Journal of Heroic Literature

Journal of Heroic Literature

Heroic Representation in the Young Adult Story “Arash” by Khoddami and the Play “Arash” by Beyzaèi: A Study Based on Hutcheon’s Theory of Adaptation

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Master's degree in Children's and Adolescent Literature, Payam Noor University, Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/heroic.2026.3.5.04
Abstract
In Linda Hutcheon’s view, adaptation is a creative form of intertextual and intermedial reproduction and reinterpretation that is concerned not with mere repetition, but with difference and dialogic exchange between the past and the present. Drawing on Hutcheon’s theory of adaptation and employing a comparative-discursive approach, this study compares the reconfiguration of the heroic figure in the youth story "Arash" from the collection A Son with Two Mothers by Mostafa Khoddami and the play Arash by Bahram Beyzaèi. In contemporary Iranian literature, various adaptations have been made from the myth of Arash the Archer as a symbol of national sacrifice. From Tishtar Yasht to the historical accounts of Abu-Rayhan al-Biruni, the myth of Arash the Archer has continually functioned as a mediator in defining Iran’s borders; the arrow released from Arash’s bow signifies not only a geographical demarcation but also the delineation of cultural identity. The selection of these two works is informed by the distinct socio‑cultural contexts and historical moments in which they were produced. Khoddami’s narrative has been included among the selected books for the national reading competition known as the “Festival of Knowledge and Ability” for lower‑secondary students, whereas Beyzaèi’s play is widely regarded as one of the most influential works in modern Iranian dramatic literature. The main concern of this research is the transformation of the heroic character in the process of mythic recreation. From Hutcheon’s perspective, every adaptation implicitly answers four questions: “what?”, “who and why?”, “how?”, and “where and when?”. Within the framework of Hutcheon’s four‑variable analytical model and qualitative method, the present research analyzes and compares the two texts accordingly. The findings suggest that each work offers a distinct response to the notions of heroism and sacrifice, and that the adaptations do not simply reproduce the myth of Arash. Rather, they reconstruct the system of heroic values within the cultural and psychological context of their respective historical periods.
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