Rereading Defeat in the Discourse of Resistance: An Analysis of 'In the Waves of Sindh' in the Historical Context of the Second Pahlavi Era

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

pnu

Abstract

This study employs an integrative, interdisciplinary approach to examine how the discourse of resistance is articulated in the poem "Dar Amvaj-e Sind" (In the Waves of Sind) by Hamidi Shirazi. To this end, John Searle's theory of speech acts is utilized as a tool for analyzing micro-level linguistic layers, while Laclau and Mouffe's discourse theory serves as a framework for macro-level semantic interpretation. Data analysis was conducted across three interconnected levels (speech acts, narrative structure, and discourse), and the findings are interpreted in relation to the historical context of the second Pahlavi era. The results indicate that the purposeful distribution of speech acts across different stages of the narrative provides the linguistic material necessary for articulating the discourse of resistance. This discourse is organized around the central signifier of "sacrifice" (isar) and, through processes of othering, foregrounding, and marginalization, consolidates the identity of "Self" against the "Other." A comparison of this poem with the official discourse of the second Pahlavi era reveals that the poem, by articulating a different conception of national identity, emerges as a competing discourse, thereby transforming a historical defeat into a discursive victory.

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