Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
10.30465/copl.2026.52159.4290
Abstract
“Yaddasht-ha-ye yek dictator” (A Dictator's Notes) is a book by Hakim Elahi, which was first published as a political serial in the Iranian newspapers in the 30s. The serial's objective was to fight against the intellectual foundations of the Tudeh party. The author claims that his book describes the rationale behind the socialist parties' endeavors and explains the reasons for the rise of dictators. In this sense, his writing is framed to be different from other Iranian serials published in the 30s, which were mostly historical, social and adventurous stories. This paper aims to describe and analyze the methods of representing the concept of socialism, socialist parties and their rise to power in the work of Hakim Elahi and compare them with key principles of realism and socialist realism. The results show that Hakim Elahi's writing, contrary to previous assumptions, is an unrealistic text, and thus, cannot be considered an effective socio-political writing and a clever parody. Our analysis suggests that Hakim's writing is an anti-realist narrative that presents an imaginary, superficial and mundane image of its alleged subject by reversing the principles of socialist realism.
hosseini sarvari,N . (2026). Is "Notes of a Dictator" a Realistic Dystopia?. (e13371). Contemporary Persian Literature, 16(1), e13371 doi: 10.30465/copl.2026.52159.4290
MLA
hosseini sarvari,N . "Is "Notes of a Dictator" a Realistic Dystopia?" .e13371 , Contemporary Persian Literature, 16, 1, 2026, e13371. doi: 10.30465/copl.2026.52159.4290
HARVARD
hosseini sarvari N. (2026). 'Is "Notes of a Dictator" a Realistic Dystopia?', Contemporary Persian Literature, 16(1), e13371. doi: 10.30465/copl.2026.52159.4290
CHICAGO
N hosseini sarvari, "Is "Notes of a Dictator" a Realistic Dystopia?," Contemporary Persian Literature, 16 1 (2026): e13371, doi: 10.30465/copl.2026.52159.4290
VANCOUVER
hosseini sarvari N. Is "Notes of a Dictator" a Realistic Dystopia?. Contemporary Persian Literature. 2026;16(1):e13371 (In Persian). doi: 10.30465/copl.2026.52159.4290
