The existence and meanings of animals in Turkish story

This study, titled "The Existence and Meanings of Animals in Turkish Story" examines a total of fifty-five short stories written by twenty-two selected authors. Although the research does not impose a strict chronological framework, it primarily focuses on stories published between 1890 and 2000, analyzing how animals appear and are portrayed in these narratives. In certain Turkish short stories, animals are presented as full-fledged characters. Based on the collected data, animals are classified according to the narrative roles assigned to them and the attributes imposed by the authors. Their presence and significance are examined in line with these classifications. Animals in the selected stories are categorized under two main analytical headings: "Animals from a Functional Perspective" and "Animals in Terms of Meaning." A comprehensive table was created based on these categories, and the animals were analyzed accordingly. The primary aim of this study is to explore the presence of animals in literary texts. The analysis shows that animals in short stories are not merely literal beings, but rather serve to highlight the underlying layers and deeper meanings of the text