Analysis of the Components of Realism in the Works of Simin Daneshvar

Realism refers to the specific literary current of the nineteenth century which is also used as a style of storytelling. Realism reflects life, as much as possible, in the world of fiction. Instead of dramatizing or making the story more romantic, literary realism tries to tell it as realistically as possible. Many features of the school of realism are also evident in the works of the first generation of Iranian novelists, including Simin Daneshvar. As the first Iranian female novelist, Daneshvar has written three novels called "Savushun", "Island of Wandering" [Jazire-ye Sargardāni] and "Wandering Cameleer [Sāreban-e Sargardān]. The aim of this research is to examine the details and elements in the novel and to deduce its exact aspects to discover their realistic components and how they are adapted according to the social reality. In the present article, an attempt has been made to reflect on the components of realism in the fictional works of Daneshvar, in the two sections of sociopolitical, economic and cultural issues of Iran and the personal life of the author. In these stories, features such as the use of slang (appropriate for social class), accurate staging and realistic characterizations are examined. Attention to the abovementioned points has led Daneshvar to be known as a realist writer; an author who in her works has depicted the individual and social life of Iranians in decades of Iranian history.