ambivalence and irresolution in samad behrangi’s little black fish

the most salient characteristic of samad behrangi’s little black fish is that it can be applied to nearly any society in any time, because the story can encompass numerous interpretations in relation to its signs and symbols. so many studies have been done regarding the interpretation of the character of the black fish. but what may have remained unnoticed in the analysis of this text is the ambivalence and irresolution which dominate the whole story. unlike the superficial certainty of the black fish mentioned in many previous interpretations of the story, this study is supposed to reveal the inherent ambivalence and contradictions of the text. the researcher will focus on homi bhabha’s seminal book the location of culture so as to benefit from postcolonial concepts such as hybridity, mimicry, stenotype and liminality in the scrutiny of the text. moreover, through a close reading of the text, the present paper is going to show how the text resists a proper resolution at the end of the story. in fact, what can be of high significance in this story is how the little black fish can be considered as “the other”. in one very real sense, this state of being “the other” and the black color of the fish are the issue that make him dissociate himself from his society. indeed, such a dissociation cannot be merely reduced to the dissociation of two generations, but it symbolizes separation and escape from a dominant discourse in his society.