Sadeq Chubak
Encyclopedia
Sādeq Chubak sometimes Sādegh Choubak, (August 5, 1916—July 3, 1998), was an author of short fiction, drama, novels and one of the leading 20th-century writers of Iran
. Chubak's short stories are characterized by their intricacy, economy of detail, and concentration on a single theme, leading some to compare them to Persian miniature paintings
.
, where he first studied before moving to Shiraz
and then Tehran
. For some time he was employed the Ministry of Education and the Oil Company. Widely considered as the greatest naturalist writer in Persian literature
, he has written a large bulk of works including novel
s, short stories
, and plays
. The collected stories Puppet Show and The Monkey Whose Master had Died have exercised profound influence on modern Persian literature.
Chubak died on July 3, 1998, in Berkeley, California
, U.S.
His novel Tangsir
details the valorous acts of the fighters in Tangestan. It has been translated in many languages. The setting of this story is Davvas
(also دواس) inhabitted mostly by people migrating from other parts of Bushehr province including Tangestan. Irked by social injustice, the protagonist, Zar Mohammad, takes justice in his own hands and fights the social iniquities. Zar Mohammad has earned a considerable sum of money and embarks on trading but he is ripped out of his money by the governor. Bitterly despaired by the delay or absence of justice, he takes a gun and kills his enemies one by one. After the killing of the frauds, he is dubbed Shir Mohammad (lion-hearted Mohammad) by the villagers. The theme of justice and revenge fills the entire ambience of the novel. Once the law is too slow to mete out justice to the ones who deserve it, anarchy will prevail with the consequence that people will decide their own fate and exercise justice in the light of their own definition of the concept. After long ordeals, Shir Mohammad escapes the grip of the law. Chubak laments the social injustice and the blind ignorance of the law-makers. The quest for justice turns into a messianic mission for the protagonist who comes to be viewed by other villagers as a man who is tasked with liberating them from the tyrannous hands.
After the publication of The Last Alms and The First Night of the Grave Chubak wrote his novel The Patient Stone which is a great modern novel in Persian literature. This novel details the events in a neighborhood. One of the neighbors called ‘Gowhar’ is lost and the characters talk about her from their own point of view. Gowhar is the wife of Hajj Ismail the merchant. Since her child has a nosebleed in the shrine, she is accused of adultery and driven out of her home. Now she earns her living on a temporary-basis marriage
with different men. The story begins with her loss and ends with the discovery of her body among the victims of Seif al-Qalam, the killer of whores. All the characters of the novel are infernally captivated by their desires and deterministic powers. They are all exposed to threats of death, rape, and violence. The destructive influence of superstitions is clearly discernible in their lives. The novel is divided into 26 sections, each section narrated through free association. Gowhar is absent in the novel but she constitutes the main talk of the characters. Gowhar which literally means jewel can be taken as a symbol for the lost jewel of humanity in the society. Chubak depicts a very brutal world in which people are extremely mortified and they cannot bear the sight of each other.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Chubak's short stories are characterized by their intricacy, economy of detail, and concentration on a single theme, leading some to compare them to Persian miniature paintings
Persian miniature
A Persian miniature is a small painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works called a muraqqa. The techniques are broadly comparable to the Western and Byzantine traditions of miniatures in illuminated manuscripts...
.
Life
Sadeq Chubak was born in BushehrBushehr
Bushehr Bushehr lies in a vast plain running along the coastal region on the Persian Gulf coast of southwestern Iran. It is the chief seaport of the country and the administrative centre of its province. Its location is about south of Tehran. The local climate is hot and humid.The city...
, where he first studied before moving to Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
and then Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. For some time he was employed the Ministry of Education and the Oil Company. Widely considered as the greatest naturalist writer in Persian literature
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
, he has written a large bulk of works including novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, and plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. The collected stories Puppet Show and The Monkey Whose Master had Died have exercised profound influence on modern Persian literature.
Chubak died on July 3, 1998, in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, U.S.
Writing
In his works, Chubak studies the lives of the downtrodden people of the society who are victimized by iniquities and natural deterministic forces. Sympathetic to the sorrows and miseries of such people, he offers one single solution, combating corruption and injustice.His novel Tangsir
Tangsir
Tangsir refers to a person who is originally from a region in Bushehr province between Delvar and Ahram or sometimes from any of these two cities....
details the valorous acts of the fighters in Tangestan. It has been translated in many languages. The setting of this story is Davvas
Davvas
Davvas is a district in Bushehr which is located near the Persian Gulf. Its inhabitants are mostly those migrating from other cities and towns near Bushehr including, Borazjan, Khormooj, Ahram, etc....
(also دواس) inhabitted mostly by people migrating from other parts of Bushehr province including Tangestan. Irked by social injustice, the protagonist, Zar Mohammad, takes justice in his own hands and fights the social iniquities. Zar Mohammad has earned a considerable sum of money and embarks on trading but he is ripped out of his money by the governor. Bitterly despaired by the delay or absence of justice, he takes a gun and kills his enemies one by one. After the killing of the frauds, he is dubbed Shir Mohammad (lion-hearted Mohammad) by the villagers. The theme of justice and revenge fills the entire ambience of the novel. Once the law is too slow to mete out justice to the ones who deserve it, anarchy will prevail with the consequence that people will decide their own fate and exercise justice in the light of their own definition of the concept. After long ordeals, Shir Mohammad escapes the grip of the law. Chubak laments the social injustice and the blind ignorance of the law-makers. The quest for justice turns into a messianic mission for the protagonist who comes to be viewed by other villagers as a man who is tasked with liberating them from the tyrannous hands.
After the publication of The Last Alms and The First Night of the Grave Chubak wrote his novel The Patient Stone which is a great modern novel in Persian literature. This novel details the events in a neighborhood. One of the neighbors called ‘Gowhar’ is lost and the characters talk about her from their own point of view. Gowhar is the wife of Hajj Ismail the merchant. Since her child has a nosebleed in the shrine, she is accused of adultery and driven out of her home. Now she earns her living on a temporary-basis marriage
Nikah mut‘ah
' , is a fixed-term marriage in Shi'a Islam. The duration of this type of marriage is fixed at its inception and is then automatically dissolved upon completion of its term. The marriage is contractual and is subject to renewal...
with different men. The story begins with her loss and ends with the discovery of her body among the victims of Seif al-Qalam, the killer of whores. All the characters of the novel are infernally captivated by their desires and deterministic powers. They are all exposed to threats of death, rape, and violence. The destructive influence of superstitions is clearly discernible in their lives. The novel is divided into 26 sections, each section narrated through free association. Gowhar is absent in the novel but she constitutes the main talk of the characters. Gowhar which literally means jewel can be taken as a symbol for the lost jewel of humanity in the society. Chubak depicts a very brutal world in which people are extremely mortified and they cannot bear the sight of each other.