Representations of children and the childhood world in Chubak's works

. Introduction
Childhood, as a vital social and cultural institution, represents the most formative period in shaping an individual’s personality. However, the concept of childhood is fluid, varying across societies and historical eras, and is experienced differently based on social, economic, and geographical contexts. During the Pahlavi era, modernization and governmental policies redefined childhood, promoting a vision of children as independent individuals who require education and attention. Nevertheless, in the second Pahlavi period, despite improvements for the middle class, governmental reforms had little tangible impact on the lives of disadvantaged children. This study investigates Sadegh Chubak’s literary portrayal of children during this period, aiming to determine whether his depictions reflect the social realities of the era or primarily express his naturalist worldview.

Methodology

This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach, grounded in qualitative content analysis within a sociological framework. Content analysis, not limited to a specific theoretical paradigm, allows for the integration of diverse theories and terminologies. Since data collection relies on written and library sources, the study is documentary in nature. By analyzing Chubak’s selected novels and stories, relevant information is extracted, categorized, and interpreted according to specific thematic and sociocultural patterns. While sociological models are applied to explore patterns of childhood, distinct features of Iranian culture are also taken into account.
 

Discussion

Focus on Disadvantaged Children
     Chubak primarily emphasizes children from lower socio-economic backgrounds, rarely portraying those from middle or upper classes. When they do appear, their presence serves to illustrate class disparity and social contrast.
Physical and Psychological Harms
Disadvantaged children in Chubak’s works suffer from social challenges such as discrimination, injustice, and lack of access to education and healthcare. These adversities affect their personal development and social integration. Chubak gives voice to their struggles, shedding light on their suffering through vivid literary representation.
Narrative Examples:
- In Last Autumn Afternoon, Asghar, a poor child, is subjected to verbal abuse by a teacher and suffers sexual exploitation. The story reveals the damaging effects of poverty, hunger, and lack of familial support. It incorporates naturalist elements such as determinism and subtle critiques of religion.
- The Listener’s Stone explores family violence and humiliation, showing how these factors lead to psychological trauma in children.
- In The Car Sticker Thief, a child attempts to steal out of poverty but is labeled a criminal and violently punished, with no regard for the underlying socio-economic factors.
Class Conflict
Chubak’s texts highlight the stark class divide of the Pahlavi era, where privileged classes had access to education and power, while underprivileged groups remained excluded. This class disparity profoundly impacts children, as demonstrated in Last Autumn Afternoon, where the teacher’s treatment of the poor student Asghar sharply contrasts with that of the affluent Fereydoun.
Naturalism and Determinism
As a naturalist writer, Chubak emphasizes environmental and material determinism. Individuals, especially children, are portrayed as powerless victims of their surroundings, deprived of agency over their lives and futures.

Conclusion

Sadegh Chubak’s works—mainly produced between the 1940s and mid-1960s—reflect the socio-political tensions of the Pahlavi era. His naturalistic style sheds light on poverty, inequality, and the suffering of disadvantaged groups, particularly children. Stories like Last Autumn Afternoon,Yahya, and The Car Sticker Thief depict class conflict and childhood trauma without offering idealistic solutions. Even when middle-class children are represented, as in The Wooden Horse, the narrative remains focused on hereditary and environmental determinism. Only in the realistic novel Tangsir does a child character embody resistance and protest. Overall, Chubak portrays children as deeply vulnerable, victimized by their environment, and subjected to physical and emotional abuse. Through this stark and unflinching lens, he exposes the brutal realities of childhood among the oppressed and critiques the societal structures that perpetuate their suffering.