The Reflection of Political Issues in Pre- and Post-Revolutionary Novels: A Study of Esmail Fasih’s The Pain of Siavash and Reza Baraheni’s The Secrets of My Land

Abstract

The political conditions of contemporary Iran have provided the thematic foundation for many novels written before and after the Islamic Revolution. Esmail Fasih and Reza Baraheni are among the prominent writers who, each in his own distinctive style, addressed political issues and represented the developments of this period either directly or indirectly. Both writers frequently engaged with these concerns through realist narratives, historical backgrounds, and the use of recognizable symbols evoking the oppression and injustice prevailing in the country. This article examines The Pain of Siavash and The Secrets of My Land in terms of their representation of political conditions. The findings indicate that, in his realist narrative, Fasih employs the symbolic characterization of “Siavash” as a heroic and victimized figure who is unjustly killed at the time of the August 19, 1953 coup d’état and the overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh. By invoking the image of the mythological Siavash, Fasih implicitly draws attention to betrayal, the national destruction of heroic figures, and the corruption of the military establishment and political elites. Baraheni, by contrast, directly portrays the political events of the Pahlavi era and the early years following the Revolution and, through the voices of his characters, presents numerous political beliefs and Iranian public attitudes toward American advisers. Although Baraheni also makes use of symbolism, the greater part of his novel is written in a realist mode.