دانشگاه تربیت مدرس فصلنامۀ نقد ادبی 2008-0360 19 75 2026 08 23 Literary Ethnography in the Novel "Circles of the Peak" Based on the Theory of Culture and Personality قوم‌نگاری ادبی در رمان دایره‌های اوج برپایۀ نظریۀ فرهنگ و شخصیت 37 81 29298 10.48311/lcq.2026.119232.82746 FA مسعود حسنی دانش آموخته دکتری زبان و ادبیات فارسی و پژوهشگر مرکز تحقیقات زبان و ادبیات فارسی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس ثریا خرمی دانش آموخته دکتری مردم شناسی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد تهران مرکزی نجمه دری عضو هیئت علمی گروه زبان و ادبیات فارسی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس Journal Article 2026 02 21 The novel Dāyerehā-ye Owj [Circles of Apogee] by Asghar Asgari-Khanqah is among the works that depict the reciprocal relationship between culture and personality within the social and cultural life of Gilan. Drawing on the culture and personality approach and employing a qualitative content analysis method, the present study examines how local culture and subculture influence the formation of the identity and actions of the novel’s main character. The findings indicate that the character of Gharib-Oghli is shaped through interaction with the primary and secondary institutions of society and through mechanisms such as education, modeling, and the internalization of cultural values. His trajectory-from marginalization and social exclusion to scientific and social recognition-reflects the role of culture in reconstructing individual identity. The novel also portrays the dominant cultural patterns of Rasht society, including rationality, social responsibility, collective solidarity, and the valorization of knowledge, illustrating the process of characters’ socialization in relation to cultural structures. The analysis further shows that women, as cultural agents, play a significant role in the transmission and reproduction of social values. The study’s findings suggest that Circles of Apogee, beyond being a narrative work of fiction, possesses ethnographic potential and reveals-through the representation of lived experience-the system of meanings and cultural values of Gilan society in a period of transition. From this perspective, the novel can be understood as a literary account of the process of personality formation within a cultural context and as an example of the intersection between narrative imagination and anthropological insight. Extended Abstract Introduction This article examines the novel Dāyerahā-ye Owj as a form of literary ethnography based on the culture-and-personality approach. It explores the ways in which local culture and indigenous subculture influence the formation of identity and the behavior of the main character, Gharib-Oghli. The study focuses on the reciprocal relationship between culture and personality and considers the novel as a literary representation of the social and cultural life of Gilan, particularly the city of Rasht, during a period of transition. From the perspective of the culture-and-personality theory, personality is not formed independently of society; rather, it develops through interaction with cultural values, social institutions, education, patterns of imitation, and processes of socialization. Accordingly, the article analyzes the formation and transformation of Gharib-Oghli’s personality in relation to primary and secondary institutions. The findings indicate that education, social interaction, role modelling, and the internalization of cultural values play a significant role in shaping his identity and conduct. His movement from marginalization and social exclusion toward intellectual and social status illustrates the influence of cultural and social processes on the reconstruction of individual identity. The analysis also reveals several dominant cultural patterns in the representation of Rasht society, including rationality, social responsibility, collective solidarity, and respect for knowledge. These values are reflected in the characters’ relationships, decisions, social interactions, and responses to the conditions of their community. The novel presents socialization as a dynamic process through which individuals acquire, negotiate, and reproduce the cultural meanings of their society. In this process, women function as influential cultural agents who contribute to the transmission and reproduction of social values. The study argues that Dāyerahā-ye Owj extends beyond the boundaries of a purely fictional narrative. Through its representation of lived experience, social relations, local values, and systems of meaning, the novel possesses considerable