Body and symptom: İllness in Peyami Safa's novels

This dissertation examines the representation of illness in Peyami Safa's novels. It primarily aims to answer the question of how illness is embodied in both the human body and the body of fiction in Peyami Safa's corpus. Additionally, this study explores the interplay between these bodies and raises the issue of illness being used as a literary device to portray marginalization. This study also takes into account the works published under the pseudonym Server Bedi, which have received limited attention in Turkish literary studies. In this dissertation, illness as a thematic and narratological element points to a fundamental difference between the novels signed with Peyami Safa's name and those signed under the pseudonym Server Bedi. This study mainly argues that illness serves as a crucial aspect in Peyami Safa's engagement with writing. It also problematizes the idea of finitude/infinity thematically and deepens the problem of writing a modern "novel" stylistically. The present study intends to offer a fresh and comprehensive perspective on Peyami Safa's corpus. Furthermore, it seeks to contribute to the illness and health studies in Turkish literature and provides a groundwork for further research in this field.