سمانه دهقانی

Feminist ideas first appeared in literary criticism in the late twentieth century. The primary objective of feministic schools is gender equality in society. Feminist criticism tries to draw the attention of its readers to gender inequalities in society, encourage a different interpretation, and motivate them to take action in this regard. The novels Cinderella of Muscat (Arabic: Sindrella Al Muscat) by Huda Hamed and The Acrid Taste of Persimmon (Ta'am-e gas-e khormalu) by Zoya Pirzad focus on women and their issues. Given the deeply ingrained patriarchal beliefs and behaviors in Arab and Iranian societies, both authors have been influenced by violations of women's rights in their societies and have attempted to reflect these beliefs. This research uses a descriptive-analytical method and the American comparative literature school presumptions to analyze and examine the common feminist concepts in the aforementioned works. The concepts of patriarchy, emotional violence, women against women, and women’s effort to please men were found to be reflected in the works of both authors, and both of them, despite differences in nationality and language, were concerned about women and criticized patriarchal society. The findings indicate that the women in Pirzad's narrative are active and modify their living conditions, whereas the women in Hamed's narrative are passive, though aware of their condition.

Feminist criticism emphasizes the position of women within society. The novel Alati Ta’ud al Salalim (She who counts the staircases) was authored by the Omani author Hoda Hamed. In her novel, she takes a critical approach to women’s position in society critically in her novel, addressingconcepts like social class inequality among women, cultural challenges they face, and masculine dominance. The present study aims to investigate this novel based on four gynocriticism models that Elaine Showalter has proposed: biological, linguistic, psychoanalytic, and cultural. The objective of this study is to provide an answer to the following inquiry:  “how does the writer reflect women’s components in her novel?” She has brought up concerns regarding childbirth, female circumcision, and pregnancy, considering the biological model. In terms of the psychoanalytic model, she has made reference to bipolar disorder, obsessions, compulsions, and sleep. Hamed has produced an exemplary and enlightening piece by utilizing noticeable linguistic characteristics, including vocabulary and Arabic dialect, to address women’s concerns and cultural challenges, like women trafficking and physical abuse. According to the findings of the research, she has effectively identified women who are concerned with the social and cultural issues of women. Furthermore, its feministic nature is confirmed by the high frequency with which the components of Showalter’s model appear in the novel under study. The narrative places such an emphasis on the cultural dimension of women that fundamental and profound cultural concerns are overshadowed by biological and psychoanalytic issues.

Microplastics refer to plastic particles and fragments smaller than 5 millimeters in various forms, derived from the breakdown of larger plastics or initially introduced into the environment from the primary constituent particles of plastic. The exact date of the emergence of microplastics in the environment is not precisely known, but it certainly predates the naming of these particles (2004). These particles can enter the bodies of living organisms, including humans, primarily through ingestion and inhalation. Their effects on the body depend on their size, chemical composition, and the composition of substances that later absorb these particles. In this article, we will first briefly examine the classification of these particles in terms of chemical composition and their origins, and then review some evidence of their presence in biological tissues and fluids. Given the increasing production and use of plastics in human life and the fact that most microplastics in nature derive from the breakdown of larger plastics, sometimes several years after their disposal, it is expected that even if plastic production decreases or stops, we will continue to see an increase in their presence in nature for years and decades, leading to human exposure to these compounds (whose effects and consequences of this exposure are not yet fully understood).

Stylistics is a methodical science that emphasizes the understanding of the text and aims to discover the aesthetic values of the structure of the text using its lexical aspects and by comprehending the relationships between its inner components. The poem ‘Aljasar,’ by Mahmoud Darwish, includes topics such as insisting on returning to the homeland, revealing the crimes of Zionists, and remembering the tragedies Palestinians endure. This study aims to analyze and evaluate this poem based on three features of linguistic, cognitive, and literary stylistics, using a descriptive analysis method. Regarding the linguistic features, the beauties of this poem are evaluated by analyzing its music and words. Moreover, in literary analysis, elements of a poem such as metaphor, irony, and symbols are evaluated to explain the most crucial principles of the thoughts of the poet. Finally, by analyzing these features, we have concluded that the poet has aligned his poetic language with the statement of his thoughts and exploits language and literacy as means for stating his thoughts. The poet employs all capacities of the language to inspire the resistance of Palestinians against Zionists to take back their homeland.