Analysis of the environmental discourse of war in the novel "Scorched Land" based on concept of power in Foucault's thought

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
1 Ph.D. Persian language and literature of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Ahvaz. Iran
2 Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Ahvaz. Iran
3 Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Ahvaz. Iran
4 Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Ahvaz Iran
Abstract
The novel "Scorched Land" is an effective reproduction of the discourse of war, which represents a special episteme, i.e., the opposition of the geopolitical discourse (territorial development) in Iraq's foreign policy against the value-oriented Islamism discourse in Iran's foreign policy, and produces its own truth-knowledge. By analyzing the environmental discourse of war in a descriptive-analytical way, we will answer question that conflict between two discourses of geopolitics and value-oriented Islamism has caused what disturbances in natural environment and what effects this natural environment has on the physical and mental aspects of human life? The results of  research show that with the emergence of political economy, which is evident in war between Iraq and Iran over oil, concept of nature has changed and Iraqi government has ignored laws of nature and by applying the power resulting from geopolitical discourse (land development), created new events and forms of behavior that, in addition to environmental pollution, have created new forms of behavior not only in human actions, but also in actions that author attributes to nature which shows that power comes from everywhere and that power is everywhere and multiple forms of power relations in Foucault's thought. In general, images presented in novel "Scorched Land" of Ahmad Mahmoud's novel show that not only humans but also nature has been a vehicle for exercising power. Therefore, in completing Foucault's theory, can be said that when science and power fall into the institutional circle, not only humans but also environment become objects...

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 May 2026