Criticism and analysis of the novel "Love-Killing" with an ontological approach based on McHale's theory

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Sima Poormoradi 1
Reza Sadeghi Shahpar 2
1 phD in Persian language and literature, islamic Azad university,Hamedan branch.
2 Associate Professor Islamic Azad University, Hamadan Branch.
10.2634/Lire.22.89.35
Abstract
This study examines Mohammad Baharlou’s novel »Love-Killing« through Brian McHale’s postmodern ontological lens, focusing on its interplay of reality and illusion, nested narratives, and boundary-breaking techniques. The research demonstrates how the novel transcends modernist epistemology to embrace postmodern ontological ambiguity. Key findings reveal that »Love-Killing« constructs "possible worlds" and destabilizes narrative hierarchies, aligning with McHale’s theory of ontological dominance. The novel’s metafictional strategies—such as intertextuality with »The Blind Owl« and metalepsis—blur the lines between reality and fiction, positioning it as a quintessential postmodern text. This analysis bridges a gap in Persian literary criticism by applying McHale’s framework to a non-Western context, highlighting its cross-cultural relevance.
Keywords
Postmodernism and the Contemporary Persian Novel
Ontological Approach in the Contemporary Persian Novel
Mohammad Baharloo
The Novel of Love-Killing
Matching McHale's Theory and the Contemporary Persian Novel.
Subjects
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Literary Research
Volume 22, Issue 89
Autumn 2025
Pages 35-62