رمان هاي تمثيلي و صوفيانه: دگرگوني ژرف در كارهاي دوريس لسينگ

Sufi Novels and Parables: A Significant Change in Doris Lessingʹs Writing

Doris Lessing, the Persian-born, African-raised and London novelist enjoys enjoys a Writing career which has spanned more than 50 years. Critics have labeled her as Marxist, feminist, Sufist and even psycho¬analyst. It is my contention to prove that latent Sufi characteristics are inherent in her works, and this premise marks a difference between my study and other research on Lessing. To prove Lessingʹs early works contain Sufi characteristics, this paper looks at her early fictions which lend themselves to sufistic interpretation. The theoretical framework used in this paper proves the manifestations of Sufism in her early works which involve different Sufistic concepts. The methodology appropriated entails tracing some of these concepts in these novels which are overtly Sufistic. I Would also show how Lessing invites a Sufi reading of her novels and whether there are direct sings or changes in her choices of genre, mode, and style that suggest a new vision and a changed worldview and outlook. By revisiting her writing life to show that Sufism has always been present in her works, I depart from other critics and researchers who examine Lessingʹs works in more general terms. This departure is significant because the use of a non-western perspective actually enriches our understanding of Lessing who is mainly read from Eurocentric points of view. Key Words: Sufism, Mysticism, Sufi teaching Stories