Narrator function and narrative operation in Attar's Mossibat-Nameh

Since narration is included in all Persian literature stories، studying fictional works from their specific narrative method point of view would illustrate values and arts lying in these works better، and according to the findings one is able to assay the story teller’s abilities in forming narrative structure along with content. Mossibat-Nameh is the last of Attar’s triple narrative story mathnavies. Having specific narrative methods and deep structure originated from mysticism and mystical teachings، wayfarer’s process narrative in Mossibat-Nameh is capable of studying and analyzing the role of “narrator” and the way it is connected to mystical concepts. Narrator role in Mossibat-Nameh is studied in this paper by means of three point of views، narrator’s level of participation، visibility and reliability; along with determining narrator’s various forms of cognitive and ideological orientations. Then it is explained why and how these narrative features connect with mystical theme of the work، through which it is displayed Attar not only benefited from the characteristics of a modern narrative in his work unawares، but also applied narrator’s role and orientation purposefully in order to achieve his mystical goals. Attar’s applying of three narrators in two various levels of fiction، in order to convey a sense of distance and wondering which is the goal of wayfarer’s process to his audience، to emphasize on intuitive nature of spiritual knowledge، to represent the distance between truth and false، to put emphasis on importance of viewpoint، and to apply narrator’s simultaneity orientation in proportion to meaning of time in mysticism، are of most important achievements in present study.