ethnographic potential. It provides an artistic representation of Gilan society and demonstrates how literary characterization can contribute to the understanding of cultural identity and social transformation. The novel therefore constitutes an important example of the intersection between narrative imagination, literary studies, and cultural anthropology. Methodology This study employs a qualitative content-analysis method within the theoretical framework of culture and personality. The research corpus consists of the novel Dāyerahā-ye Owj by Asghar Askari-Khanqah. The analysis concentrates particularly on the central character, Gharib-Oghli, and examines the relationship between his personality formation and the cultural and social environment of Gilan, especially Rasht. The analytical process focuses on the representation of characters, their actions and interactions, social relationships, educational experiences, patterns of imitation, processes of socialization, and the internalization of cultural values. The study also examines cultural signs, local values, and forms of collective behavior represented in the narrative. Through interpreting these elements in relation to the culture-and-personality approach, the research identifies the ways in which the novel represents the influence of primary and secondary institutions on individual identity and behavior. In addition, attention is paid to the role of women in transmitting and reproducing social and cultural values. The findings are interpreted through an interdisciplinary perspective that connects literary analysis with cultural anthropology. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that the formation of personality in Dāyerahā-ye Owj is closely connected with cultural and social processes. Gharib-Oghli’s development is shaped by his interaction with social institutions, educational experiences, patterns of imitation, and the internalization of local cultural values. His transformation from a socially marginalized individual into a person of intellectual and social standing illustrates the role of culture in shaping, negotiating, and reconstructing personal identity. The novel also presents Gilan society, particularly Rasht, as a cultural environment characterized by rationality, social responsibility, collective solidarity, and respect for knowledge. Women’s role in the transmission and reproduction of these values further demonstrates the importance of cultural agents in sustaining social continuity. Accordingly, the novel represents culture not as a static background but as a dynamic system that influences individual conduct, social relationships, and processes of identity formation. It can therefore be concluded that Dāyerahā-ye Owj is more than a fictional account. By representing the lived experience, cultural values, social relations, and symbolic meanings of Gilan society, it possesses significant literary-ethnographic capacity. The novel illustrates the productive relationship between literary imagination and anthropological knowledge and shows that the analysis of fictional characters can provide valuable insight into the cultural processes through which individuals and communities construct identity. رمان دایره‌های اوج اثر اصغر عسکری‌ خانقاه، از آثاری است که رابطۀ متقابل فرهنگ و شخصیت را در بستر زندگی اجتماعی و فرهنگی گیلان بازنمایی می‌کند. پژوهش حاضر با تکیه بر رویکرد فرهنگ و شخصیت و با روش تحلیل محتوای کیفی، به بررسی چگونگی تأثیر فرهنگ و خرده‌فرهنگ بومی بر شکل‌گیری هویت و کنش‌های شخصیت اصلی رمان می‌پردازد. نتایج نشان می‌دهد که شخصیت غریب‌اوقلی در فرایند تعامل با نهادهای اولیه و ثانویۀ جامعه و از رهگذر سازوکارهایی چون آموزش، الگوبرداری و درونی‌سازی ارزش‌های فرهنگی شکل می‌گیرد و مسیر تحول او از حاشیه‌نشینی و طرد اجتماعی به منزلت علمی و اجتماعی، بازتابی از نقش فرهنگ در بازسازی هویت فردی است. همچنین رمان با ترسیم الگوهای فرهنگی مسلط در جامعۀ رشت، ازجمله خردورزی، مسئولیت‌پذیری اجتماعی، هم‌بستگی جمعی و ارزش‌گذاری بر دانش، فرایند جامعه‌پذیری شخصیت‌ها را در پیوند با ساختارهای فرهنگی نشان می‌دهد. تحلیل اثر همچنین بیانگر آن است که زنان در مقام کنشگران فرهنگی نقشی مؤثر در انتقال و بازتولید ارزش‌های اجتماعی دارند. یافته‌های پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که دایره‌های اوج فراتر از یک روایت داستانی، واجد ظرفیت‌های قوم‌نگارانه است و از خلال بازنمایی تجربۀ زیسته، نظام معنایی و ارزش‌های فرهنگی جامعۀ گیلان در دورۀ گذار را آشکار می‌سازد. از این منظر، رمان را می‌توان روایتی ادبی از فرایند تکوین شخصیت در بستر فرهنگ و نمونه‌ای از پیوند میان تخیل روایی و شناخت انسان‌شناختی دانست.

https://lcq.modares.ac.ir/article_29298_dda8019dec3926428ce2f4b0c9496fad.pdf