Document Type : Scientific Research
Authors
1
Ph.D student, Department in Persian Language and Literature, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran
2
,Assistant Professor, Department in Persian Language and Literature, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran.
10.30473/pl.2025.75297.1686
Abstract
Prototypes are raw materials and archetypal models that authors either reimagine or borrow from in the creation of their fictional characters. The concept of the prototype was first introduced by the American psychologist Eleanor Rosch. In Persian fiction, it was Shirin-Dokht Daqiqan who first explored the subject in a written format, authoring a book titled A Study on the Role of Prototypes in Literary Creation. Prototypes take various forms—journalistic, class-based, historical, philosophical, religious, literary, and mythological. Each writer, influenced by their familial, social, and political surroundings, absorbs and utilizes these forms in the process of literary creation. Through prototypes, one can trace the author's worldview and intellectual stance. This research employs a descriptive-analytical and library-based methodology to examine the role of prototypes in two of Simin Daneshvar's narratives: Wandering Island and The Wandering Camel Driver. The findings suggest that Daneshvar, whether consciously or subconsciously, draws on numerous prototypes in shaping both her stories and her characters. Among these are historical and political prototypes, class and societal archetypes, mythological figures, journalistic types, mental and emotional conditions, as well as philosophical and religious elements. There are also instances of autobiographical prototypes and those rooted in biographical realms.
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