Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 18، number In Volume 5، August 2025 ، issue Number 111

Examining the components of postcolonialism in the story collection "Siyasanbo" by Mohammad Reza Safdari

Shirin Behboudian , Kamran Pashaei Fakhri (Author in Charge), Parvaneh Adelzadeh

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: One of the main themes and topics of southern fiction literature is dealing with the domination of Westerners over Iran at a certain point in history. This issue is studied in postcolonial criticism. Postcolonial criticism is one of the interdisciplinary studies that is one of the most effective and practical approaches in analyzing literary texts, especially in order to understand and analyze strategies related to colonialism in these texts. The purpose of this article is to analyze and examine the most important components of postcolonial criticism based on Edward Said’s theories in the story collection Siasanbo by Mohammad Reza Safdari.

METHODOLOGY: This article has been conducted in a descriptive-analytical manner based on library studies and the method of postcolonial criticism, which has been carried out based on Edward Said’s theories in the story collection Siasanbo by Mohammad Reza Safdari.

FINDINGS: The collection of stories by Siyasenbo focuses on the events related to the aftermath of the 1988 coup and the nationalization of the oil industry until the end of the Pahlavi regime and the presence of Westerners and British colonialism. The collection of stories mentioned is a confrontation between the colonizer and the colonized or the superior and the inferior, which has carefully considered the poverty, oppression, aggression, and plunder of Iran, especially in the southern regions, with a sharp and critical look.

CONCLUSION: The results of the research show that the most important components and propositions of post-colonial literary criticism in the collection of stories by Siyasenbo include the confrontation of I/Other, economic domination, political domination, cultural domination, gender inferiority, and colonial and governmental violence.

Keyword
Post-colonial critical theory. Mohammad Reza Safdari. Siyasa

• Abassi. Allah Karam and Others (2018). Post-colonial Criticism of the Novel Razhae Sarmeen Man by Reza Baraheni. Persian Language and Literature Journal, University of Tabriz, Year 71. Issue 238. pp. 145-168.
• Albughobish. Abdullah and Rezaei. Zahra (2016). Postcolonial Criticism of Habib Khodadadzadeh's Novel Rozager Tofang. Literature and Language Journal, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Year 19, Issue 40, pp. 1-24.
• Asadi. Kourosh and Rezaei. Gholamreza (2019). Southern Window. Tehran: Nimage.
• Avers. Tillman (1983). The Nature of the State in the Third World. Translated by: Behrouz Tamamwan. Tehran: Agah, pp. 45-51.
• Bakhshi. Hossein (2022). Poetry of the Constitutional Era in the Face of Colonialism. Scientific Journal of Persian Poetry and Prose Stylistics (Bahar Adab). Volume 15, Issue 82, pp. 131-148.
• Boshroyeh. Hossein (2000). Theories of Culture in the Twentieth Century. Tehran: Ayandeh Pouyan Cultural Institute, p. 133.
• Fanon. Franz (1976). Black Skin, White Faces. Translated by Mohammad Amin Kardan. Second Edition. Tehran: Kharazmi, pp. 79-95-87.
• ___________ (1982). The African Revolution. Translated by: Mohammad Amin Kardan. Tehran: Kharazmi, p. 53.
• Farrokhnia. Mahin and Vanarji. Mojgan (2013). A Study of South African Resistance Poetry Based on Post-Colonial Perspectives. Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. Year 5. Issue 9. pp. 213-237.
• Hajati. Somayeh (2019). Postcolonial reading of the novel: Ten Persian novels in the light of the postcolonial approach. Tehran: Mah and Khorshid Publishing House, pp. 5-6.
• Hajati. Somayeh and Razi. Ahmad (2015). Analysis of the inferior manifestations of postcolonialism in the novel Jai Khaki Saluch. Specialized Quarterly of Literary Criticism. Year 8. Issue 31. pp. 141-166-140.
• Hatampour. Shabnam and Noorian. Seyyed Mehdi (2014). The role of the oil industry in the emergence of three writers with the style of the Southern school of fiction. Kavashnameh. Year 15. Issue 28: pp. 209-238.
• Izadyar. Mohsen and Ghaffari. Mahsa (2011). A Study of the Stories of Siyasnbo and Khoros from a Structuralist Perspective and the Southern Climate School. Quarterly Journal of Literary Thoughts. The Second Year of the New Era. Issue 8. pp. 121-137.
• Kligz. Mary (2009). A Textbook of Literary Theory. Translated by: Jalal Sokhanvar et al. Tehran: Akhtaran, p. 205.
• Morton. Stephen (2013). Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. Translated by: Najmeh Ghabeli. Tehran: Bidgol, p. 76.
• Puryazdan Panah Kermani. Arezo (2022). Postcolonial Criticism of the Novel on the Blue and Red Roads. Journal of Fiction Literature, 11 (4). pp. 21-42.
• Qalavandi. Ziba and Hajipour. Ali (2013). Sociological Criticism of the Story of Siasenbo Based on Goldman's Theory of Formational Structuralism. Journal of Literary Criticism and Rhetoric. Volume 12. Issue 3. Series 31. pp. 69-88.
• Saeedi. Ahmadreza (2015). Post-colonial Discourse Analysis in the Novel Shorfeh-e-Haziyan by Ebrahim Nasrollah. Year 7. Issue 13. pp. 185-204.
• Safdari. Mohammadreza (2013). Siyasanbo. Tehran: Qeseh.
• Sa'id. Edward (2003). The culture of imperialism. Translated by Akbar Afsari. Tehran: Toos, p. 392.
• ____________ (2007). World, Text, Critic. Translated by Lotf Ali Khonji. Tehran: Amir Kabir, p. 55.
• ___________ (2008). Orientalism. Translated by: Abdolhamid Gavahi. Tehran: Islamic Culture Publishing House, p. 58.
• Shahmiri. Azadeh (2009). Postcolonial Theory and Criticism. Tehran: Elmi, pp. 12-120-119-118-114.
• Shiri. Ghahreman (2008). Schools of Fiction Writing in Iran. Third Edition. Tehran: Cheshme, pp. 172-204.
• Shirzadian. Reza (2009). Postcolonial Studies, Criticism and Evaluation of the Views of Franz Fanon. Edward Said and Homi Baba. Political Studies. Volume 2. Issue 5. pp. 149-174.
• Smith. Brian (2001). Understanding Third World Politics (Theories of Development and Political Transformation). Translated by: Amir Mohammad Haji Yousefi and Mohammad Saeed Ghaeni Najafi. Tehran: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, p. 197.
• Sultani. Faramarz (2007). Iranian Labor Literature in the Modern Century. Tehran: Now Publishing House, p. 117.
• Taslimi. Ali (2011). Literary Criticism. Tehran: Ame Publications, p. 276.
• Young. Robert (2012). A Brief Introduction to Postcolonialism. Translated by: Fatemeh Modarresi and Farah Ghaderi. Tehran: Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, p. 43.