Investigating the Role of Capitalism in the Identity Crisis of Modern Humans (A Case Study of the Novels " jazire sargardani" and " sareban sargardan" by Simin Daneshvar)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 University Sistan &; Baluchestan

2 Persian language and literature, Faculty of Literature, University of Sistan and Baluchistan

Abstract

Capitalism, as the dominant socio-economic structure of modernity, is founded upon the pursuit of profit and the accumulation of capital. The widespread prevalence of materialist logic and consumerism, together with the hegemony of the culture industry, has given rise to a human condition in which individuals lose their authentic identities and become enslaved by consumer goods—resulting in identity loss and self-alienation. Among all literary genres, the novel maintains the most direct connection to socio-economic structures and, consequently, to the identity crisis engendered by the capitalist system. Simin Daneshvar’s The Wandering Island and its sequel, The Wandering Camel-Rider, offer compelling evidence of the identity crisis produced by the dominance of capitalism and its constituent elements. Adopting a descriptive–analytical approach, this study examines the manifestations of capitalism and the factors through which it fosters alienation and identity disruption in the characters of these two novels, aiming to provide a more precise reading of these works. Drawing on Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony and the Frankfurt School’s critique of modern society, the study identifies the primacy of money and wealth, lifestyle patterns, consumerism, fashion orientation, ostentation, and reification as key features of capitalism. These features, each in their own way, are reflected throughout the selected novels, shaping the identity crises and alienation of the modern individua

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Research in Narrative Literature

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 September 2026

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