DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2789-6919/54/23-26
Ilahe Safarzadeh
Baku State University
PhD student
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4761-5208
ilahe.safarzadeh@gmail.com
The Female Face of Historical Memory: Motifs of Struggle
and Revenge in Elchin Huseynbayli's Novel "Parikhan"
Abstract
The tradition of Azerbaijani historical novels plays a significant role in the depiction of female characters, and these portrayals are not limited to the artistic representation of individual destinies. They also serve as means of analyzing socio-political processes, preserving historical memory, and shaping national identity. The literary transformation of historical figures reflects both the social role of women and their inner world. In this context, the motifs of struggle and revenge embodied in female characters represent crucial elements that illustrate individual choices, contradictions, and internal conflicts in the face of historical events.
This study takes Elchin Huseynbayli’s novel Parykhan as a case study. In the novel, the protagonist Parykhan is depicted in close connection with the political and social environment. Her spirit of struggle, strategic intellect, and desire for revenge demonstrate the active participation of the female character in historical events. Parykhan is also presented as a guardian of collective memory and an active participant in socio-political changes. The novel reveals the aesthetic and ideological manifestations of historical memory, as well as the motifs of struggle and revenge, through the female protagonist. This research demonstrates that the study of female characters in Azerbaijani historical novels requires analysis from gender, social, and historical perspectives.
Keywords: Azerbaijani historical novel, female character, historical memory, struggle motif, revenge motif, Parykhan