The perception of nature in modern Turkish literature: Servet-i Funun period (1896-1901)

In this study, the transformation nature perception has been through with the modernization process was investigated by taking the Servet-i Fünun Period (1896-1901) in the center, where was laid the foundations of modern Turkish literature. In Servet-i Fünun literature, individual subjects are given more importance, personal feelings and experiences are often presented with a dejected look. Nature is an important source on narrating the inner world. Common topics such as the conflict of dreams and reality, desire to escape from society, melancholia, and diseases have been associated with the elements of nature. In the works of this period, nature has become a utopian place that reflects the individual's dream to move away from the negativities of reality. In the thesis, it is understood that changes in the representation of nature have a decisive function in the emergence of individualism in the modern Turkish literature. Therefore, the Servet-i Fünun literature has played a pioneering role in interpreting the modern subject's dreaming and self-realization problem with the common view of nature it has. Within the scope of the thesis; the new perception of the nature Servet-i Fünun literature brought was evaluated utilizing the disciplines of mythology, psychoanalysis, phenomenology; each imagery has been determined about its meaning, function and innovation in Turkish literature. For this purpose, the recurring elements of nature in this period's works was investigated in comparison with examples from the Tanzimat period and Divan literature with a text-oriented way. Also, what kind of inspirations from Western Literature is contained in the images of nature seen in Servet-i Fünun has been clarified.