Document Type : Research paper
Authors
1 Assistant Professor in Arabic language and literature, Arak university, Arak, Iran
2 Ph.D student in Arabic language and literature, Faculty of theology, Farabi campus, University of Tehran, Qom. Iran.
Abstract
The emergence of sociology in the 19th century, concurrent with the rise of critical approaches in literary studies, offered a new perspective for textual analysis. Among these, Lucien Goldmann's theory of "formative structuralism" emphasized analyzing the internal structures of literary works in conjunction with their historical, social, and economic contexts. This theory posits that the author's worldview, itself influenced by his or her class position and social conditions, is unconsciously reflected in the literary work's structure. Hanna Mina, a prominent Syrian author, by focusing on the Arab homeland as a central theme in his narratives, provides a comprehensive depiction of social classes, economic, cultural, and political issues, and the challenges faced by successive generations. This research utilizes Goldmann's formative criticism theoretical framework and a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to investigate and explain the reflection and interaction between the social, political, and cultural structures of the author's era and the narrative and thematic structures of Al-Mustanqa' (The Swamp). A formative analysis of the work revealed the novel's structure, based on the central metaphor of "the quagmire," is homologous with the worldview of Syria's deprived class. This metaphor, which serves a symbol of social determinism and stagnation, represents this class's particular worldview: a blend of fatalism, the praise for hard work, and a gradual awareness of the necessity of change. Thus, the dialectical link between form (metaphor) and content (the characters' poverty and destiny) clarifies this group's understanding of their own constrained historical and social situation.
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