نقد و تحلیل مؤلفه‌های پست‌مدرنیستی در رمان «بند محکومین»
محورهای موضوعی : نقد و نظریه ادبیساسان فضلی 1 * , ناصر نیکوبخت 2 , ابراهیم خدایار 3 , زینب صابرپور 4
1 - دانشجوی دکتری زبان و ادبیات فارسی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، ایران
2 - استاد گروه زبان و ادبیات فارسی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، ایران
3 - دانشیار گروه زبان و ادبیات فارسی، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، ایران
4 - استادیار گروه زبان و ادبیات فارسی، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، ایران
کلید واژه: پستمدرنیسم, رمان معاصر, کیهان خانجانی, ادبیات پسامدرن و رمان بند محکومین.,
چکیده مقاله :
ادبیات پست‌مدرن، جریانی جهانی است که در ادبیات فارسی نیز بازتاب یافته است. پستمدرنیسم بر آرای پساساختارگرایان استوار است و هرگونه شناخت و تحلیل این واژه از تدقیق در آرای پساساختارگرایان حاصل می‌شود. نوع شعر و داستان با توجه به ظرفیت و محتوای خود، پذیرای نشانه‌های پست‌مدرن هستند. رمان «بند محکومین» اثر کیهان خانجانی از جمله رمان‌هایی است که می‌توان خوانشی پست‌مدرنیستی از آن عرضه کرد. انتخاب این رمان به دلیل نمود بارز عناصری مانند چندصدایی، فراواقعیت و جریان سیال ذهن است که آن را به نمونه‌ای شاخص از ادبیات پست‌مدرن فارسی تبدیل می‌کند. با توجه به اینکه رمان «بند محکومین» از رمان‌های متأخر است، می‌توان ضمن تحلیل جنبه‌های پست‌مدرنیستی متن، به جایگاه این نظریه در سال‌های اخیر و افتراق آن با رمان‌های پیشگام رسید. هدف این پژوهش آن است که با روش توصیفی-تحلیلی، پس از شناخت مؤلفه‌های برجسته و مشترک پست‌مدرن در نگاه نظریه‌پردازان آن، این رمان را نقد و تحلیل کند. یافتههای پژوهش نشان میدهد که عناصر و مؤلفه‌های برجسته در رمان یادشده عبارتند از: نگرش هستی‌شناسانه، آیرونی، درهم‌آمیزی، فراواقعیت، کش دادن اغراقآمیز تصویرپردازی، برهم زدن نظم و روال‌های جامعه، نظام چندصدایی و چندروایتی، بازی، تکرار‌های نامتعارف، دو وجهی یا چند وجهی بودن و جریان سیال ذهن.
Critique and Analysis of Postmodern Elements
in the Novel Band-e Mahkoumin
Sasan Fazli*
Naser Nikobakht**
Ebrahim Khodayar***
Zeinab Saberpour****
Postmodern literature is a global movement that has also influenced Persian literature. Postmodernism is rooted in the ideas of post-structuralists, and any understanding and analysis of this concept stems from a thorough examination of post-structuralist theories. Poetry and fiction, depending on their capacity and content, are receptive to postmodern features. Band-e Mahkoumin, a novel by Keyhan Khanjani, is one of the works that can be interpreted through a postmodern lens. This novel was chosen due to its prominent elements such as polyphony, hyperreality, and stream of consciousness, which make it a significant example of Persian postmodern literature. Since Band-e Mahkoumin is a relatively recent novel, analyzing it through a postmodern perspective can help assess the status of this theory in recent years and distinguish its characteristics from earlier pioneering novels. The objective of this study is to critique and analyze the novel using a descriptive-analytical method. After identifying the key and shared postmodern elements as defined by theorists, the study examines their application in this novel. The research findings indicate that the prominent elements in the novel include ontological perspective, irony, narrative interweaving, hyperreality, exaggerated imagery, disruption of social order, polyphonic and multi-narrative structure, playfulness, unconventional repetition, dual or multi-dimensional themes, and stream of consciousness.
