Social semiotics of Majnoon character

Social semiotics is a branch of semiotics that examines institutions and signs within the context of society and culture. The story of Leily and Majnoon, regarded as one of the most significant lyrical works of Persian literature, explores Arab tribal culture and its social systems. This research focuses on the social semiotics of the character Majnoon, aiming to analyze his moral and behavioral traits within the cultural and situational context of Arab society by examining the signifiers and signified. The poem of Leily and Majnoon is analyzed from both a semiotic and a social perspective, categorized according to the semiotic effects it presents. Majnoon embodies a social and cultural persona; thus, understanding his character necessitates an examination of the role of culture. He possesses distinct and unique characteristics from a social standpoint, fundamentally representing a conflict between madness and social abnormality. Majnoon's interactions with various phenomena, such as death, as well as certain habits like eating and his overall lifestyle, contribute to his unique traits. The social dimension of the hero's character in different narratives is invariably influenced by the culture of a society.
Introduction:
Leili and Majnun, authored by Nezami, narrates a love story set within Arab tribal culture and its social system. It is regarded as one of the most significant lyrical works of Persian literature. This research focuses on a social semiotic analysis of the character Majnun. Social semiotics is a branch of semiotics that examines institutions and signs within the context of society and culture. In essence, semiotics serves as a method for uncovering the underlying logic of social functions.
Regarding the methodology of this article, it is important to note that semiotics has been used both as a method and as a theory. However, the position of the theoretical dimensions of semiotics, and especially the social dimension of this thought and method in Persian literature are naturally discussed. In the methodology section, we are dealing with a continuous text, which is Leili and Majnun by Hakim Nezami Ganjaei. It is necessary that the story is explored from a semiotic perspective, also from a social aspect. Followed by that, the aspects related to the discussion are categorized. Therefore, in the report of the work and the main discussion, we are faced with categories that are witnessed by semiotic manifestations; therefore, first these categories are carefully extracted and then arranged and written.
Social semiotics is a distinct branch of semiotics that integrates the cultural dimensions of social life and the narratives of its protagonists, diverging somewhat from the traditional semiotics of Saussure and Peirce. Nevertheless, it operates within the same framework of signifier, signified, and the sign itself, as the characteristics of a text and the behaviors of a protagonist extend beyond mere symbolism and are a result of signifiers. In this study, the traits of Majnun effectively lead us to the signifiers; however, addressing these features is approached through cultural and social interpretations. The primary hypothesis of this research posits that Majnun is perceived as an abnormal individual through the lens of semiotics. The authors aim to explore the moral and behavioral characteristics of Majnun within the cultural and situational context of Arab society by analyzing both signifiers and their corresponding signified ones.
Majnun is recognized as a distinctive social and cultural figure, characterized by his unique experiences and challenges. His name signifies a departure from conventional cultural vocabulary, and understanding his character necessitates a focus on the role of culture. To this end, the intricate semiotics of Majnun's character within the cultural context, along with its relationship to societal culture and its cultural influences, are examined. Fundamentally, Majnun is portrayed as an introverted and nearly antisocial individual.
He has avoided his classmates from the very beginning, has few friends, and his friendships are typically formed through chance encounters and coincidences. He possesses a one-dimensional personality and exhibits signs of depression and isolation. In fact, he is someone who does not fit in with the crowd; even among friends, he prefers to retreat to the mountains and deserts, avoiding human interaction. In Nezami's work, Majnun shares a profound connection with madness. The poet asserts that she had no flaws at the time of her birth and until she turned ten, and her beauty was so renowned in the city that prayers were offered to protect her from the evil eye. The story of Majnun's madness truly begins after he encounters Laila, and initially, he pretends to be insane.
Majnun considers himself crazy and on the one hand he considers it impossible to reach Leili; therefore, he lives with Leili's sadness and not with the hope of her reunion. This issue expresses the characteristic of Majnun's self-harm. On the other hand, he is fatalistic and considers the issue of Laila's reunion impossible. We know very well that a lover should seek reunion and basically, even if the connection to the beloved is far from the mind and illogical, the lover will still seek this connection and try to make it seem logical. But here Majnun easily accepts the lack of reunion, considers himself crazy, and has a tendency to depression and self-harm, as well as to act crazy.
For readers of a work by Schacht, the protagonist of the story is of great importance, and in fact, the protagonist of the story of Leili and Majnun is an abnormal human being. Although this somewhat diminishes the divinity of Majnun's love and may not be to the taste of the readers of the work, the reality is that the author of the work considers Majnun to be so crazy and abnormal that he does not distinguish good from bad, and this is a characteristic of someone who is definitely not worthy of independence or even marriage. According to modern psychology, Majnun is suffering from masochism and self-harm. In the pilgrimage to the Kaaba, Majnun asks God for nothing but to increase his suffering, because he enjoys this suffering, and the main issue here is that the cause of this suffering is love, meaning that in fact, the cause of Majnun's self-harm is the problem and concept of love.
In examining Majnun's relationship with animals, it is important to note that he does not possess an animalistic nature; rather, he attributes human qualities to animals. This suggests that although Majnun is perceived as mad, he remains fundamentally human and cultured. He carries this culture with him and even imparts it to the animals. According to labeling theory, we can analyze that Majnun is not inherently insane; instead, he is labeled as such due to societal perceptions. This societal view has led to Leili's father rejecting him. Furthermore, Majnun becomes so immersed in his role that he loses the ability to distinguish between sanity and madness, ultimately embodying the behaviors of a madman. Based on semiotic principles and the analyses presented in the text, it is evident that Majnun is considered abnormal. Nezami intentionally portrays Majnun's behavior as erratic within this love fraught with suffering. If we analyze the work through the lens of traditional semiotic theory and the author's perspective, we can conclude that Majnun may indeed be genuinely mad, as evidenced by his actions.