Analysis and Application of Hermeneutic Codes in Azadeh Khanum and her Author's Novels and Mrs. Dalloway's Novel based on the Theory of Roland Barthes

Examining the content similarities between works by authors from different cultures is a branch of comparative research that has long interested scholars. This article employs a descriptive-analytical approach to compare Virginia Woolf's “Mrs. Dalloway” and Reza Baraheni's novel “Azadeh Khanom” and its author, using Barthes' intended hermeneutic codes. It aims to answer how these hermeneutic codes are applied in the two novels and to identify the similarities and differences between the works based on these codes.
The research indicates that the hermeneutic codes in the two novels are similar in terms of content structure but differ in narrative structure. The Iranian author's use of complex structures, along with his archetypal and mythological perspective on the role of women and the inclusion of multiple stories alongside the main narrative, has made the hermeneutic codes more intricate and far-reaching in this novel. In contrast, this complexity and narrative delay are not observed in the English novel.
Introduction
Narratology is a relatively new approach to the study of fictional literature that seeks to uncover the grammar of the story, the language of the narrative, and the system governing narratives. Barthes has proposed a model based on five codes for analyzing narrative texts: hermeneutic, action, semantic, symbolic, and cultural codes. Building on this framework, the primary goal of the following article is to analyze the Persian novel “Azadeh Khanum” and its author, alongside the English novel “Mrs. Dalloway”, using Barthes' hermeneutic codes. The article aims to identify and articulate the similarities and differences between the two novels based on these codes.
Materials and Methods:
This research was conducted using an analytical-descriptive approach. Employing narratology through Barthes' hermeneutic codes, the author collected data from two novels and then highlighted the similarities and differences between them based on this data.
Results and Discussion:
The function of hermeneutic ciphers is to embed riddles within the text, encouraging readers to seek answers to these puzzles until the story's conclusion. This riddle-like process is evident in both Persian and English novels. In the Persian novel “Azadeh Khanum” and the English novel “Mrs. Dalloway”, the titles themselves serve as hermeneutic codes. In other words, the mystery lies within the novel's title. These distinctive names—both belonging to women—carry ironic significance and encapsulate the central themes of each work, as presented in the two novels. In the Iranian novel, the name "Azadeh" means "freedom" and "liberation," with its opposite (captivity) resonating in the reader's mind. This name was chosen to symbolize the historical captivity of Iranian women.
The same theme is evident in the name Clarissa Dalloway. The name Clarissa suggests happiness, activity, and seriousness, yet in reality, she is hopeless, sad, and emotional. On the other hand, Dalloway is the surname of Clarissa's husband, Richard. In English society, it is as if a woman loses her identity upon marriage, adopting a new name. This motif appears in both novels, and the exploration of these mysteries reveals the political realities within the societies depicted by the two authors. Additionally, the characters and identities of the two soldiers featured in the novels (martyr Majid Sharifi and Septimus) introduce a third mystery, highlighting the devastating impact of war on families.
 
Conclusion
At the level of hermeneutic codes, the two novels are similar in terms of content structure but differ in narrative structure. The Iranian author's use of complex structures, along with his archetypal and mythological perspective on the role of women and the inclusion of multiple stories alongside the main narrative, has made the hermeneutic codes in this novel more intricate and far-reaching. In contrast, this complexity and narrative delay are not present in the English novel.