Keywords: Postmodernism, Contemporary Novel, Keyhan Khanjani, Postmodern Literature, Band-e Mahkoumin.
Extended Abstract
Postmodernism is characterized by prominent features and elements that have led to its recognition and the establishment of its intellectual movement within artistic, philosophical, and literary works. A postmodernist reading of contemporary Persian novels and the application of postmodern components to such works, while aiding in the understanding of the textual world, can also provide a chronological approach to the emergence, peak, and decline of this theory in recent decades. This study seeks to identify the ontological content of the novel Band-e Mahkoumin (The Convicts' Ward), alongside other techniques specific to this literary style, to facilitate the reader’s comprehension of its postmodern world.
To date, no research has been conducted on analyzing and identifying the postmodern components of Band-e Mahkoumin. However, numerous books, academic articles, and dissertations have explored postmodernism in fiction. The most well-known definition of postmodernism, which aligns with poststructuralist views, belongs to Jean-François Lyotard: "Metanarratives are the foundation of social stability and order." Postmodernism fundamentally involves skepticism and disbelief toward metanarratives. From this perspective, postmodernism is a multifaceted movement that expresses its dissatisfaction with knowledge and beliefs that claim universality.
The most common characteristics of postmodern fiction include:
- A nonlinear beginning, fragmented and seemingly unrelated timelines, and an open-ended conclusion.
- Discontinuity and lack of coherence.
- Repetition and minimalism.
- Breaking conventional storytelling rules.
- Genre diversity.
- A polyphonic narrative structure.
- Disorder in event narration and the dissolution of the concept of time.
- Rejection of logical boundaries.
- Absence of heroism and intrinsic lyricism.
- A focus on urban life and the post-industrial world.
- Disrupting and suspending the storyline.
- Emphasizing narrative and individuality.
- Relativism and existential instability.
- Fragmentation, dispersion, and fluidity.
- Ambiguity and uncertainty.
- The use of metaphor and irony.
- Rejection of essentialism and fundamentalism.
Postmodern Components in Band-e Mahkoumin
- Ontological Content
In Band-e Mahkoumin, extensive analysis and reflection on existence, identity, and the lives of both major and minor characters shape the novel’s textual foundation, presenting perspectives on life, the world, and everyday existence. This exploration does not delve into highly complex philosophical debates but rather examines the thoughts and beliefs that ordinary people hold about life, themselves, and their surroundings.
- Irony
Irony, an artistic and rhetorical device that highlights contradictions between appearance and reality, expectation and actuality, is a key element in the novel. The narrative voice in Band-e Mahkoumin carries a subtle, humorous tone. Postmodern works often avoid definitive conclusions, making resolved endings a subject of mockery. Satirical expressions and ironic remarks further emphasize this tone, ridiculing conventional wisdom and traditional beliefs.
- Polyphony and Multiple Narratives
This technique, common in postmodern and experimental novels, avoids reliance on a single, straightforward narrative, instead creating a layered and complex reading experience. Key aspects of this technique include:
- Multiplicity of narratives and perspectives on history.
- Flashbacks and temporal disjunctions.
- The role of polyphony in adding semantic complexity.
- The integration of subplots and minor events with the main narrative.
- The effect on the reader’s interpretation.
- Narrative Interweaving
Narrative interweaving, a postmodern technique in which multiple concepts, genres, or storylines merge to create a multi-layered and intricate structure, is evident in Band-e Mahkoumin. A prime example is the tale of "Shah Damagh", where the author interconnects past events with the novel’s central storyline, merging seemingly unrelated elements into a cohesive narrative.
