Iranian Diaspora Literature

Learn more about: Iranian Diaspora Literature

This article provides context from a personal perspective about the cultural values that are present in the literature of Iran and of many Third World countries. The author, Ardavan Davaran, contrasts those writings with how we study American literature. According to the article, in American literature it is standard for character development, but in Iranian literature, “until recently, the study of Iranian literature, even fiction or drama, which are more recently established genres, was scarcely associated with memorable individual difference and character development.” Daravan further explains that that is purposeful and there is not rich literary tradition in character development. Thus, because of globalization, worldwide literature has been influencing Third World novel writing and dynamic character portrayal. Davaran also discusses differences in social and cultural conditions of the authors of Iranian diaspora since the 1980s based on the host country and immigrant communities they are writing from.

Davaran, Ardavan. “Iranian Diaspora Literature since 1980: Contexts and Currents.” Literary Review: An International Journal of Contemporary Writing, vol. 40, no. 1, 1996. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=1997077153&site=ehost-live.

Learn more about: Female Identities in the Diaspora

Judith Albrecht’s article discusses how Iranian women’s appearances have changed before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The Revolution was unique because many women participated in it and it was broadcasted via the media. Albrecht also discusses the position of women during Iranian diaspora, saying “depending on their previous socialization and social position in Iran, Iranian women of the same generation may lead very different lifestyles, while, on the other hand, shared generational styles can also be a strong connecting factor informing the communication within women’s transnational networks. As a consequence, relationships and connections do not necessarily form in people’s immediate environment or neighborhood, be it in Los Angeles, Berlin, or Tehran, but between people who share similar generational lifestyles or hold corresponding political or social views.” The article also gives experiences and viewpoints about lifestyle and existence from Iranian women in various geographic locations.

Albrecht, Judith. “How to Be an Iranian Woman in the 21st Century?” Heinrich Böll Stiftug Democracy, vol. 40, pp. 47–61., doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Learn more about: Representations of Post- Revolutionary Iran by Iranian-American Memoirists

“This article is a qualitative analysis of the ways in which post-revolutionary Iran is represented by Iranian American memoirs in the United States. It will offer a contextual analysis of how Iranian American memoirs are promoted and publicized. The study is mainly interested in the ways the memoirs are publicized and promoted by the publication industry and the media, rather than in the more detailed structures of discourse. Meanwhile, it should be acknowledged that providing full critical accounts of the views expressed in the memoirs needs further textual analysis.”

Marandi, Seyed Mohammd, and Zeinab Ghasemi Tari. “Representations of post-revolutionary Iran by Iranian-American memoirists: patterns of access to the media and communicative Events.” ReOrient, vol. 2, no. 2, 2017, p. 146+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A499494350/AONE?u=udel_main&sid=AONE&xid=d9df1486.