Investigation and Analysis of “Speech Pollution” in the Story of the Lion and the Cow from “Kelileh and Demeneh” based on Julia Kristeva's Theory

Julia Kresteva - one of the post-structuralist critics - proposed the theory of pollution and stated that the subject - the artist/literary creator - projects and expresses the pollution and filth of the human soul through the text. Kalileh and Damneh is a very thought-provoking and practical book that contains political and social strategies, the author's main goal is to express principles for a strong and stable governance. This research, in a descriptive-analytical way, intends to explain one of the basic -speech- contaminations of the society in the story of the lion and the cow from the perspective of Kristeva's contamination theory. In this story, the subject - Nasrale Menshi - analyzes the different aspects of this pollution with different anecdotes. Each of the three sides of the speech triangle in this story - Damneh, the Lion and the Cow - have contaminations, each of which has a share in the process of the occurrence of speech pollution. Greed, trickery, jealousy, fear, haste, revealing one's mind and secrets to others, naivety and excessive trust in others, etc. are among the most important contaminations of the characters involved in the rhetorical triangle.
Introduction
Julia Kristeva’s “Pollution Theory” asserts that language functions not merely as a transparent conduit of meaning, but as a stage upon which the formal rules and structures of signification (the Symbolic Order) clash with the subterranean currents of unconscious drives and emotions. In other words, when we speak, we both adhere to linguistic conventions and, simultaneously, allow our repressed desires and impulses to surface between the lines, disrupting the customary order. In this process, the subject -as the speaking agent- casts anything that threatens the boundaries of its subjectivity as the “Other,” seeking to expel, reject, or eject it in an effort to purify both the self and its surrounding community. This purification is enacted through symbolic imagery (myths, archetypes) or the deployment of unsettling terms, bringing the unconscious and the shadows of the psyche into view so that they may be cleansed. Kristeva argues that through the very act of textual creation, the subject/artist discharges the inner pollution of the human psyche, and the abject functions as a destabilizing force within the symbolic structure of language.
The story “The Lion and the Cow” from Kelileh and Demneh is a symbolic tale of power dynamics and human relationships, in which its three principal actors—Dimnah, the lion, and the Cow -shape the process of “slander” through their polluted speech. In this narrative, Demneh manipulates the lion with cunning deceit and coaxes the Cow into revealing its secrets; the lion, driven by fear and haste, complies with Dimnah’s schemes, while the Cow, through misplaced trust, exposes itself to danger. The central question of this study is: In “The Lion and the Cow,” upon which impurities does the taint of slanderous speech rest, how does it emerge, and what strategies enable escape from or immunity to this pollution?
Method
The research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology and analyzes the provided content due to the given methodology. Furthermore, the researcher has been careful about the interpretations to be carefully made and be precisely provided.
Results
Slander functions as a central manifestation of pollution in the tale “The Lion and the Cow.” With a multifaceted and in-depth perspective, the author unfolds the structure of this phenomenon within the narrative. By precisely delineating the destructive consequences of slander-from the erosion of familial foundations and the weakening of social bonds to the arousal of guilt and moral sanctions-the narrative both explains its causes and warns of the irreparable harm it inflicts on individuals and communities.
The emergence of slander requires the interaction of three agents, which can be modeled as a “communication triangle”: the slanderer and two addressees. Each side of this triangle carries its own set of linguistic and psychological pollutants that contribute to the rise and persistence of slanderous speech. As long as all three parties-the speaker and both recipients-remain fully exposed to these pollutants, slander flourishes easily. However, if any recipient becomes aware of these corrupting forces and shields themselves, the impetus and durability of polluted discourse diminish sharply. In “The Lion and the Cow,” Dimnah, as the polluted speaker, exploits selfish and deceitful motives to instigate slander, while both the lion and the Cow - as the other two vertices- contribute significantly to reinforcing and amplifying this polluted dynamic through their own psychological and social traits.
Dimnah’s insistence on attaining high status and her disgust with anonymity reveal her inner and social pressures, driving her to employ deceitful stratagems. From the perspective of Pollution Theory, linguistic and psychic pollutants exist in a feedback loop, each feeding and reinforcing the other. In Kelileh and Demneh, Demneh epitomizes deception: by concealing her true motives and inverting her intentions, she lures her audience into believing in her sincerity and compassion. Her calculating scrutiny of the lion’s and the Cow’s behavior and her elaborate plotting heighten anxiety and tension. Ultimately, it is Demneh’s envy of the Cow’s standing with the lion that emerges as the primary catalyst for slander and the ensuing chain of corruption.
The lion in this narrative appears as an inexperienced, autocratic ruler whose foremost pollutant is fear-fear born of inexperience and hasty decision-making, which unsettles his psychological and behavioral equilibrium. This anxiety not only exposes the lion’s inner turmoil but also destabilizes his relationships with others. His second pollutant is unchecked haste, which brings about irreparable damage to both himself and his society. This impulsiveness prevents critical reflection and paves the way for further missteps. Consequently, the combination of fear and haste renders the lion vulnerable to Dimnah’s machinations and facilitates the fruition of her slander.
Although the Cow seems outwardly calm and carefree, it too is the source of fundamental pollutants that enable the slander to take root. Its first pollutant manifests as “undue trust” in Dimnah-trust extended without critical evaluation or skepticism toward the speaker’s hidden motives, leaving the Cow open to manipulation and deception. The Cow’s second pollutant is the transgression of its own subjectivity: by entering a realm misaligned with its nature, it commits its first error through association with “outsiders.” Moreover, its disclosure of personal secrets and capacities exemplifies a breach of privacy and betrayal of inner confidences, gradually undermining its psychological and social defenses. These two factors -excessive trust and self-exposure- combined with intellectual passivity and an inability to assess circumstances, create such fissures in the Cow’s defense that Demneh’s slander easily flourishes within this environment.
 
Conclusion
The analysis of “The Lion and the Cow” through the lens of Julia Kristeva’s Pollution Theory demonstrates that slander is not merely an unethical behavior but a complex structure of psychic tensions, linguistic ruptures, and power relations. Pollutants such as deceit, fear, haste, the disclosure of secrets, and unwarranted trust operate reciprocally among the narrative’s three central figures -Dimnah, the lion, and the Cow- thereby expanding the contaminated discursive space. In this context, language functions not only as a vehicle for narration but also as the very arena in which crises are revealed, where words carry threats, deception, or self-revelation. Particularly when semiotic forces are activated within the hidden layers of speech, the audience encounters a narrative that simultaneously challenges moral frameworks and disrupts the symbolic order. This study shows that reading classical texts through the perspective of Pollution Theory opens new horizons for understanding the covert operations of language in shaping both individual and social crises.