- Hyperreality
Hyperreality, a key postmodern characteristic, intentionally blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction. In Band-e Mahkoumin, this is evident in the scene where "a girl is thrown into the Convicts' Ward." The novel critiques social and psychological realities by questioning the nature of truth. Implicitly, the story suggests that absolute truth does not exist, highlighting humanity’s inability to fully grasp complex and multi-dimensional realities.
- Exaggerated Descriptive Imagery
Some parts of the novel blend imagination and atmospheric construction to the extent that the narrative takes on a hallucinatory or dreamlike quality. The protagonist perceives inanimate objects as living entities and vividly describes them. Initially, the narration is highly realistic, but gradually, it moves away from concrete reality. The novel's extensive use of imagery, especially in character descriptions, employs hyperbolic comparisons and elaborate metaphors.
- Playfulness
Postmodern novels frequently utilize linguistic playfulness to disrupt traditional narrative structures. In Band-e Mahkoumin, this linguistic play is particularly evident in the speech patterns of the character "Uncle Wazir", who struggles to pronounce the letter "Q" in the word Agha (Sir). This deliberate linguistic distortion not only adds a comedic effect but also symbolizes a break from social and linguistic norms, reflecting the character’s inability to conform to formal speech structures.
- Disrupting Social Order and Norms
A defining feature of postmodern fiction is the presence of characters who consciously deviate from social norms. These characters often serve as symbols of rebellion against societal structures. In Band-e Mahkoumin, the protagonists challenge legal and institutional frameworks, embodying societal disorder. Phrases like "Is murder even a crime? This is the end of the road", and "A prison sentence of under five years is a waste of time" illustrate the chaos and moral ambiguity pervading both the prison system and the broader social order.
- Unconventional Repetition
Postmodern repetition differs from traditional literary repetition techniques like alliteration. Instead, it involves the excessive and unconventional repetition of words or sounds in ways that make them appear unnatural or disjointed. An example in Band-e Mahkoumin is the repeated mention of the prisoner’s name "Siasiasia," which demonstrates an unconventional pattern of consonant and vowel repetition.
- Duality or Multiplicity of Themes
The novel presents multiple, sometimes contradictory themes, shifting between different emotions, tones, and subject matters. This duality manifests in both the narrative’s subject matter and the characters' dialogues, which mix formal narration with colloquial, marketplace, and regional dialects, creating a polyphonic effect.
- Stream of Consciousness
This technique, shared between modernist and postmodernist literature, is a prominent feature of Band-e Mahkoumin. The novel begins in the present, but after the climax, fifteen past narratives are introduced, with each character’s history interwoven into the ongoing events. The lack of linear time and the frequent transition between past and present exemplify the fluidity of consciousness. The novel also employs informal and unstructured language, reflecting the characters' raw and instinctive thought processes.
Conclusion
This study examines the postmodern elements in Band-e Mahkoumin by Keyhan Khanjani and analyzes its place in contemporary Persian fiction. The findings reveal that by employing various postmodern techniques, the novel serves as both a prominent example of this literary movement and a key text for understanding modern Persian literary evolution.
By blending modern and postmodern elements, Band-e Mahkoumin holds a distinct position in contemporary Persian literature. This novel continues the progression of Persian postmodern fiction, which began in the 1990s with authors such as Bahram Sadeghi and Houshang Golshiri. However, Band-e Mahkoumin takes this tradition further, utilizing more complex and layered techniques, contributing to the maturation of Persian postmodern literature.
By integrating global postmodern influences with Persian literary traditions, this novel demonstrates that contemporary Persian fiction has moved beyond mere imitation, achieving innovation and originality. Through its experimental approach to narrative and form, Band-e Mahkoumin not only offers readers a novel literary experience but also enriches Persian contemporary literature.
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* Corresponding Author: Ph.D Student in Persian Language and Literature, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.
ssnfazli92@gmail.com
** Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.
nikoubakht@yahoo.com
*** Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.
hesam_kh1@modares.ac.ir
**** Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.
zainab.saberpour@gmail.com
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