Volume 17, Issue 67 (2024)                   LCQ 2024, 17(67): 185-224 | Back to browse issues page


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heydari tamrabadi S, parsanasab M, bagheri B, Bayat H. A Critique of the Application of Ecocriticism in Persian Short Stories. LCQ 2024; 17 (67) :185-224
URL: http://lcq.modares.ac.ir/article-29-75290-en.html
1- Ph.D. student of Persian language and literature, Kharazmi University
2- Professor of Kharazmi University , mohammad.parsanasab63@gmail.com
3- Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Kharazmi University
Abstract:   (1780 Views)
The ecocriticism that emerged in the late twentieth century in the West often addresses the environmental concerns of writers and examines the extent and quality of their attention to such issues in their works. Iranian critics and researchers, recognizing environmental crises, have studied contemporary Persian short stories with the aim of providing a new and effective reading of these literary works. Their efforts have yielded varying degrees of success, with some cases showing relative success and others facing shortcomings. This article employs a method of critique of critique, aiming to analyze the application of this approach in contemporary narrative literature. We evaluate seven articles published in the last decade of the fourteenth century in the Persian calendar that focused on eco-critical studies of Persian short stories, assessing them in terms of structure, method, and content to understand how well these critiques align with the objectives and nature of ecocriticism. We investigate how successful critics have been in presenting new readings or findings from these works and ultimately identify the fundamental shortcomings of such critiques. The main findings of this research, conducted through a descriptive-analytical method and critical approach, include: neglecting the primary essence of the theory, lacking a correct understanding of ecocriticism, failing to reference authentic sources, limiting articles to case studies and micro-analysis, lacking depth in addressing environmental issues among writers and critics, disregarding the interdisciplinary nature of this style of critique, and finally, overlooking its practical dimensions.
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
In recent decades, with the increasing emergence of environmental problems, the necessity of paying attention to the environment has been felt more than ever; neglecting this vital issue will seriously endanger human life. With the rise of environmental crises and the subsequent expansion of global concerns, intellectual trends and social movements for environmental protection have emerged under the general titles of “ecologism” and “green movement”. Lawrence Buell (1995, p. 430) defines ecocriticism as "the study of the relationship between literature and the environment conducted with a commitment to environmental pragmatism."  This perspective challenges anthropocentric views and stands firmly against the idea of human dominance over nature, essentially seeking to provide a way to create sustainable natural life for humanity by transforming the relationships between humans and nature, while also ensuring the survival of the environment. The emergence of such perspectives has led to the creation of environmentally focused works that ecocritical critics analyze and review. This article employs a method of critique of critique, aiming to analyze the application of this approach in contemporary narrative literature. We evaluate seven articles published in the last decade of the fourteenth century in the Persian calendar that focused on eco-critical studies of Persian short stories, assessing them in terms of structure, method, and content to understand how well these critiques align with the objectives and nature of ecocriticism. We investigate how successful critics have been in presenting new readings or findings from these works and ultimately identify the fundamental shortcomings of such critiques. It is worth noting that this approach is not limited to a specific methodology. Therefore, ecocriticism is not necessarily founded on a uniform methodology or theoretical commonalities. What brings together critics, theorists, and various ideas under the title of ecocriticism is their political goals and ideals.
2. Discussion
To determine the success or failure of Iranian critics in providing an ecocritical reading of Persian short stories, we have examined seven articles, which are:  1. Entropy in Nature and Society in the Story “Gileh-Mard” (Parsa Poor, 2014), 2. An  Ecocritical Reading of the Short Story The Pear Tree By Goli Taraghi (Niazi, 2015), 3. Environmental Ethics Considerations in Hedayat and Chubak (Critique of Two Stories) (Parsa Poor, 2016), 4. An Ecological Critique  of a Short by Gholam Hosein Saedi  (Alboqobeish & Gol Babaei, 2018), 5. Ecofeminist Critique of the Story “The Blue Ones” (Parsa Poor, 2018), 6. Environmental Critique of Bijan Najdi's Stories (A Case Study of Three Stories) (Haji Aghababaei, 2019), 7. Analysis of Climatic Features and Elements in Bijan  Najdi's Stories (Mahmoudi, 2021).
We have evaluated all these articles in terms of structure, methodology, and content; shortcomings are observed in these studies such as neglecting original theoretical sources and relying on inaccurate translations, which may be the most significant factor contributing to this issue—namely, the unavailability of accurate translations from original ecocritical sources that exacerbate the problems literary critics face. Translating reference texts in this area is crucial for achieving a more precise understanding of ecocriticism and its various dimensions. Furthermore, the lack of reference to primary sources, insufficient knowledge about them, or unavailability of translated resources are fundamental problems that certainly lay the groundwork for other issues when using this approach, and the impact of this matter is evident in almost all research in this field. Another issue is misunderstanding or flawed understanding of ecocriticism; every theory is based on specific foundations, and awareness of those foundations is necessary for researchers in that field—a point not addressed in some examined articles. Another observation in these articles is their reliance on case studies, which are limited. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of a writer's thoughts and character, one needs to have an overview of their entire works; this point is very important when selecting a work for analysis with a specific approach or theory, which critics should always keep in mind. Ignoring the fundamental nature of ecocritical theory is also a shortcoming evident in these articles. Ecocriticism has broad dimensions, and neglecting these dimensions will lead to overlooking aspects of ecocriticism; for example, one very important aspect in environmental criticism is "ecofeminism," which has been overlooked in some articles despite having a suitable background for it. Another issue in these studies is the lack of a deep perspective on the environment and its requirements. The importance of environmental issues for every human being is as significant as their health. By neglecting nature and failing to care for it, humans jeopardize their own survival. Respecting nature and protecting it is related to many issues, perhaps the most important of which is culture. Unfortunately, in Iranian society, especially among writers and critics, the environment has not yet become a vital issue. They often reduce nature and natural elements to mere narrative or symbolic elements in their stories, and they frequently lack the ability to develop a discursive space that is appropriate for nature and the environment. The scarcity of poets or writers who have environmental concerns may stem from the lack of institutionalization of environmental protection thinking in Iranian culture. Furthermore, there is a general disregard for the practical dimensions of the theory in almost all the articles. It is a fact that the practical and applicable aspects of theories encourage us to utilize them; this is especially true for ecocritical criticism, raising the question of whether the purpose of the emergence and application of this method of critique has merely been to write articles and books in this field, without regard for its practical and applicable aspects. The goal of the ecocritical critic should be to create motivation and stimulation for the realization of environmental protection. This requires collaboration among fields such as geography, biology, psychology, ethics, economics, politics, anthropology, law, philosophy, and others that have a significant connection to this approach. Until this collaboration is realized, ecocriticism will remain merely a theory, and environmental problems will continue to expand day by day.


