A Prose Analysis of ʿOwfī's Jawāmiʿ al-Ḥikāyāt through the Lens of Hogan's Affective Narratology

Purpose: The book "Jawami' al-Hikayat wa Lawami' al-Riwayat" by Sadr al-Din Muhammad Awfi is one of the most significant Persian prose texts from the 7th century Hijri, encompassing a vast collection of moral, social, historical, and mystical stories. This research aims to identify and analyze the recurring emotional and narrative patterns in these stories and to examine their cultural function in representing the values of Iranian-Islamic society during that era. Specifically, the study seeks to answer how the emotional structures, narrative turning points, and cultural genres in these stories reflect the value system and cultural norms of Iranian society in the 7th century Hijri. By applying Patrick Colm Hogan's theory of cultural narratology, the research delves into the ways in which these narrative elements serve as a mirror to the societal ethos and ethical paradigms of the time.
Method and Research: This study employs a qualitative method with a focus on content analysis of narrative texts. The sampling was purposeful, selecting 2,100 stories from "Jawami' al-Hikayat" for analysis. The primary analytical tool is Patrick Colm Hogan's cultural narratology theory, which emphasizes the identification of emotional schemes, narrative turning points, and cultural genres within narrative texts. Data were analyzed using open and axial coding techniques to extract recurring patterns. This approach allows for a deep exploration of the narrative structures and their cultural implications, providing insights into the underlying cultural and emotional frameworks that shape the stories.
Findings and Conclusions: The findings reveal that among the 2,100 stories examined, the emotional scheme of "anger and revenge" accounts for 28%, "loyalty and sacrifice" for 21%, and "fear and threat" for 17%, indicating these as the most prevalent emotional patterns. These emotional schemes reflect the central tensions and values within the Iranian-Islamic society of the period. In terms of narrative structure, 47% of the stories feature one main turning point, 27% have two turning points, and 12% exhibit a multi-stage structure, demonstrating a diversity in narrative complexity. Genre-wise, the wisdom-teaching structure constitutes 39%, social satire 24%, and mystical genres 17%, highlighting their dominant role in conveying cultural and value-based messages. These genres not only entertain but also educate and critique, serving as vehicles for cultural transmission and reflection.
Conclusions: The results of this research indicate that "Jawami' al-Hikayat wa Lawami' al-Riwayat" functions as more than a mere collection of entertaining stories; it is a narrative-cultural text that, through the representation of fundamental emotions such as anger, loyalty, and fear, and by utilizing transformation-oriented narrative structures, encapsulates the innermost value-based layers of Iranian culture in a storytelling format. The emphasis on wisdom-teaching and social satire genres underscores the text's significant role in moral and social education, as well as cultural critique within the society of its time. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how narrative forms can embody and transmit cultural values, offering a window into the socio-cultural dynamics of 7th-century Iranian society