A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Novel Vaziat-e biari (The State of Shamelessness) by Hamed Jalali Based on Fairclough's Approach

Critical discourse analysis is an approach that examines the context of a text by analyzing various levels of language and identifying the author's underlying ideas. Norman Fairclough, a prominent theorist in critical discourse analysis, views language as a social action that is closely tied to ideology. To critically examine the discourse of the text, he proposes three levels: description, interpretation, and explanation. Since poets and writers focus on various social and political issues during different periods, literary texts reflect the conditions of their respective societies. In the present study, the authors employ a descriptive-analytical method to analyze Hamed Jalali's novel based on Fairclough's approach. This analysis aims to examine the author's attitude toward social issues and to identify the effective processes involved in text production. According to the research conducted on this narrative at the descriptive level, the formal features of language—such as the creation of semantic confrontations and the predominance of the indicative mood—reflect their thoughts. At the level of interpretation and explanation, the author is influenced by the discourse of the Islamic Revolution. Although the author presents a love story to his audience, he implicitly supports the prevailing discourse of his time throughout the narrative, with his ideology subtly embedded within the language.
Introduction:
According to Fairclough, discourses are influenced by power relations and ideology, with language regarded as a social practice that is intricately connected to these ideologies. Discourse analysis investigates how meaning and linguistic units are constructed and expressed in relation to intralinguistic factors—such as the textual context of linguistic units, the immediate linguistic environment, and the overall linguistic system—and extralinguistic factors, which include social, cultural, and situational contexts (Fairclough, 1379: 8). Literary texts are shaped by their historical, social, and cultural contexts, and they have always maintained a close relationship with history and social dynamics. The novel, as a component of a society's literature, is influenced by the prevailing discourse of that society while simultaneously striving to advance that discourse. Discourse-oriented research aims to identify the central ideas of the writer or poet and elucidate their perspectives on contemporary society. Hamed Jalali is a graduate of dramatic literature who began writing short stories in the late 1990s. His short stories have been published in over ten collections and have received several awards. Vaziat-e Biari (the state of shamelessness) is his debut novel, which was recognized as an outstanding work in the 12th round of the Jalal Literary Award. This story centers on the love of a Mandaean (Sabaean) boy for a Muslim girl in southern Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War. It is narrated across 68 chapters from the perspectives of 11 different narrators. The present research aims to analyze the novel via using Fairclough's discourse analysis framework, focusing on the power dynamics and attitudes conveyed through the author's language in the text's creation. The novel is a love story that, despite the scattered information available on various websites and in newspapers, has not yet been subjected to scientific study. Therefore, a critical analysis of this novel using Fairclough's approach is essential to elucidate the author's ideology.
At this research, the following questions are being addressed: What discourses are represented in the text of the novel Vaziat-e Biari (the state of shamelessness)? How do the linguistic structures of the story reflect the general atmosphere of society? How does language recover power and the ideology arising from it in the production of the text? Has the author directed the reader's mind and thought towards a specific intellectual reflection?
Methodology:
The present research is a library-documentary type. A descriptive-analytical method has been used in this research. First, sections of the text that were more relevant to the research topic were selected using purposive sampling. Then, the necessary information was extracted from the novel Vaziat-e Biari (the state of shamelessness) and analyzed using Fairclough's discourse analysis approach.
Results and Discussion:
According to research findings, the following results have been achieved.
Discourses of superficial Islam, political Islam (Islamic Revolution), communist revolution, and feminine are present in this novel. The syntactic structure indicates the certainty expressing their intended ideology. In this novel, instances where discourse is accompanied by interrogative or negative sentences can be found in discussions surrounding superficial Islam and the feminist discourse prevalent in pre-Islamic Revolution society, as expressed by characters such as Halima and Khaleh Sekineh. However, these discourses are ultimately shaped by the discourse of the Islamic Revolution. Linguistic tools, including ideologica l vocabulary (in the form of oppositional or near-synonymous terms), modality, colloquial language, active voice, and metaphor, play a crucial role in conveying the author's ideology. At the level of interpretation and explanation, a key issue is the notion of resistance against oppression as a divine duty, which stands as one of the fundamental principles of the discourse surrounding the Islamic Revolution.  The narrative aligns with the prevailing cultural discourse in society, and the author implicitly conveys their ideology, highlighting the influence of dominant discourse on the social issues of that era and the context addressed in the story. Consequently, this work serves as a tool for the creation and reproduction of cultural symbols.
Conclusion:
This study, employing Fairclough's critical discourse analysis, has illuminated the intricate ways in which Hamed Jalali's novel "Vaziat-e biari" (the state of shamelessness) embodies and propagates various societal discourses during the Iran-Iraq War era. By dissecting the linguistic structures and narrative choices, we have moved beyond simply identifying these discourses (superficial Islam, political Islam of the Revolution, communist revolution, and feminine discourse) to understand how the author's language actively constructs and reflects the power dynamics and ideological landscape of that period.
Returning to the fundamental significance of this study—understanding the interplay between literature, power, and ideology—our findings highlight the essential role of literary texts as both products and producers of social discourse. The novel actively engages with and shapes prevailing ideologies. By identifying the discourse of the Islamic Revolution as ultimately influential—impacting even the expression of other discourses, such as pre-revolutionary feminism—it highlights the pervasive power of dominant ideologies in shaping both individual and collective understanding. This transcends the specific subfield of literary discourse analysis, providing insights into how dominant narratives operate across diverse social and cultural contexts to shape thought and behavior.
Our analysis confirms that linguistic structures are not merely stylistic choices; rather, they are deeply intertwined with the author's ideological stance and the broader societal power relations.
The consistent use of assertive syntax, along with specific lexical choices and rhetorical devices, demonstrates how language can be employed to subtly yet powerfully convey a particular worldview.
The theoretical significance of these outcomes lies in their empirical application of Fairclough's model to a contemporary Persian novel. This study provides a concrete example of how critical discourse analysis can reveal the ideological underpinnings of literary texts and contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between language, power, and society within a specific cultural context. This research provides a methodological framework for analyzing various literary works, allowing for the deciphering of embedded ideologies and an understanding of their potential influence on readers. If these findings are valid and replicable across other literary works from the same period or those addressing similar socio-political contexts, they could provide a framework for understanding how individuals within a society are positioned and influenced by competing discourses. Understanding how literary texts encode and transmit ideologies has significant implications for literary education and cultural studies.