Volume 12, Issue 57 (2024)                   CFL 2024, 12(57): 169-200 | Back to browse issues page

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Vaez S, Manouchehry Z. The Psychoanalytic and Socio-Cultural Critique of the Character “Zat al-Dawahi, the Devil in the Guise of a Worshipper” in One Thousand and One Nights. CFL 2024; 12 (57) :169-200
URL: http://cfl.modares.ac.ir/article-11-72982-en.html
The Psychoanalytic and Socio-Cultural Critique of the Character “Zat al-Dawahi, the Devil in the Guise of a Worshipper” in One Thousand and One Nights
Saeed Vaez 1, Zahra Manouchehry2
1- Professor of Persian language and literature, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran , saeedvaez28@gmail.com
2- PhD Candidate of Persian language and literature, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:   (401 Views)
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY- NC) license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
 
“The Tale of King Numan and His Sons” is one of the captivating and multi-layered stories from the One Thousand and One Nights collection. On its surface layer, the tale portrays the historical theme of war between Muslims and Christians. Zat al-Dawahi, the main female character, disguised as a male religious figure, conceals her gender and religion, deceiving the Muslim army. Socially, the story primarily focuses on her feminine cunning, ultimately leading to her comeuppance. However, on a deeper layer, when viewed through an archetypal lens, the tale reflects the societal lack of anima (the feminine element) and illustrates the collective conscious and unconscious fragmentation, confirming this theme through the rule of two kings over one realm at the tale’s end. The descriptive-analytical research method based on library sources has been employed. Archetypally, Zat al-Dawahi is a negative “anima (exemplary mother)” who, at times throughout the story, dons a “veil” and vividly illustrates the societal shadows. Albeit, with a slight change in perspective on the roles and positions of characters, she can also be considered a “trickster hero”. Zat al-Dawahi represents the women of her society: those whose feminine traits (love) have been disregarded in a patriarchal system and marginalized. Consequently, her masculine element (animus) is activated, and due to her animosity, she manifests herself as vengeful, fearless, ruthless, and cunning.
Keywords: One Thousand and One Nights, psychoanalytic critique, socio-cultural critique, Zat al-Dawahi, The Tale of King Numan and His Sons.
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Article Type: پژوهشی اصیل | Subject: Folklore literature
Received: 2023/12/17 | Accepted: 2024/05/3 | Published: 2024/07/18
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