Document Type : Original Article
Author
Assistant professor of Persian literature Group, Humanities Faculty, Gonbad Kavus University
Abstract
The story of the Lion and the Nakhchiran is one of the most fundamental narratives on the discourse of effort and trust. The Nakhchiran and the rabbit represent the idea of trust, and the lion represents the idea of effort. The Nakhchirans ask the Lion to stop attacking so they can bring his prey themselves. The Rabbit, by claiming inspiration from the truth, represents himself as a leader who can rescue the Nakhchiran from the lion. Rumi's ambiguous and ironic descriptions of the rabbit have led some interpretations to consider it a symbol of the divine spirit and others a symbol of the enemy of divine spirit, making the rabbit's figure problematic. This research, using a descriptive-analytical method and considering the discursive logic within the story, focuses on the rabbit's moment of action to explain the duality of the rabbit's face. The research findings show that the lack of any sympathy, protest, or action towards the death of other animals before the lot falls in him own name, tarnishes his image as someone inspired by divine approval and inspiration. The rabbit, like Janus of Roman mythology, stands on the threshold and changes its appearance depending on the situation. The fear of death drives him from trust to effort, from passivity to activism. It is the anxiety about death that brings him to the field to implement all his possibilities in overcoming death. Although his action brings collective benefit, it is the result of individualism, expediency, and fear of death.
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