Comparison of Tradition and Modernity in the Novels ‘Narenjeh’ by Jokha Alharthi and ‘Suvashun’ by Simin Daneshvar”

Document Type : Analytic Review

Authors
maryam ekhtyari 1
Ali Najafi ivaki 2
Mohsen Seif 3
1 P.H.D student, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, Kashan University، Kashan، Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, Kashan University، Kashan،Iran
3 Faculty member, Kashan University
Abstract
The contrast between tradition and modernity has always been a driving force in the dynamics of various societies. Writers who are deeply invested in their cultural heritage, perceiving their identity intertwined with it, strive to juxtapose traditional elements against modernity while maintaining a profound understanding of their society's past. Joukha Al-Harithi, a contemporary Omani author, and Simin Daneshvar, a renowned Iranian writer, delve into the exploration of women's social status and their strengths and weaknesses within society in their respective works.

In her novel "Naranja," Al-Harithi employs a first-person perspective spanning two distinct time periods to narrate the stories of two generations grappling with an identity crisis situated between tradition and modernity. Daneshvar's celebrated novel "Souvashun" chronicles the experiences of an Iranian family during World War II, as they confront various forms of discrimination and strive to mitigate them.

Given the prominence of the tradition-modernity dichotomy in both novels, this research aims to conduct a comparative analysis of "Naranja" and "Souvashun" through a descriptive-analytical lens, focusing on this particular theme. The findings reveal that both authors utilize female characters to illuminate the contradictions and conflicts arising between tradition and modernity in domains such as marriage, family, rural, and urban life.

A key distinction between the two narratives lies in their temporal representations of tradition and modernity. While "Naranja" contrasts the past as tradition with the present as modernity, "Souvashun" simultaneously depicts both tradition and modernity within a single time frame.

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