Analysis of Migrant Dramatic Literature of Iranian in Australia; Postcolonial Analysis of a MammadAidani’s Play: "In the Mirror"

Using the postcolonial approach,this paper analyzes the play "In the Mirror", a work by MammadAidani, Iranian migrant playwright in Australia, in order to discuss the process of Iranian Migrants' re-identification in Australia. Literary works may reflect realities of the society. So literature may have the role like a mirror for its society. Plays, as literature works, could be the tools for depicting the migrant experiences and also the reflections of the host society to these migrants. Aidani is a high profile and well received Iranian-Australian playwright in Australia whom one of his plays as a migrant dramatic literature works of Iranian in Australia is discussed in this research to shed light on the deepest layers of lived experiences of Iranian migrants and refugees in Australia. Based on the global migrant origin database in 2000, Australia is the 8th destiny of Iranian migrants, refugees and exiles. In the first glance it seems that Iranian culture is somehow different from Australian culture. Consequently with respect to the Identity and Language, the Iranian Identity and Language differ from the Australian. On the other hand in order to integrate to the host society, Iranian migrants have to re-identify themselves in a way that host society demands. Can Iranian migrants and refugees pass this passage without troubles and challenges? Or settle themselves in the middle of the way? What are the reflections of host society to this process of re-identification? This research program focuses on approach from post-colonial literature studies, because despite the reservations and debates, research in postcolonial literature studies is growing because postcolonial critique allows for a wide-ranging investigation into power relations in various contexts and also various forms of dislocations, such as exile, diaspora and migration have been productively and extensively explored in both postcolonial theory and literary texts so diaspora, exile and migration are three central topics of postcolonial thoughts. In the literature regarding immigration and immigrants in the various states, the label post-colonial migration and/or post-colonial immigrants is regularly used. The use of such a general label suggests that there is a fundamental similarity between this kind of migrations setting it apart from other migrations as for instance from Turkey to Germany. As is often the case with such general labels, this is partly true and at the same time partly misleading. It is therefore worthwhile to take a closer look at the characteristics of migration from former colonies to present-day welfare states. It seems reasonable to claim that the majority of migration literature works can be better understood through the application of postcolonial reading strategies. Key concepts of postcolonial literary approach, such as Orientalism, otherness, hybridity, Identity, binary opposition, East and margin could be productively used to analyze a literature text belongs to Migration literature where the migrant or refugee as an Other would be marginalized by his or her hosts. This research program also is likely to be the first research on the dramatic literature of Iranian migrants in Australia which by using postcolonial literary approach, provide a scrutinized analysis of sub and hidden layers of a literary text which belongs to Iranian migrants and refugees in Australia.