A comparative study of epidemic literature: Epidemics in Orhan Pamuk and Gabriel García Márquez

In this study, the theme of epidemic disease in Orhan Pamuk's Plague Nights and Gabriel García Márquez's Love in the Days of Cholera will be examined comparatively. The sociological criticism method will be used in the study. The aim of the study is to show how the theme of epidemic disease is handled in literary works. In the epidemic-themed literary works of two different countries, information will be given about the history, sociology, political and religious views of the period. The effects and consequences of epidemics on societies will be discussed. Information about plague will be given in Plague Nights, and information about cholera will be given in Love in the Days of Cholera. First of all, information will be given about the historical origins of plague and cholera diseases. Afterwards, brief information will be given about literary works that include epidemic diseases in Turkish and World literature. Information will be given about the metaphorical expressions in the works of Plague Nights and Love in the Days of Cholera. In the following parts of the study, the measures taken against epidemic diseases in literary works will be included. Here, quarantine, isolation and other precautionary methods will be mentioned. Afterwards, social, religious and political interactions observed in both works together with epidemics will be explained.