Modern Iranian Female Identity in Farhad Hassanzadeh's Hasti

Abstract

Iranian women's first attempt at changing their social conditions dates back to the Qajar era, continuing up to the present time. In recent years, the traditional discourse on women in Iran has changed significantly, resulting in ongoing revisions concerning modern Iranian female gender identity. Yet, this new conception of identity has not been reflected in official Iranian media. Similarly, children's books usually depict women and girls mostly within pre-established ideological frameworks. However, a seminal publication project acted as a game-changer in 2010. ‘Today's Young Adult Fiction’, commissioned by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, invited many children's and adolescents' novelists to contribute to a collection of novels with a new outlook. Among the published books, some writers narrated women's issues and struggles in the guise of young adult literature. Hasti (2013), a novel by Farhad Hassanzadeh, comes from this project, emerging as an exemplar of protest against gender stereotypes. We argue that Hassanzadeh's book has been influenced by radical changes in gender identity in Iran's recent years, and in turn, this novel, among other literary and artistic works, may raise awareness and affect the process of change in Iranian society.