Allegory and Content as Two Stylistic Features of Al-e Ahmad's Nefrin-e Zamin

Jalal Al-e Ahmad is one of the Persian writers of allegorical stories. “Sargozashet-e Kandouha” ("The Hives Story") and “Noon-val-Ghalam” ("By the Pen") are two of his tales which confirm this claim. His novel, Nefrin-e Zamin (Curse of the Earth), is an allegorical representation of the causes and outcomes of the development of a traditionally feudal society to a society based on economic capitalism. The present article is an attempt to investigate allegory in this work with regard to the style, language, and thought of the work, which are reflected in the other works of the author also, with regard to some marks available in the details of the text (characters in particular), to its story narrated on a primary level, as well as with regard to the meaning of the story, and to some guides provided by the author himself. However, our main purpose is to show the degree of artistry in the work of Al-e Ahmad, to convey the main message of Nefrin-e Zamin, and to describe the nature of evidences in it. To convey his allegorical meanings, Al-e Ahmad has taken use, on the allegorical level of this work, of the bearing, appearance, stature, profession, and the views of his characters, and of the nature, function, and the type of the things (around him).