Confronting the Other: A reading of three Persian novels in light of the Westoxification discourse

In this article we have examined three novels, all written in the 1340’s, including Savashun written by Simin Daneshvar, The Lost Lamb of Raie and Prince Ehtejab written by Hushang Golshiri. We have read these novels against the backdrop of the Westoxification discourse, which embodies nostalgic feelings towards tradition and its lost integrity, condemnation of pro-West intellectuals, hatred towards the West as the producer of material and spiritual destruction. The writings of Al-Ahmad often show that the West, from the outset, has tried to degrade and destroy the Islamic world and for this aim has exploited various means and conspiracies, and has in fact succeeded in destroying Islamic totality. This destruction of Islamic totality has been depicted through the destruction of Zari’s family in Savashun and the dispersal of the herd in The Lost Lamb of Raie, and in the disorganization and re-evaluation of messages found in all three novels.