Woman in Jalal Al Ahmad Stories

Year 2019, Volume: 19 Issue: 48, 43 - 60, 29.06.2019

Elif Aydınbaş

Abstract

The position of women in literature has widened in Iran along with
the constitutionalism and contemporary Iranian writers have included females as
chief characters in their stories. One of the most important topics that Jalal
Al Ahmad mentions in his stories is women's role in society, culture and
tradition, education and family life. Jalal Al Ahmad makes social criticism
through the women in his stories. He chooses his characters from the extremes
of the society to strengthen this emphasis. In this study, the stories of Jalal
Al Ahmad in which the main characters are women and their place in the family
and society is investigated. Whether modern or traditional, the common
characteristic of the female characters of Al Ahmad is ignorance, and many of
the female characters are obscene talker, as can be seen in the male characters
of Al Ahmad's stories. Of course, in the formation of characters, the
conditions of the period of Al Ahmad's life and the characteristics of the
section he touched cannot be denied. therefore, it can be observed how well the
author is familiar with his society. In addition, as a writer who cares about
the position of women in society, the story of Al Ahmad is also felt as a lack
of a well-educated, well-educated female character.

Structured Abstract

During the period of Al Ahmad; which is, from
the beginning of the Pahlavi dynasty to the end of his life, the remarkable changes
that took place in the life conditions of women led the women's matter become a
subject in Jalal Al Ahmad's world of thoughts. In Iran literature, the first
sparks of tendencies towards women are seen during the constitutionalism
period. With the onset of the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty, revolutionary
events occur in the individual and social lives of the Iranian women. Upon the
abolition of hijab, articles about women, and criticism, analysis and
commentaries were started to be written (İzanlû, 1393, p. 186).

In his main theme, Jalal Al Ahmad has many stories about the lives
of woman and the women. The stories of Bache Mardom, Lake Soorati, Khaharam va Ankabut, Shohare Amrikaei, Samanu
Pazan, Khanume Nuzhatud-Dovle and Zane Ziadi are the works in which women are
either the main characters or the stories happen around them and their lives.
In our article, brief analysis of these works will be done and psychological
conditions and social experiences of the main characters will be discussed.

Al Ahmad, rich, poor; It takes women from
different segments of society, including traditional, modern. But the common
feature of most of the women in her stories is that they are women who are
disconnected and ignored from the outside world. These women are inexperienced
about what is happening outside their homes. Of course, this criticism of
ignorance is not directed to women. Society is the legacy of tradition and
culture that compels them to be so. Jalal Al Ahmad makes social criticism over
the women he subjects to his stories. Jalal Al Ahmad makes social criticism
over the women he subjects to his stories.

Characters of Jalal's stories are adapted from real life and they
have no idea they are the characters of Jalal's stories. According to these statements, the women in the
stories of Jalal Al Ahmad are women in the social text of that day, and Al
Ahmad depicts many of them and informs the reader of their conditions and
conditions of the day in which those women have lived.

In general, Jalal Al Ahmad criticizes women's oppressiveness and
demonstrative freedoms in society, while portraying female characters and their
world of thought. In his work Gharbzadegi (Westernization),
he writes:

“We took veil from their heads only by beating and sticks and
just opened a portion of the madrassa's to them. Then what? After that,
nothing...We gave women only the appearance in society, only
appearing; that is to show themselves. We have no other goal and purpose other
than increasing the flock of powder and lipstick (western industry products)
consumers in the years of freedom of demonstration of women”

In most of the stories in question, the main theme is the problems
of traditional, social and familial pressures; women who make wrong and
ignorant decisions. Divorced women and a woman who did not find happiness in
her marriage also had an important place in the stories of Jalal Al Ahmad.
These women cannot be separated from their husbands due to social and familial
repressions or they have to sacrifice their own lives and even their sons.

As it
could be understood from the analyzed stories,
Jalal Al Ahmad frequently included female protagonists in his stories and
generally chose these women from the sub-levels of society. Whether modern or
traditional, the common feature in the female characters of Al Ahmad is
ignorance, and many of the female characters have bad mouth and disobedient
characters, as can be seen in the male characters in the stories of Al Ahmad as
well. Of course, in the formation of characters, the conditions of the era Al
Ahmad lives in and the characteristics of the demographics he touches play an
active role. From this point of view, it is possible to observe how familiar
the author is to the society he lives in. Some of his stories contain metaphors
that require deep assays. In addition, as a writer who cares about the position
of women in society, the lack of a successful, well-educated and socially
credible female characters is felt.

Keywords

Story, Woman, Contemporary Iranian Literature, Jalal Al Ahmad, Woman in Contemporary Iran Story

CELÂL ÂL-İ AHMED’İN HİKÂYELERİNDE KADIN

Abstract

Meşrutiyetle birlikte İran’da kadının edebiyattaki yeri de
genişlemiş, çağdaş İranlı yazarlar hikâyelerinde kadın başkarakterlere yer
vermiştir.  Celâl Âl-i Ahmed’in de hikâyelerinde
değindiği en önemli konulardan biri toplum, kültür ve gelenek içinde kadının
yeri, eğitimi ve aile yaşantısıdır. Celal Âl-i Ahmed, hikâyesine konu ettiği
kadınlar üzerinden, toplumsal eleştiri yapar. Bu vurguyu güçlendirmek için
karakterlerini toplumun uç kesimlerinden seçer. Kadınların hakir görülmesini,
eğitimsiz ve cahil bırakılmasını eleştirir. Bu çalışmada Celâl Âl-i Ahmed’in, başkarakteri
kadın olan hikâyeleri üzerine tahliller yapılmış, bu kadınların aile ve toplum
içindeki yerleri incelenmiştir. Tahlil edilen hikâyelerden de anlaşılacağı
üzere Âl-i Ahmed, hikâyelerinde kadın başkarakterlere sıkça yer vermiş ve bu
kadınları genellikle toplumun alt tabakalarından seçmiştir. İster modern ister
geleneksel olsun, Âl-i Ahmed’in kadın karakterlerinde bulunan ortak özellik,
cehalettir ve kadın karakterlerin çoğu, Âl-i Ahmed’in hikâyelerindeki erkek
karakterlerde de görülebileceği gibi ağzı bozuk ve geçimsiz karakterlerdir.
Elbette karakterlerin oluşumunda Âl-i Ahmed’in yaşadığı dönemin şartları ve konu
edindiği kesimin özellikleri yadsınamaz. Buradan hareketle yazarın yaşadığı topluma
ne derece aşina olduğu gözlemlenebilir. Hikâyelerinin bazısı derin tahliller
gerektiren metaforlar içerir. Bunların yanı sıra, kadınların toplum içindeki
konumunu önemseyen bir yazar olan Âl-i Ahmed’in hikâyelerinde başarılı,
eğitimli ve sosyal hayatta itibar sahibi bir kadın karakterin eksikliği de
hissedilmektedir.

Keywords

Çağdaş İran Edebiyatı, Hikâye, Kadın, Celâl Âl-i Ahmed, Çağdaş İran Öyküsünde Kadın

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