بررسی تطبیقی نقش دین و اخلاق در شکل‌دهی به کنش‌های اجتماعی شخصیت‌ها در ابله داستایوفسکی و سووشون سیمین دانشور

This study offers a comparative examination of the role of religion and ethics in shaping the social actions of characters in two novels: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Savushun by Simin Daneshvar. The main research question asks how religious and ethical values in two distinct cultural contexts—nineteenth century Russia and 1940s Iran—have influenced and guided the social orientations of the main characters. The central hypothesis posits that, despite historical and cultural differences, both novels demonstrate that religion and ethics can act as fundamental forces directing individual and collective actions toward resistance against injustice and social crises. The research method is descriptive–analytical, employing a comparative literature approach. Data were collected through a close reading of the primary texts and a review of authoritative critical sources, followed by conceptual and comparative analysis. The findings reveal that Prince Myshkin in The Idiot embodies an individual ethic grounded in compassion and forgiveness, while Yusof and Zari in Savushun enact a collective and resistant ethic. Nonetheless, in both works, religion and ethics play a central role in guiding social actions and provide a framework for redefining human identity.