فوکو المختلفة الموجهة نحو السلطة. رغم أن بعض الخطابات فی روایةپاییز را فراموش کنأکثر تعبیرا، کخطاب الخرافة، وخطاب الربوبیة والعبودیة، وخطاب الحب. إن مؤلفتی هاتین الروایتین مصممتان على إظهار أنه على الرغم من أن النساء فی المجتمعات العراقیة والإیرانیة التقلیدیة، فی کثیر من الحالات، أصبحن ضحایا للسلطة المتواجدة فی جمیع الطبقات الاجتماعیة، لکن بمقاومتهن، تمکنَّ من الانتقال من حدود المرأة العاطفیة والسلبیة إلى حدود المرأة العقلانیة والفاعلة، ومن التفکیر الشعبی إلى نطاق واسع من الأنشطة السیاسیة والاجتماعیة.

Keywords [العربیة]

  • إنعام کجه‌جی
  • فهیمه رحیمی
  • طشّاری
  • پاییز را فراموش کن
  • میشیل فوکو
  • الخطاب
  • السلطة

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Research in Comparative Literature
Volume 15, Issue 4 - Serial Number 60
December 2025
Pages 97-122

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History

  • Receive Date: 02 March 2025
  • Revise Date: 07 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 30 June 2025

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