Space as a determinant element of discourse: France as a place in Ahmet Mithat Efendi's literary works

Paris for the Turkish intellectuals of the Tanzimat period in the XIX. th century. It is a pioneering city that reflects the political, cultural, and artistic situation of XIX. th-century Western civilization. In terms of representing Western civilization in the modernization period, Paris is the most used foreign location in Turkish novels, from Tanzimat to the Republic. The aim of the study is to determine the reasons why Ahmet Mithat Efendi preferred France in his literary works and the effect of this preference on his works. The information obtained about Ahmet Mithat Efendi's choice of France as a location provided for him to convey his ideas contains important data regarding the function of space in literary works. One of the reasons why Ahmet Mithat Efendi chose France as the setting for his literary works is to concretize his ideas on Westernization and to offer the Turkish reader the opportunity to compare East and West. Other reasons why Ahmet Mithat Efendi, who aimed to educate the society, raise awareness, and provide information to the society, chose France as a location were to make his ideas more understandable, to convince the reader, and to convey what he cannot say in the social context through a foreign place.