Gender and sexuality in the novels of Cahide Birgul

This thesis studies lesbian images in lesbian feminist literary works within the framework of lesbian feminism, French feminist literary theories, and lesbian feminist criticism and focuses on the spiritual conflict of the characters created by compulsory heterosexuality as an institution. In order to examine these subjects, the thesis foregrounds heterosexism, lesbian invisibility, gender roles in relationships between women in line with the lesbian feminist theory. Subsequently, the analysis continues with the authority and dominating power of patriarchal language, how it suppresses women's voices and the significance of women's in/ability to talk from the subject position. The control of patriarchy over women's writing has been discussed in the light of lesbian feminist criticism and the lesbian images distorted by the hegemonic canon have been scrutinized. Due to her original style and the intriguing representation of the flawed morality and the often overlooked pathology of the patriarchal system in her novels, Cahide Birgül's Gölgeler Çekildiğinde (1998) and Eflatun Koza (2009) have been chosen as the subject of analysis in this study. Lesbian images in these novels, the language used by the characters, their connections with the places and objects, and compulsory heterosexuality have been studied in these novels. Therefore, internalised homofobia, heteronormativity, lesbian invisibility, and gender have been examined within the context of these two novels. The aim of this thesis is to explain how lesbian feminist literature have been overlooked by the hegemonic canon and to foreground the enriching and inspiring contribution of Cahide Birgül's novels to lesbian feminist literature and criticism. key words: Lesbian, literature, feminism, heteronormativity, patriarchy, homophobia, gender.