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Huge burden of research in comparative literature in Iran relates to influence studies between Persian literature and other literatures based on the French school, though many of them are not scientific and purposeful due to the theoretical and methodological problems of French school and the methods of Iranians comparatists. This paper has three-part structure: in the first part, we discuss the theory and methodology of influence studies according to the French school. Next, it includes the criticism on the methodology of French school. In the third level, we investigate and analyze some of the theoretical and methodological problems in influence studies in Iran, and we conclude that the lack of appropriate background, imported theory and its mismatch with the literary and scientific needs of the community, incomplete understanding of the theory and the methodology of French school, and unfamiliarity with new approaches in this field are some of the main reasons of problems in influence studies in Iran.  

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Abstract: Focusing on the linguistic and national diversities, the French school of comparative literature has mainly attempted to trace the footprints of the literature of one country in that of another mostly in a historical context. The rival American school, on the other hand, has raised new questions in this field and extended the scope of research to subsume other domains of scholarly endeavors. The present paper first intends to briefly examine the limitations of the French school. It then proceeds to show how the archetypal approach of literary criticism and the American school of comparative literature can be employed to bear fruitful results in the field of comparative studies. Such interdisciplinary approaches can make up for the possible shortcomings of the individual modes of study and make much of the potentials that the concept of archetype can offer for this purpose. The study then singles out the Shadow archetype and makes a comparative study of the concept in two epic works, i.e. Beowulf and Gilgamesh. It finally picks out a structural archetype—hero’s journey-- as an example, to briefly discuss and evaluate such models.

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The present study adopts the French School of Comparative Literature methodology to introduce Anjuman and to explore the historical and thematic relationships between her poetry and that of Farrokhzad. Using content analysis and comparative approaches, the research examines feminist themes in their works and their portrayals of female identity.
The findings suggest that Anjuman was well-acquainted with Farrokhzad's poetry and philosophical outlook, which profoundly influenced her creative expression. Her work reflects themes central to feminist literature, including the assertion of women's love and identity, resistance to patriarchy, critiques of social inequalities, and the articulation of women's desires and aspirations. These shared concerns highlight Anjuman's intellectual and poetic engagement with Farrokhzad's legacy. However, significant differences emerge in their approaches: Farrokhzad openly addressed women's issues, challenging societal norms with bold language. By contrast, Anjuman's poetic expression, constrained by Afghanistan's restrictive social context, remains comparatively reserved and avoids directly challenging established norms. Nonetheless, her work symbolizes the voice of Afghan women striving for representation in a challenging socio-cultural landscape.