An Analysis of the Hero's Personality Type in the Novel "The Gypsy by the Fire" Based on the Enneagram Perspective

One emerging area of literary criticism is the application of personality psychology theory, which facilitates a deeper understanding of the underlying dimensions of a story. Enneagram typology is a novel approach to identifying personalities, categorizing behavioral traits into nine distinct types. Each type possesses unique characteristics that reflect individuals' habits, moods, interests, and attitudes. By adopting this perspective, we can more accurately and comprehensively interpret authors' intentions in creating fictional characters. The current research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method to study and analyze the protagonist of the story "Gypsy by the Fire" by Moniro Ravanipour from an Enneagram perspective. The primary objective of this essay is to provide a psychoanalytical analysis of the protagonist and assess their alignment with the nine Enneagram types. The results indicate that Ravanipour has effectively portrayed the psychological and emotional traits of the story's main character. The findings reveal that the protagonist predominantly exhibits the behavioral characteristics of the fourth Enneagram type, occasionally shifting toward the fifth type as a subtype (wing).
Introduction
Every literary work reflects the mood, experiences, and perspectives of its author. Therefore, psychological criticism is one of the most important methods for uncovering hidden dimensions and analyzing fictional characters. By examining an author's works, one can gain a deeper understanding of both the author and their creations, as well as identify the driving forces behind the creation of a literary work. However, the application of modern personality theories can enhance the analysis of Persian literature, particularly the works of female authors, a subject that has received comparatively less attention. The Enneagram, one of the newest personality assessment methods, offers a valuable tool for gaining deeper insight into the characters and the psychological reflections of the author within their works.
Moniro Ravanipour is one of the female authors who has been able to reflect social and cultural issues in her works with her special skills. Her main focus in creating her works is mostly the reflection of women's situation, cultural poverty, women's bewilderment, patriarchal society, gender discrimination and their breaking of tradition. In addition to these issues, she has been able to reflect the mental and psychological characteristics of the characters in the story and provide this context for the story to be considered and investigated from the perspective of psychology and personality.
In the present research, an attempt has been made to study and analyze the character of the novel "Gypsy by the Fire" and answer these two questions:

1. Which of the 9 types of the Enneagram matches the character of the hero of the story Gypsy by the fire?
Does the hero of the story change her personality to other types regardless of her main type?

Materials and Methods
In this research, using the descriptive-analytical method, the hero of the story "Gypsy by the fire" has been analyzed and investigated based on the Enneagram perspective. The purpose of this research is to study the compatibility of the main character of the story "Gypsy by the Fire" with the nine personality types of the  Enneagram and to discover the motivations, attitudes and inner thoughts of the author of the story through psychological analysis. Enneagram is a contemporary psychological theory that identifies nine distinct personality types. Enneagram is derived from Greek, combining and gram, which means face, shape, or model. The symbol representing this system was introduced to the world in the last century by George Georgiev, who was of Armenian descent. This geometric figure, which encompasses nine personality types, illustrates human nature and the complexity of interpersonal relationships. This personality model posits that every individual belongs to one of these types, categorizing personalities based on these nine distinct types. Each of the nine Enneagram types is assigned a specific title that reflects the characteristic behaviors exhibited by individuals within that type. These nine types are known as: Perfectionist, Rescuer, Success Seeker, Melancholic Romantic, Researcher, Questioner, Pleasure Seeker, Leader Seeker, and Peacemaker.
Based on the searches, no research has been done in the field of character analysis of the hero based on the Enneagram perspective in the novel "Gypsy by the Fire". Therefore, this research is written with the aim of filling this research gap and providing a new analysis of the main character of the story "Gypsy by the Fire".
Results and discussion
Mirror, the protagonist of the story "Gypsy by the Fire," exhibits the traits of the fourth Enneagram type, often referred to as the Enneagram (sad romantic) in various aspects such as family history, body language, suicidal tendencies, self-perception, self-control, individualism, and emotional relationships. Like typical fourth-type individuals, she is introverted and withdrawn, frequently engulfed in sadness. She is artistic, sentimental, and imaginative, often sensitive, quiet, and self-reflective. Additionally, she distances herself from others to avoid being hurt or altered. Among the characteristics of the fourth type of Enneagram, the following can be mentioned: The fourth type are introverted and isolated people and have more emotions and feelings than other types as they are often drowned in sadness, that's why this type is called sad romantic. People belonging to the fourth type are artists, emotional, dreamers, romantics, have the potential for depression, jealous, creative, sensitive, lovers of sadness, seclusion, aloof, introverted, capricious and self-opinionated. They want to exempt themselves from normal life and take initiative for this. Therefore, it can be said that the hero of the story "Gypsy by the fire" exhibits most of the behavioral characteristics of the fourth type. In addition to the fourth brigade, which is her main brigade, sometimes, she also changes his personality towards the other wing (unhealthy fifth brigade). She collapses and has a crisis for a few moments. This behavior indicates that she has changed her personality towards the unhealthy fifth brigade.
Conclusion
By studying and analyzing the novel "Gypsy by the Fire" based on the Enneagram perspective, we came to the conclusion that the character of the hero has the behavioral characteristics of the fourth type out of the nine types of the Enneagram. The characteristics that make her compatible with type four are as follows: In terms of family history, she is like the fourth type. Being rejected from the family and tribe shows her, in terms of family history, like type four. Also, her body language is consistent with the fourth type. The sad, crying face and pursed lips show that her existence is full of pain and suffering, like the fourth type.  She often thinks about suicide, and when she has a mental crisis, the urge to commit suicide rises in her.  Also, being alone and lonely has caused her to create a distinct identity for herself, to be disappointed with others and to become an individualistic person. She is introverted and hardly speaks, refers all issues to herself and behaves very self-referentially like type four. In terms of emotional relationship, the hero has suffered the fate of the fourth type, in the sense that she has lost a person who was very important in her life. She naturally has artistic talent in her and like this romantic and artistic type, she is interested in painting and can draw her inner self on paper. Also, according to the Enneagram model, she changes her personality towards the other wing (the fifth type) and like the unhealthy fifth type, she gets involved in pathological fears and illusions and creates a horrible world for herself.