Literary Criticism and Interdisciplinary Studies in Iran with a Closer Look at the Book Literary Theory and Criticism: An Interdisciplinary Textbook

Abstract

Literary Theory and Criticism: An Interdisciplinary Textbook is written by Hossein Payendeh as a university textbook for master's degree course in Persian language and literature. It was first published in two volumes in 2018 by SAMT publications. Given the global importance of interdisciplinary studies in literature in recent decades as well as the need of the same in Persian literature, the current article makes an attempt to investigate the extent and manner of the application of interdisciplinary approaches in the aforementioned book. Taking into account historiographical and critical-analytical approaches, we could obtain a history of the theory and literary criticism in the West and then in Iran. This topic has also been presented in the official curriculums of Iranian universities. The form and structure of the book were studied after explaining the prevalence of the literary criticism discourse in Iran. In the section on reviewing the content, while enumerating the most important variables of the book, the relation of topics with the current situation of the theory and literary criticism in the West and Iran was explained and its contents drew the attention in order to confirm interdisciplinary studies in Persian literature. Based on the findings of this article, it can be argued that the publication of Literary Theory and Criticism: An Interdisciplinary Textbookwhile preserving the link with literary theories, indicating a break from those theories and turning attention to interdisciplinary studies in Persian literature. Its publication as an academic textbook can be considered as a turning point in academic literary studies in Iran.