Review of the patched pants story collection based on Goffman's stigma theory

Goffman's theory examines the types of stigmas that affect individuals' personalities and social interactions by analyzing their behaviors and relationships in daily life. Goffman classifies stigma into three categories: ethnic-tribal, physical, and behavioral. Rasool Parvizi illustrates various forms of social stigmatization and moral decay, including poverty, murder, promiscuity, betrayal, injustice, and the erosion of societal values in his narrative corpus. Through creative narrative and imagery, often interwoven with humor, Parvizi focuses on the fractured identities of his characters. This study aims to analyze the different types of stigma, the processes through which the characters' social identities become tainted, and the consequences of these stigmas in Parvizi's Patched Pants story collection. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology based on library research, the main research question is: according to Goffman’s stigma theory, what forms of stigma do the characters experience, and how do they respond behaviorally? The results indicate that most characters exhibit self-denial, with their coping mechanisms displaying both commonalities and distinctions. Social stigmas play a pivotal role in shaping these characters' identities, as concerns about societal judgment significantly influence their self-perception. Additionally, the study explores how the rejection experienced by these characters generates feelings of anger and disgust, often resulting in defensive and compulsive reactions. Finally, the research identifies three distinct types of stigmas that are evident throughout the collection.