Analysis of the temporal-spatial continuum of the short story “Pilgrimage” [Ziarat] by Jalal Al-Ahmad

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran.

2 PhD student in Persian Language and Literature, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

"Temporal-spatial continuity" is one of the most important characteristics for measuring the objectivity and realism of a fictional work. Given the importance of this issue, the present article aims to examine the short story “Pilgrimage” [Ziarat] by Jalal Al-Ahmad and resolve the ambiguities in the story from the perspective of the temporal-spatial continuum with the help of historical events, temporal-spatial signs, and social variables mentioned in the context of the story. In this essay, which is written in a descriptive-analytical manner, relying on library and documentary sources, while addressing the theoretical foundations of the subject and taking a brief look at the author's line of thought, the story is examined in terms of the pilgrim sense of place, the origin and destination of the journey, the length of the journey, the time of travel, and the discrepancy between time and place. The results of the research show that the aforementioned story, despite its temporal-spatial signs, has ambiguities in terms of temporal-spatial continuity, and temporal and spatial inconsistencies are also evident in it, which do not correspond to the characteristics of a realistic work, of which realism is one of its prominent characteristics.

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Main Subjects

References

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Persian Language and Literature
Volume 78, Issue 251
July 2025
Pages 231-249

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 February 2025
  • Revise Date: 12 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 14 July 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 July 2025

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