Misogyny in Turkish nationalism-conservatism: Reading Peyami Safa's novels

The aim of this study is to present a unique explanation of the concept of "misogyny", commonly translated as hating women, and to trace its reflections in Peyami Safa's novels. Following a focus on responses to the term of misogyny, misogyny divided into two distinct forms: Individual misogyny and social misogyny. This categorization does not appear in the recent literature on misogyny. Individual misogyny can be defined as reflecting the fear of death (thanatophobia) to woman body. While thanatophobia means each individual's fear because of mortality, the body of women is viewed the source of this mortal life. Common misogyny is the social reflections of individuals's misogynystic attitudes. These reflections are analyzed by establishing a link between mortality and social collapse. The particular kind of misogyny that this study analyzes in Peyami Safa's novesl is social misogyny. The "Myth of Eve" is used to express the transition between individal and social misogynies. According to the Myth, Eve is the reason of mortality curse and her own curse is fertility with pain. This is also a phenomenon. Woman body is the cause of mortality with its capacity of fertility. This connection between myth and phenomenon will be sought while the common misogyny is analyzing in the various parts of human history by witch hunt experience. This study argues that Peyami Safa's misogynystic position was in the crack of Fatih- Harbiye. He places the burden of social collapse on women. He draws a paralellism between the country, that is in the middle of the East and the West, and women who have to make a choice between being the Occident or the Orient; and men who are the symbols of these borders. Women who have not made the right decision mean the possibility of the destruction for both themselves and society. The titles of East/West duality and social destruction will be considered as manifestations of Peyami Safa'a nationalist and conservative thoughts. Keywords: Misogyny, Peyami Safa, Nationalism, Conservatism.