Representations of Neo-Colonialism and Late Colonialism in Contrast to Classical Colonialism: A Postcolonial Reading of Gholamhossein Saedi's Ay Bi Kolah, Ay Ba Kolah

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associated Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22108/liar.2026.149666.2618

Abstract

Postcolonial and late colonial studies constitute an important interdisciplinary field that has been extensively reflected in literary works. This theoretical framework examines the ideological confrontation between the subordinated East and the dominant West, seeking to reveal the discursive relationship between colonizer and colonized. Gholamhossein Saedi's Ay Bi Kolah And Ay Ba Kolah, one of the most significant works of modern Iranian drama, offers a symbolic representation of the mechanisms through which colonial domination is reproduced in its modern forms.

Drawing upon the theoretical framework of Neo-coloniahism and late colonialism, this study examines the major characters of the play and demonstrates how their careful construction effectively conveys Saedi's central concern: the transformation of colonial strategies from overt domination into more sophisticated and indirect forms of control. Through symbolic characterization, Saedi exposes the diverse mechanisms of colonial hegemony while depicting the subtle discourses governing the relationship between colonizer and colonized. His dramatic representation extends beyond literary analysis into broader political, sociological, and anthropological concerns, in particular the internal vulnerabilities of colonized societies and the role played by local elites; and political authorities in facilitating colonial domination through domestic weaknesses and foreign policy failures.

This study employs a descriptive-analytical methodology to investigate the symbolic dimensions of colonial discourse in Saedi's dramatic work and to demonstrate how the play anticipates many of the central concepts developed in contemporary postcolonial theory.

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Literary Arts

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 September 2026

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