Literary Interdisciplinary Research

Abandonment Literature: A Neglected Stub Template in Children's and Adolescent Migration Literature

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. . 1
maliheh Rashidi 2

1 Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Research Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran

2 Ph.D in Persian Language and Literature, Research Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran,

10.30465/lir.2024.49913.1917
Abstract
Extended Abstract
The present study aims to identify and conceptualize “the literature of displacement” as a neglected subcategory within migration literature by examining narrative prose texts published in “Roshd-e-Danesh‌Amouz” magazine during the 1980s. This decade, which coincided with the Iran–Iraq War, represents one of the most significant historical periods of large-scale internal relocations across the country. Consequently, this sociocultural context allows for a detailed analysis of lived experiences of displacement—particularly among children and adolescents. Employing a descriptive–analytical approach based on content analysis within an exploratory framework lacking direct theoretical precedence, the research seeks to answer the following question: What constitutes the literature of displacement, and what elements distinguish it from migration literature?
In existing scholarship, human movement is generally examined under the umbrella of migration literature—a concept primarily referring to the act of leaving one’s homeland and settling in a foreign land, often explored through political, social, or postcolonial lenses. In contrast, “displacement” as a form of domestic relocation has received attention in the humanities (particularly geography and anthropology) but has seldom been treated as an independent category within literary studies, and is frequently subsumed under migration narratives. By disentangling these two phenomena, the present study demonstrates that displacement possesses distinctive characteristics not only in terms of geography but also in lived experience, identity formation, and literary representation.
The findings reveal that the literatures of displacement and migration share four major thematic elements: nostalgia (longing for the homeland), a sense of estrangement, recollection of memories, and identity crisis. These are emotional and psychological responses to the rupture from a familiar space. In both literary forms, characters exist in a liminal state between past and present, striving to redefine their identities through memory reconstruction or mental reconnection with their place of origin. However, the intensity and nature of these experiences differ: in displacement, the individual remains within a shared national and cultural framework.
Conversely, six elements distinguish the literature of displacement:
1. Time – Displacement is usually temporary and transitory, accompanied by hope for eventual return, whereas migration is typically permanent or long-term. This temporal distinction directly shapes the narrative structure and characters’ outlook on the future.
2. Place – Displacement occurs within national boundaries; thus, cultural, linguistic, and social differences between the origin and destination are limited. Migration, by contrast, involves broader geographical and cultural distances and requires a fundamental redefinition of lifestyle and identity.
3. Language – Because a shared official language persists in displacement, serious linguistic barriers seldom appear, with differences confined to dialects or accents. In migration, encountering a new language becomes a major identity challenge in itself.
4. Hope and Return – Hope for returning home constitutes a central motif in displacement literature, providing characters with meaning and motivation, while in migration literature this hope often fades or is replaced by efforts at assimilation into the host society.
5. Contemporary Heroism – Particularly in wartime contexts, displacement literature constructs modern heroes—such as soldiers and martyrs—who play key roles in fostering collective identity and hope. Unlike mythic heroes, they are tangible and relatable figures rooted in daily lived experience.
6. Law and Politics – Because displacement occurs domestically, individuals are not confronted with fundamental changes in legal or political systems, whereas migration entails adaptation to entirely new legal and governmental frameworks.
Furthermore, the analysis shows that narrative perspective and voice in displacement literature are deeply influenced by the narrator’s age and social position. Children’s narratives emphasize longing, fear, strangeness, yet simultaneously hope and trust in heroes. Adult narratives, however, tend to be more analytical, framing displacement within social, political, or economic necessities and often adopting a patriotic or epic tone.
Another major finding is that displacement usually takes place collectively and within family units, whereas migration tends to be more individual. Displacement literature is notably introspective and nationally oriented, serving purposes such as fostering empathy, historical documentation, and raising social awareness about the plight of the displaced. In contrast, migration literature possesses not only national but also intercultural and international functions.
In conclusion, this study introduces and conceptualizes the literature of displacement as an independent literary category, demonstrating that it possesses its own semantic system, structural components, and distinct functions. It cannot, therefore, be analyzed merely as a subset of migration literature. This conceptual distinction opens new pathways for expanding literary studies related to human mobility—particularly within historically and culturally specific contexts—and may serve as a foundation for future research in children’s and young adult literature, war literature, and cultural studies.

Keywords

Children'
s and Adolescent Literature, Immigration Literature, Abandonment Literature, Roshd-e-Danesh-Amouz magazines, 1360s
Subjects
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