Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Social Classes Reflected in Attire: A Study of the Role of Dress in Representing Class Distinctions in the Novels Prince Ehtejab and The Neighbors.

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Author

ALIREZA MORADI

Ministry of Science,Research and Technology

10.22035/isih.2026.5696.5265
Abstract
Focusing on the two novels Prince Ehtejab and The Neighbors, this study examines the role of dress in reflecting the class structures of Iranian society within these narratives. The principal aim of the research is to analyze how dress is employed to depict class differences, to reinforce or contest social norms, and to attain a deeper understanding of the structures of power within society. To examine the relationship among language, power, and social structures in the two novels, this study employs a critical discourse analysis approach. The findings reveal that dress is not merely a superficial element but a potent instrument for representing and critiquing class structures. In both novels, dress is deployed to differentiate among distinct social classes, to reinforce social norms, and to signal historical-social transformations. In Prince Ehtejab, for instance, attire clearly delineates the divide between the aristocracy and the subaltern classes, whereas in The Neighbors, dress functions as a symbol of poverty and deprivation.

This study demonstrates that both novels, through dress, engage in the representation of existing socio-class structures, albeit with differing intensities and methods. Overall, the present study underscores the significance of dress as a symbolic instrument for a deeper understanding of the social and class structures within modern Persian literature.

Keywords

Critical discourse analysis’ , ‘ The Prince of Ehtejab’ , ‘
The Neighbors’ , ‘Clothing’ , ‘Social classes’
Subjects
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Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 August 2026

  • Receive Date 06 November 2025
  • Revise Date 11 August 2026
  • Accept Date 18 August 2026

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