3. Conclusion
With the increase in environmental crises and the subsequent rise in concerns about this issue, intellectual trends and social movements for environmental protection emerged under the general titles of "ecologism" and "green movement," gradually making their way into the realm of art and literature under the title "ecocriticism." Ecocriticism, which was a response to the necessity of the presence and continuity of environmental movements in literature, especially in short stories and novels, has attracted the attention of Iranian critics and writers over the past two decades. Nevertheless, it has faced ups and downs in its progress and has not sufficiently succeeded in reading texts and offering a new understanding of works. Such occurrences have led us to examine these critiques through a critical lens to first determine the compatibility of these critiques with the goals and nature of ecocriticism and ultimately to identify their fundamental shortcomings. We aim to study, as much as possible, the effective obstacles to this insufficient success and the potential failures of critics. Such research can pave the way for resolving the problems associated with this type of critique in Iran. An examination of seven published articles on ecocritical readings of Persian short stories written between 2014 and 2021 reveals that a lack of access to primary theoretical sources, inaccurate or potentially incorrect interpretations of this approach, reliance on limited case studies, absence of precise translations from sources, neglecting the main goals and nature of this approach, abandoning the practical dimensions of the theory, and other similar factors have hindered a proper understanding of the theory and consequently laid the groundwork for incomplete and inadequate perceptions of it.
 
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Article Type: Original Research | Subject: Literary theory
Received: 2024/05/25 | Accepted: 2024/11/16 | Published: 2024/10/31

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