The Duality of Nostalgia and Survival: A Comparative Study of Female Body Representation in Persian and English Migration Literature, based on Two Contemporary Novels (Return by Goli Taraghi and Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia)

Artists forced to leave their homelands employ diverse techniques to represent migratory experiences, establishing migration literature—especially the novel form—as a globally prominent genre. This research conducts an in-depth comparative analysis of two contemporary novels authored by women: Return by Goli Taraghi and Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia. Utilizing qualitative content analysis and library-based research, the study demonstrates how the female body is represented across their respective narrative forms and contents. Theoretically, the human body is a social and constructed phenomenon, inextricably linked to power relations and heavily influenced by culture and society. The female body, more overtly, serves as a primary site for reflecting dominant discourses and cultural control. Findings indicate that geographical origins and social class are decisive factors influencing divergent representations. In Return, the affluent migrant’s body is depicted in a state of physical security, embodying purely nostalgic yearning. Conversely, subaltern bodies in Of Women and Salt are portrayed in a state of perpetual flight from multifaceted insecurities, representing a visceral struggle for survival. Furthermore, the narrative structure of both works exhibits complete harmony with their content. Taraghi’s coherent narrative and interior monologues represent a body that remains unfragmented, possessing the capacity for self-care. In contrast, the disjointed storytelling and polyphonic voices in Garcia’s work mirror fragmented bodies and the institutionalization of inherited trauma. The deliberate exclusion or marginalization of male characters in both narratives further underscores the feminine essence, emphasizing the reconstruction of marginalized female identity, resistance, and agency within displacement.