VIII (2021) 1, 149–161 149 Masoud FARAHMANDFAR Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran masoudfarahmandfar@gmail.com Ghiasuddin ALIZADEH Malayer University, Iran ghiasuddin.alizadeh@gmail.com THE SHADOW ARCHETYPE IN MAHMUD DOWLATABADI’S NOVEL YUSEF’S DAYS AND NIGHTS Abstract Te present article studies Mahmoud Dowlatabadi’s novel Yusef’s Days and Nights and attempts to provide a diferent reading of the novel through the application of C. G. Jung’s theories on the collective unconscious and archetypes. From Jung’s perspective, the collective unconscious is the reservoir of psychic energy and the source of all human memories; also, the archetypes are universal mental structures the recognition of which becomes possible through the symbolic interpretation of dreams, fantasies, myths, and rituals. “Shadow” is one of the most important ar- chetypes that, according to Jung, is the dark half of our being. Tis shadow is our alter-ego, and it is only when we accept it as a part of our being that we can achieve psychic equilibrium and complete the process of individuation. Te process of indi- viduation, and indeed of the conscious mind’s coming to terms with the ‘self,’ usually begins with sufering. Although this initial shock is not ofen recognized, it is a kind of summoning. However, Yusef (the protagonist of the novel) follows the path of denial and his projections of his fears and anxieties gradually make the distinction between illusion and reality difcult for him. Terefore, the confrontation with the This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Ovaj rad dostupan je za upotrebu pod licencom Creative Commons Imenovanje 4.0 međunarodna. UDK 821.22.09 Dowlatabadi, M.-31:159 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29162/ANAFORA.v8i1.8 Izvorni znanstveni članak Original Research Article Primljeno 5. ožujka 2020. Received: 5 March 2020 Prihvaćeno 7. svibnja 2020. Accepted: 7 May 2020