Emotion and Commotion in the Representations of Urban Apocalypse of Tehran. A Study of Emotional Geographies in two Contemporary Novels

The end of human life caused by existential, supernatural or ecological catastrophes has been the prime theme of the apocalyptic genre. Since the genesis of ancient holy literature, authors’ prophecies have portrayed apocalyptic and dystopic representations in association with certain peoples as a means of criticism. The images of these peoples have been entextualized within specific spatio-temporal realms for various purposes, e.g. to depict moral, political, and social messages. In the last three centuries, such texts in modern European literature have voiced the anxiety of their authors and their time about the turn of the centuries (i.e., fin de siècle). Yet, this has been less studied in reference to Iranian literature. Focusing on the concept of chronotope (Bakhtin) and the entextualization of spatio-temporal configurations (Lempert & Perrino), the present paper investigates such aspects pertaining to emotional geographies (Davidson & Milligian) in two contemporary novels set in Tehran. The paper explores how Mahsa Mohebali’s “Don’t worry” (Negarân nabâŠ; 2008) and Asef Soltanzadeh’s “Book of exodus” (Sefr-e xorudj; 2011) point to seismic shifts of socio-political, emotional, and geological nature. Although both stories come about in close relation to the natural physiology of the Tehran metropolis, located at the foot of a volcano and rich in geological faults, the outbreak of the societal fear and furor arises in the two novels rather differently. Finally, the paper adds to the meaning of the emotio-spatial relationships between city and inhabitants from two different perspectives: While the former novel highlights the social and existential questions from an Iranian insider viewpoint, the latter demonstrates the political chaos in an Afghan migrant’s view.