A Sociological Study of the Play Tender with the Red Rose by Akbar Radi Based on Lucien Goldmann’s Theories

tales are not the simple reflections of the society, but the artistic representations of the same social issues, according to Lucien Goldmann. In relation to socio-political issues, the artwork goes beyond the artist, as an individual, and puts him/her in the structure of a society in which his/her meaning and existence are defined. Goldmann’s “genetic structuralism” focuses on the socio-historical implications of an artwork in order to reveal its socio-political aspects for the audience. This paper adopts genetic structuralism [as a method] to analyse the Play Tender with the Red Rose. The study’s hypothesis is that genetic structuralism can help us understand the socio-political aspects of an artwork and connect drama with the realms of Sociology and Political Studies. Hence, here is the research problem, and consequently the research question: if we read an artwork in relation to its socio-political context that has given birth to it, can this help us reveal its socio-political features and the symbolic function of its characters for the audience? The study of the socio-political aspects of a play can lead the reader and theatre practitioners to [discover] the non-dramatic layers of the work. It can, moreover, help us re-write the play in accordance with the [society’s] current circumstances and improve its performance in order to reveal hidden socio-political layers of the play and show another dimension of political drama in Iran. This paper aims to provide a [new] approach for understanding the socio-political aspects of Iranian drama. It, therefore, suggests Lucien Goldmann’s genetic structuralism as a useful method.