The Profound Impact of two Contemporary writers, Sadegh Hedayat and Ahmed Shamlou, on the Crisis of National Identity in Modern Iran
Subject Areas :Mohamad Kazem Nabavi 1 , Mohamad Reza Hatami 2 * , Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani 3
1 - Department of Political Science, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of Political Science, Payame-Noor University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of Political Science, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: National identity, national identity crisis, Ahmad Shamlou, Sadegh Hedayat,
Abstract :
The contemporary history of Iran is deeply intertwined with the problem of the Iranian identi-ty crisis, making it a significant area of study. The main question of this research is: What impact have intellectuals had on the national identity crisis in Iran? This research, using Skinner's hermeneutic method, is conducted on the works and ideas of Hedayat and Shamlou, who are both intellectuals of contemporary history and from two different generations. The presupposition is that intellectual writers have exacerbated the national identity crisis and have had a destructive impact on Iran's national identity in the contemporary era. The results show that Hedayat had a fragmented identity and considered Iran's issues and problems to be a result of superstition born from religion. He believed in a form of extreme archaizing and chal-lenged religious identity in his works. Shamlou, with secular thoughts, opposed what he called "Iranianism" and criticized Iran's cultural roots and symbols. This research not only sheds light on the past but also paves the way for future studies in this area, offering a hopeful outlook on the potential for positive change in Iran's national identity crisis.
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