منصوره سلامت آهنگری

The main motivation of novelists in employing mythology—beyond reflecting mythological themes and imagery—is to establish a connection between the novel and the cultural roots and treasures of the past, which possess profound aesthetic value and significance. In this dissertation, with the aim of examining the process of myth interpretation in Persian novels, ten selected novels from the ۱۹۵۰s to the ۲۰۰۰s that contain mythological motifs were analyzed using descriptive–analytical methods, intertextual analysis, and symbolic interpretation, based on the theories of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Mircea Eliade, Northrop Frye, and Carl Jung. Depending on the content of each novel, the theories of one of these mythologists were emphasized, and approaches from semiotics, psychoanalytic criticism, sociological criticism, and feminist criticism were also applied. The findings indicate that the authors, through the creation of epic structures, the recognition of archetypes, and the interpretation of symbols, have sought to revive and strengthen national identity. Among these, the mythic text of Shahnameh has received particular attention in the context of modernism and postmodernism, manifesting in various ways within the narrative structure, plot, theme, and content of the novels. The influence of global literary movements in emphasizing myth becomes especially evident in the ۱۹۹۰s and ۲۰۰۰s, possibly as a response to the loneliness and helple  ess of humankind in a world devoid of spirituality, or as a means to portray the confrontation between modernity and tradition and to critique fundamental aspects of Iranian thought such as patriarchy and the motif of filicide.