Narrative Construction of Third-Person Collective Stories Based on the Narrator’s Positioning (A Case Study: “Tars-o-Larz” by Gholam-Hossein Sa’edi)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Corresponding author, Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Arak University, Iran

2 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Arak University, Iran.

10.22103/jll.2026.25812.3215

Abstract

Purpose: In one type of collective narration, the narrator, despite employing a third-person point of view, functions as a conduit for a collective voice. Tars-o-Larz (Fear and Trembling) by Gholam-Hossein Sa’edi constitutes a notable example of this narrative pattern. Although the narrative focalization in this story is extradiegetic, the narrator, through a particular mode of positioning, becomes integrated into the network of the group’s social and cultural interactions and manifests a form of alignment with them. The significance of this study lies in its analysis of the mechanisms that, without resorting to the first-person plural pronoun, make possible the construction of a collective-oriented narrative while at the same time representing collective identities. Within the theoretical framework of the study, narrative elements were examined in relation to sociological concepts such as the Other and closed community.
 
Method and Research: Adopting a descriptive-analytical method and focusing on the narrator’s agency and complicity, biased naming practices, the thematic construction of space, the representation of collective memory, and the plausible reflection of rumors, the study showed that the narrative voice, while maintaining apparent neutrality, contributes to the reproduction of dominant collective discourses.
 
Conclusions: Collectivity in narrative may be conceptualized in two ways: through the presence of a collective narrator or through a narrative centered on a group. 1. Tars-o-Larz belongs to the second category. 2. Although the story is mediated by a third-person narrator, the narrator demonstrates consistent alignment with the characters, sharing their perspective and collective memory. 3. The narrative voice reflects group solidarity through biased naming practices, spatial thematization, and alignment with the characters’ worldview. 4. By subtly facilitating the verification of circulating rumors and refraining from overt judgment, the narrator reinforces the collective discourse of the group. 5. Thus, the third-person narration creates a collective-oriented narrative structure that implicitly supports the collective positions of the characters. The findings indicated that this form of third-person collective narrative can open new horizons for applying theories of collective narration and analyzing group-based discourses in contemporary Persian literature.

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References

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Journal of Prose Studies in Persian Literature
Volume 28, Issue 58
March 2026
Pages 193-210

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