Fusion of Horizons in the Novel Wandering Island: A Reflection Based on Gadamer’s Theory

The novel Wandering Island by Simin Daneshvar, through its multilayered narrative, portrays the narrative experiences of characters amid the social, cultural, and historical challenges of contemporary Iran. This work, by emphasizing character interactions and their reflection on beliefs, creates a space for contemplating the process of human understanding and the transformation of consciousness. This study aims to analyze how the concepts of pre-understanding, hermeneutic dialogue, and fusion of horizons are represented in the novel’s narrative structure and character development, drawing on Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutic theory. Employing a qualitative method, the research meticulously analyzes the narrative content, dialogues, and historical contexts to explore the application of Gadamerian concepts within the text. The findings reveal that characters, particularly Hasti, engage in interpretive processes through interactions with others and encounters with diverse perspectives. This process, shaped by dialogues between characters holding traditional and modern beliefs, leads to a reevaluation of pre-understandings and ultimately to a fusion of horizons. This fusion, understood as the blending of differing viewpoints to create new understanding, manifests in the intellectual and emotional transformation of the characters. Consequently, Wandering Island emerges not only as a literary work but also as a hermeneutic space for mutual understanding and the reconstruction of human consciousness. By depicting the tension between tradition and modernity, rationality and mysticism, and individuality and collectivity, the novel serves as a mirror of Iran’s cultural and historical dialogue on the cusp of social transformations.