Literary Interdisciplinary Research

Manifestation of Bakhtin's Carnivalesque in Reza Ghasemi's Novel Verdi ke barre-ha mi-khanand

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hossein Joudavi
Mohammad Ali Mahmoodi

Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Languages, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

10.30465/lir.2026.52810.2053
Abstract
This research aims to analyze the mechanisms of cultural critique and norm-subversion in Reza Ghasemi's novel Verdi ke barre-ha mi-khanand, based on Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of "carnivalization." The central issue is how carnivalesque elements are represented and function to create a space for challenging dominant discourses and invoking marginalized voices. The research method of this article is descriptive-analytical, and the data have been collected and analyzed using library tool. The findings indicate that Ghasemi, by skillfully employing the principles of the carnivalistic world (including the symbolic suspension of the official order within the hospital space, radical equality in interaction with minorities, the reign of laughter to disarm authority, and a focus on the grotesque body to reduce abstract matters) as well as utilizing techniques of carnivalistic style (particularly heteroglossia, polyphony, hybridization, and double-voiced discourse), has succeeded in creating a polyphonic and deeply critical work. From this perspective, the novel is not only a reflection of identity and cultural tensions in Iranian society but also, by suspending imposed rituals and norms, provides an opportunity to re-examine them through the safe mechanisms of literature. This research confirms the efficacy of Bakhtin's theoretical framework in analyzing contemporary Iranian fiction.

Keywords

Carnivalesque
Mikhail Bakhtin
Reza Ghasemi
Verdi ke barre-ha mi-khanand
Polyphony
Subjects

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