The Narrative Structure of the Story Trench and Empty Thermoses Written by Bahram Sadeghi

Every writer uses a special method, plan, and manner of narration to express his thoughts and concepts. Bahram Sadeghi is one of the relatively few authors of the contemporary era who left few works but had a lasting impact on Persian fiction writing. The short story ‘Trench and Empty Thermoses’ was published in the collection of stories of the same name, in which the author has used the style of metafiction for narration. In this study, our hypothesis is that there is a close relationship between this narrative style and the content of the story. Repetition and monotony are the dominant deep structures of this story, which the author spreads throughout the story with the help of intratextual symbols and signs and with the use of humor. The names and actions of the characters are also in the same direction and serve the narrative structure of the story. In the present study, based on structural narratology, we have analyzed the link between the plot, depth of the structure, and Sadeghi's narrative style in the story ‘Trench and Empty Thermoses’. How the author uses this special form of narration with the help of other elements and signs within the text has led to the formation of a modern structure. Keywords: Narration, Structuralism, Deep Structure, Bahram Sadeghi, Trench and Empty Thermoses. IntroductionNarrative theory or narratology has been an active branch of literary theory, and literary study relies on theories of narrative structure, plot concepts, different types of narrators, and narrative techniques. Narrative science as a modern theory is mainly related to European structuralism. Constructivist thinking entered the literature based on Saussure's ideas in linguistics and became the basis of structuralists. Structuralism is one of the most extensive theories that is the basis of the work of various researchers. Structuralism is a detailed study of a work and the discovery of its constituent elements and an understanding of the governing relationships between those elements. In this sense, the narration is a kind of worldview. The narrative world is completely in the hands of the narrator. The narrator creates his desired world by creating characters and their functions. On the other hand, the logical form of language and the non-random sequence of events in it provide the basis for the formation of a worldview in humans.Bahram Sadeghi (1315-1363) is one of the prominent contemporary writers and one of the representatives of contemporary modern literature who, in addition to the collection Trench and Empty Thermoses, has a short novel called Malkut. Although these works are small, they have left a lasting impact on Persian fiction writing. In order to express his thoughts and concepts, in addition to choosing the topic, he uses special methods of narration. This story is a symbolic and multifaceted story that has a special connection between the narration style and its content. The purpose of the present study is to explain the connection between the deep structure and the author's narrative style in this story.The book Blue Blood on a Sad Land by Hassan Mahmoudi (1998) is one of the first sources that examines the life and works of Bahram Sadeghi. Bahram Sadeghi's interviews and letters, as well as articles written by various authors about his life and works, are included in this book. In addition, Olfat Fasih (2013) examines the subject of narration in all of Bahram Sadeghi's short stories in the collection of Trench and Empty Thermoses. Based on this, the position of the author and the narrator has been discussed in the story and the relationship between these two, as well as how they relate to the characters of the story and communicate with the reader through the narrative text. Materials and MethodsThe above-mentioned characteristics of the narrative show that there is a close relationship between this element and the way of thinking. In this study, we try to examine the structural narratology and by specifying the type of narrator, the extent of his intervention or non-intervention in telling the events of this story, find structural signs and elements within the text, and the connection between the deep structure of the story. Research FindingsThe results of the study show that the method used by Bahram Sadeghi in the structure of the narrative signifies the emphasis on the importance and priority of the technique. He starts his story with a central theme, and his goal during the story is to expand this theme and instill depth in the story. In this regard, he gives importance to signs and symbols. The title of the story (Trench and Empty Thermoses) is the first sign that tries to choose it according to the theme of the story and deciphers it at the end. The structure of the story of Trench and Empty Thermoses is the result of repetitions and proportions that the author establishes between words and concepts and uses all the elements in such a way as to convey his desired theme. The repetition of words and phrases serves to shape the structure of the story, and the use of words makes the language a special feature and presents it in a new way. The ironic speech of the characters, which has a different meaning beyond their appearance and the symbolic nature of the characters are obvious ways to convey the depth of the story. The rhythm of the sentences and the syntax of the author's words help to convey what he wants to say. The sentences are sometimes orderly and sometimes chaotic and confused, sometimes vague and sometimes clear, and they affect the form of story narration. Discussion of Results and ConclusionThe method used by Bahram Sadeghi to narrate the story of Trench and empty Thermoses is innovative. As an author, he tries to reduce the distance between himself and the audience and becomes the narrator in the text in order to minimize the channels of communication between the author and the reader. With this attitude, humor finds a special place in Sadeghi's stories because in his story-writing style, the narrator openly shows his presence in his story. In addition to bringing humor to the field of narration, Sadeghi uses this tool to reveal the bitter realities of the characters' outer world and their inner world. For this purpose, he gives signs in the structure of his story and forces the reader to reflect on discovering these signs and understanding the deep structure of the story.The deep structure of the story is based on the repetitive and monotonous life of the characters in the story and is shown in the narrative structure by using signs within the text. This cycle of repetition continues and leads to frequent distance from which it is unthinkable for them to withdraw. The narrator also uses symbols to expand this deep structure. Trench and Thermoses are among the symbols that are mentioned at the beginning of the story, and at the end, they are deciphered by the link they create with the title of the story. Mr. Kambojie (a character in the story) considers the bastion (trench) as the bastion of life, where he has been living for years, and runs away to the corner with a few flasks empty of hope. His long stay in the bastion of life has made his existence duplicate and he tries to escape from this duplicate existence.