An interdisciplinary reading of Lukács' theory of objectification in

Khalilollahi, Shahla; Mahdavi, Batool; Elhami, Fatemeh; Abedini, Mohammadamin

doi:10.30465/lir.2025.49761.1939

An interdisciplinary reading of Lukács' theory of objectification in "Symphony of the Dead" by Maroufi and the story "Passage through Sufferings by Tolstoy.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Shahla Khalilollahi ¹

Batool Mahdavi ²

Fatemeh elhami ³

Mohammadamin Abedini ⁴

¹ Associate Professor،Shahed University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran , Iran

² assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages of Mazandaran University. Babolsar. Iran

³ Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Management and Humanities, Chabahar Maritime and Marine Sciences., Chabahar, Iran

⁴ PhD student of Persian language and literature, Islamic Azad University, Research Sciences Unit

10.30465/lir.2025.49761.1939

Abstract

Introduction
In the twentieth century, with the expansion of philosophical, literary, and psychological schools of thought, more comprehensive perspectives on the relationship between literature and society were presented. Literary sociology emerged as an independent academic discipline through the efforts of researchers such as George Lukács and Lucien Goldman. Consequently, the connection and bond between society and literature became evident and indisputable. Literature came to be seen as a reflection of a society's ideals and sufferings, encompassing its beliefs, values, thoughts, and opinions. It provides an overall image, either directly or indirectly, of the living conditions and the circumstances of different social strata and classes. In fact, literature is a social institution that uses language as a means of expression; it is a product of society that depicts life, which largely represents a social reality. Both the natural world and the inner, subjective world of the individual are subjects of "imitation" in literature. Therefore, literature is born from specific social institutions and carries a social function that cannot be individualistic (Wallek & Warren, 1994: 99). When an author creates a work, that work cannot be alien to society because it takes place within that very society, and its structure is a reflection of the real structure of that society.
Objectification is a theory that first emerged in North America within the field of social psychology. Prominent figures in this theory include Barbara Fredrickson and Tomi-Ann Roberts, who have conducted research in this area. Although the discussion of individuality and objectification has always been a recurring theme in sociological and social science theories (Sajjadi and Sajjadi, 2021: 94), objectification is the key theme of the Marxist Hungarian philosopher Georg Lukács (1923) as part of his dialectical theory. It was presented in his famous book History and Class Consciousness. He dedicated an important section of this book to "Objectification and the Proletariat," in which he combined Marx’s concepts and views—such as alienation and the commodity fetishism—with Weber’s concept of rationalization, offering his interpretation of this phenomenon within a Hegelian framework. According to him, the subjects themselves, even their consciousness and equalization, gradually extend to all human activities and relations, and exactly become objects (Samimi, 2006: 224).
Materials & Methods
The three-volume novel Passing Through Hardships by Alexei Tolstoy, besides narrating World War I and the Russian Civil War between the Tsarist monarchists and the Bolsheviks, also touches on the objectification of individuals within the story. Similarly, elements of objectification can be seen in some parts of The Symphony of the Dead by Abbas Maroufi. Therefore, this article aims, through a documentary-qualitative method, to first define the term objectification and then explain the ways individuals in society are objectified, analyze the objectification condition of characters and its manifestations, and in other words, examine the consequences of reification in these two works based on Lukács’s perspective. The concept of objectification can be analyzed from two perspectives: 1) the individuals and methods that push members of society toward objectification, and 2) the consequences of objectification and its objective and subjective manifestations. The first aspect refers to systems that, through mechanisms and arrangements, lead individuals toward commodification. Opposing these are alienated and passive masses who are dehumanized to some extent and occupy a passive position, following dictated decisions and plans and consequently becoming consumers of commodities.In the present study, both aspects of this process have been analyzed in these two novels.
Discussion & Result
The system and culture of domination have conquered society's mind by imposing the ideology of consumption through psychological tools and mechanisms such as media, visual and linguistic advertising, speech, sight, and hearing, overwhelming the entire community with their desired culture to achieve their goals and obtain massive profits.
Conclusion
The present article, focusing on the sociological components of objectification from Lukács's perspective, points to the culture industry, media, advertising, and fashion as methods of objectifying individuals. The consequence of objectification, whose mental manifestation is alienation and new slavery, and whose concrete expression is the obedience of humans in consuming goods imposed on them by the owners of power and wealth, corresponds in both works to Lukács's theory of the methods and consequences of objectification. Liberation from passivity and obedience, or in other words, escape from objectification, occurs through the influence of the very awareness that Lukács discusses. However, due to social, cultural, and familial pressures, the characters in these two works feel a sense of meaninglessness and emptiness. This situation causes them to become objects who move in the world around them without finding themselves in it. Changes in human relationships, especially in The Symphony of the Dead, and the loss of meaning in life illustrate the impact of the phenomenon of objectification on human psyche and the existing challenges in society.

Keywords

« Objectification»

«Lukács»

« Maroufi

«Tolstoy»

Subjects

Literary interdisciplinary research

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