Supplementation and Metaphysics of Presence in Mohammad Rezae Rad’s Verb

Abstract

Recent literary movements have modified literature on a global scale. Persian literature after experiencing the invasion of social and cultural changes has recently responded well to postmodern theories and notions. The play, Verb (2017), can be an obvious example of this change since all aspects of postmodern drama are vividly observed in this play. The main purpose of this study is to cast light on Rezae Rad’s Verb from Derrida’s post structuralism viewpoints.Throughout the play, the defined terms and concepts concerning language system are questioned by a Persian language teacher who is the protagonist throughout the play. The basic concepts, the parts of speech, in the structure of a language, therefore, are introduced as ambiguous pillars of a language; the play also includes the permanent plays of lexis with no ultimate real meaning and is also cantered with a plot story of a naïve but knowledgeable language teacher as well as his love story. It can be said that one of the primary aims in this research is to depict whether or not the transcendental signification of defined signifiers and signified help the protagonist to realize the purpose of language and in general the matter of truth. This observation has long had a significant impact on post structuralism thanks to the fact that the themes of reality and identity have sparked heated debate lately. As Derrida’s supplementation would not be neglected in individuals’ traits, the arrays of understandings can be made from a word, a phrase, a sentence and a clause. In this play, due to this fact, the metaphysics of presence, the term introduced by Derrida, which has been at work perhaps with different wordings since the ancient platonic era, is also observed in this story. The ‘metaphysics of presence’ deemed the result of ‘logocentrism’, ‘difference’, ‘transcendental signified’, ‘post structuralism’ and ‘language’ are the main concepts of this article. Moreover, it should be noted that not only does Rezae’s Verb delineate a vague love story, but it also draws readers’ attention to the impact of scholarly noted literary movements in twenty-first century Western literary approaches in Persian literature as one of its characteristics. This article delves into Verb and discusses how deconstruction can interpret Rezae’s.