Imagology of Iranian Women in Carla Serena’s Travelogue

Document Type : Scientific

Authors

1 Department of Persian Language and Literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Abstract

ABSTRACT

purpose: Imagology, a branch of comparative literature, examines the reflection of national culture in foreign literature or the representation of alien cultures in national works. Travelogues are significant literary genres and valuable sources for identifying the "Other's" perception toward the "Self," providing insight into a society's identity and culture from an outsider's perspective. European travelogues from the Qajar era are particularly important. This study aims to identify the images of Iranian women in Carla Serena’s travelogue based on imagological principles.

Method and Research: This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach using library-based data collection. Images of Iranian women were extracted and categorized into four groups: physical attire, makeup and beauty standards; women’s indoor leisure activities and entertainment; family relations and internal rivalries; and social constraints and boundaries. Evaluative attitudes and their underlying reasons were determined based on intra-textual signs.

Findings and Conclusions: The findings indicate that most images carry negative connotations. This negative perspective stems from the author’s Eurocentric mindset, cultural preconceptions, and an exoticizing, superiorist approach. Consequently, many Iranian behaviors, social relations, and traditions appeared unusual, strange, or inferior from her perspective.

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Journal of Iranian Studies
Volume 25, Issue 49 - Serial Number 49
January 2026
Pages 447-466

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