Please wait a minute...
Frontiers of Literary Studies in China

ISSN 1673-7318

ISSN 1673-7423(Online)

CN 11-5745/I

Postal Subscription Code 80-982

Front. Lit. Stud. China    2015, Vol. 9 Issue (3) : 478-491    https://doi.org/10.3868/s010-004-015-0023-4
research-article
Comparing and Analyzing Two Stories from Iran and China (Khotan)
Alireza Nabilou()
Department of Persian Language and Literature, University of Qom, Iran
 Download: PDF(253 KB)  
 Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks
Abstract

For the analysis in this essay, I have chosen the tale of Siavash and Sudabeh from the Book of Kings (Shahnameh) in Persian literature and Kunāla-avadana from Chinese (Khotanese) literature. These stories have full structural and narrative pattern despite their apparent simplicity and they can be studied and evaluated as narratological theories. The pattern of Todorov shows that these stories have accurate narrative logic; of course, narrative similarity of two stories may originate from common collective unconscious mind of these tribes. Anyway, these stories have common main and sub propositions with titles of love, conspiracy, refusal, trial for finding truth, loyalty of the prince to father etc. In addition to common propositions, actions of violation, change and punishment which are emphasized by Todorov are found in these stories. The variable action dominates but main core of actions is disloyalty of woman to her husband and falling in love with the prince finally leading to her punishment. These two stories were analyzed according to the Todorov’s narrative analysis model. In both stories, you can find the same major and minor premise and proposition. That is, all events occur around the three characters (King, a boy and a woman who are related to the court), in both stories the woman loves the boy, but the boy remained loyal to the king, and rejects her love. The boy is accused with treason and finally the truth becomes evident. Propositions of these stories include: proper noun (characters), verb (actions) and adjective (features and characteristics of persons), which are common in both stories and are repeated identically in both stories. Also according to Todorov’s view, the five modes in propositions (declarative mode, optative mode, subjunctive mode, conditional mode, predictive mode) have been investigated in these two stories. This will put more emphasis on the similarity of narrative structure of stories.

Keywords narration      Todorov      comparative literature      Sudabeh and Siavash      Kunāla-sūtra     
Issue Date: 23 October 2015
 Cite this article:   
Alireza Nabilou. Comparing and Analyzing Two Stories from Iran and China (Khotan)[J]. Front. Lit. Stud. China, 2015, 9(3): 478-491.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/flsc/EN/10.3868/s010-004-015-0023-4
https://academic.hep.com.cn/flsc/EN/Y2015/V9/I3/478
[1] Shuhuan Chen. Lyric Poem as Representation: From Plato to the New Criticism[J]. Front Liter Stud Chin, 2012, 6(2): 294-314.
[2] LIU Xiangyu. Reflections on the Crisis of Comparative Literature as a Discipline[J]. Front Liter Stud Chin, 2010, 4(3): 321-339.
[3] XIE Tianzhen. The cultural turn in translation studies and its implications for contemporary translation studies[J]. Front Liter Stud Chin, 2009, 3(1): 119-132.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited

  Shared   
  Discussed