A Hegelian Study of V. S. Naipaul’s Miguel Street and Morteza Moshfegh Kazemi’s Horrible Tehran

This study traces the idea of freedom as represented in the Philosophy of Right by George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel drawing on concepts mainly driven from German Idealism. Primarily, this article discusses free will in two novels, Miguel Street by V. S. Naipaul and Horrible Tehran (Tehran-e Makhouf) by Morteza Moshfegh Kazemi whose outstanding obsession in career beside most controversial issues is plight and predicament of women, however, attempts are made to expand the argument based on Hegel’s theory of freedom and free will. This research details how Philosophy of Right’s elements are applied through Post-colonial Trinidad and Post-constitutional Iran. The matter of women, their passivity, their having no voice, no rights in the society, and their suppression are analyzed considering Hegel’s philosophy. Alongside to the women’s question, marriage and family issues also become foremost in feminine world. Kazemi tried to portray the ideal women of Post-constitutional Iran; whereas, there’s no depiction of real ideal women in V. S. Naipaul, though their role in the family and earning life is indisputable. Women of these societies strive to find their rights but the result is failure and oppression. In the context of Hegel’s ethical life theory, the concepts of family (marriage) and social membership are employed to analyze both works from ethical institution’s perspective. Although the women are after subjectivity, they get alienated at the end and destruction in these societies is awaiting them.

کلیدواژه ها:

free will ، social order ، ethical life ، passivity ، women