A Comparative Study of Modernism in Elif Shafak's “Three Daughters of Eve” and Zoya Pirzad's “I'll Turn Off the Lights”
Subject Areas : شعر
sara hajjar
1
,
فریدون طهماسبی
2
*
,
Shabnam Hatampour
3
,
Qolamreaza Davoudi Pour
4
1 - PhD Student, Department of Persian language and literature, Shushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar, Iran.
2 - دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد شوشتر
3 - .Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar, Iran
4 - Islamic Azad University, Science and Research
Campus
Keywords: Modernism, Novel, Three Daughters of Eve, Elif Shafak, I'll Turn Off the Lights, Zoya Pirzad,
Abstract :
This study conducts a comparative analysis of modernist elements in the novels “Three Daughters of Eve” by Elif Shafak and “I’ll Turn Off the Lights” by Zoya Pirzad. Shafak, a Turkish author, reflects the contradictions of modern life in Turkey through themes of identity and religion, while Pirzad, an Iranian-Armenian writer, captures daily life with meticulous and poetic detail, making characters’ lived experiences tangible. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this study examines the use of modernist elements, including introspective character focus, stream of consciousness, and shifts in narrative perspective within the structure of each novel. The findings indicate that both authors utilize modernist techniques to enhance narrative depth and to portray the multilayered nature of human experience. Shafak employs a nonlinear structure and shifting viewpoints to underscore the psychological and social complexity of her characters, whereas Pirzad, through an emphasis on detail and an unconventional temporal structure, imbues everyday emotions and actions with meaning and depth. These results suggest that modernism, as an intellectual movement, serves as an effective tool in both authors’ works for representing the fragmented and multifaceted contemporary world. This movement, through the creation of multiple layers of meaning and by inviting readers to engage with complex thought and feeling, has significantly influenced the evolution of modern narratives.