Ali Pourdelphizadeh, Hossein Kayanee,
Volume 5, Issue 3 (4-2024)
Abstract
Speed has influenced and overshadowed numerous aspects of human life, including literature which provides a comprehensive picture of human society. The emergence of the very short story was not just a sudden appearance, but motivated by the requirements of contemporary life that tends to accomplish things very quickly. Accordingly, the very short story genre emerged with condensed and broad ideas on essential and indispensable oundations.Condensation is one of the characteristics for writing contemporary, short and condensed stories. In order to achieve condensation, the author utilizes several mechanisms whereby readers are attracted. The reliance on the structuralist approach in studying very short stories has led to the realization that condensation is not limited to reducing the number of words, but includes the idea and character as well as linguistic, pictorial, and eventual condensation. Mohammed Mohaqiq has written condensed texts by using the mechanisms of paradox and the verbality of sentences. Moreover, textualization and symbolism also register their presence as two mechanisms through which the storyteller was able to write intensive story texts, but in a lesser proportion than irony and verbality.
Hosein Marashi, Azam Sadegian,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (5-2026)
Abstract
Muhammad Mu'min Al-Jaza'iri Al-Shirazi is a notable Iranian author interested in the art of Maqama in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. His works include several Maqamas found in three books: Maqama Nasikha, Tayf al-Khayal, and Khazanat al-Khayal, though many remain unpublished. The Maqamas authored by Muhammad Mu'min Al-Jaza'iri differ from those of Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani and Al-Hariri in terms of style, subject matter, and purpose. The writer deviates from the established norms of the Maqama genre, showcasing a unique approach that distinguishes his work within this literary tradition. Somewhat, this made the author an innovative figure in this literary style. Among all his Maqamas, one that particularly catches our attention is the Swadiya, the seventh Maqama in the book Tayf al-Khayal, which discusses the debate between knowledge and wealth. In this work, the author breaks away from the principles established by Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani and Al-Hariri. This study focuses on the narrator's role and types within the Swadiya Maqama, highlighting its artistic and aesthetic value through modern methodological tools. The research reveals that the author employs a first-person narrative style, conveying events with personal feelings and limited knowledge while expressing internal emotions without accessing characters' thoughts. A key feature is the use of multiple narrators, providing varied perspectives. The study also emphasizes the use of epistolary art in this Maqama, suggesting it represents a new type of epistolary narrative in Arabic literature.
