Oblomovism was first discussed in nineteenth-century critiques of Ivan Goncharov’s novel Oblomov, describing chronic inactivity, fear of change, and social inertia as indicators of the Russian aristocracy’s crisis and the decline of traditional values. Over time, the concept expanded beyond literary criticism into psychology, sociology, and cultural studies, becoming a framework to examine patterns of passivity and avoidance of agency at both individual and collective levels. This perspective provides a lens for rereading Hooshang Golshiri’s Shazdeh Ehtesab (1969) in light of the lived experience of a declining aristocracy in Iran. The historical parallels between nineteenth-century Russia and Iran in the 1960s–1970s—a period of cultural transition and legitimacy crisis of the aristocracy and intellectuals—suggest that Oblomovism offers an effective analytical framework for the novel. The main research question examines the extent to which the characteristics of Oblomovism—such as temporal stagnation, dependency on the status quo, retreat into sleep and fantasy, and systematic avoidance of action—can be identified in the protagonist Khosrow and the narrative layers, reflecting the logic of a declining aristocratic life. The study employs a qualitative-comparative approach based on close textual reading. Findings indicate that Khosrow’s structural passivity, voluntary paralysis, nostalgic attachment to the past, and disconnection from reality and agency significantly overlap with Oblomovist patterns. However, in the Iranian context, this model is intertwined with historical guilt, the genealogy of violence, and critique of patriarchal power. Thus, Oblomovism is presented not as an imported framework but as an analytical tool that offers fresh insight into narrative structures and character development in Shazdeh Ehtesab.