Reception an Analysis of Women’s Roles in Bihar Jafarian’s “Maybe Someday, Another Day, But Not Today”

Abstract

This study aims to explore the reception of Bihar Jafarian’s novel “Maybe Someday, Another Day, But Not Today” through Stuart Hall’s reception theory, focusing on the portrayal of women and the diverse interpretations it elicits. Jafarian’s narrative presents women navigating a patriarchal society with strength and determination, embodying struggles and triumphs that resonate with diverse audiences. The portrayal is both challenging and empowering, aligning with broader feminist discourses. Utilizing Stuart Hall’s reception theory, the study employs a three-stage model: encoding, decoding, and negotiation. It analyzes how readers interpret and engage with the text based on their cultural and ideological backgrounds. Research findings the reception of Jafarian’s novel varies widely among readers, reflecting dominant-hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional readings. Dominant-hegemonic readers celebrate the novel as a tribute to women’s strength and resilience, while negotiated readers appreciate its contributions while critiquing its limitations. Oppositional readers challenge dominant narratives, emphasizing the need for systemic change.