A Grandiose Sense of Self-importance: A Study on the Phenomenon of Antagonism and the Discourse of Cultural Otherness in Comparative Arabic Studies between Persian and Arabic Literature

The term “تضخیم الانا” in Arabic is closely related to the concept of narcissism and a sense of self-importance; because putting too much importance in one’s self will lead to narcissism in its highest stages. This article attempts to investigate and analyze this issue as well as decentralism and cultural antagonism on the one hand and centralism and nationalism on the other, which is discussed by writers and critics in Arabic literature as a contradictory action. This article will therefore investigate the challenge this issue is causing. This article will show that the actions of some Arab critics and writers have led to the loss of the spirit of moderation and cultural connection, resulting in othering and the emergence of hegemonic discourse. In such works, the discourse is based on a central signifier, which is narcissism. Therefore, an attempt has been made to show the methods of othering and sense of self-importance by Arab writers and critics. In this study, an attempt has been made to prove, according to the critical discourse analysis approach of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, that othering and marginalizing the other will eventually become a chronic disease, which will result in a crisis-afflicted and perplexed generation which is stuck between their past and present.