The Aesthetics of Anxiety: Ekphrasis and Existential Struggle in Sadegh Hedayat's The Blind Owl from the Perspective of Heidegger’s Philosophy

Didar Anwar Ahmed Al-Hamawandi ¹ ( Ph.D. student of philosophy of art, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj Branch, Sanandaj, Iran )
Khosro Sina ² ( Assistant Professor, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran )
سید صادق زمانی ³ ( ، گروه فلسفه هنر، واحد سنندج، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، سنندج )
بدریه قوامی ⁴ ( گروه زبان و ادبیات فارسی، واحد سنندج، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، سنندج، ایران )

Submited date : 2024-11-22 Accepted date : 2025-03-02

Keywords: The Blind Owl, Sadegh Hedayat, ekphrasis, Martin Heidegger,

Abstract :

Sadegh Hedayat’s The Blind Owl, recognized as one of the most prominent works of Persian literary modernism, deeply engages with the existential crises of the modern human. This article analyzes the technique of ekphrasis in the novel through the lens of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy, demonstrating how Hedayat employs this tool to portray existential anxiety, alienation, and death. Concepts such as Dasein, being-toward-death, and temporality, implicitly inspired by Heidegger’s philosophy, are embodied through vivid sensory and visual descriptions. An analysis of key ekphrastic scenes in the novel reveals how Hedayat, through precise descriptions and multisensory imagery, depicts the protagonist’s philosophical and psychological crises. From the embroidered curtain and headless shadows to the misty house and the painting of the dead woman, Hedayat establishes a connection between literary aesthetics and existential philosophy. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this study highlights The Blind Owl’s position as a philosophical work within Iranian modernist literature and unveils its connections to global existentialist movements.

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