The psychological reflections of earthquakes in Republican era literary texts: An analysis of poetry, novels, short stories, and play in the context of Kübler-Ross's grief process

The history of the Republic of Turkey has witnessed many major disasters such as the 1939 Erzincan, 1983 Erzurum, 1999 Kocaeli-Gölcük, and 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. In these disasters, sudden deaths occurred, and individuals witnessed the destruction of their safe spaces. Consequently, it has been understood that the effects of earthquakes are not limited to physical destruction; the psychological conditions of individuals who lost their loved ones, faced death under the rubble, and witnessed severe trauma are also of great importance. Accordingly, various studies have been conducted to ensure the healthy management of the grieving process. Traces of the grieving process are also observed in poetry, novels, stories, and dramas of the Republican Era literature. In this study, the psychological effects of a major traumatic event such as an earthquake on human psychology have been examined through literary works. How characters experience the grieving process and how authors reflect this in their works will be discussed within the framework of the five-stage grief model developed by Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. According to this model, individuals facing death or the loss of first-degree relatives pass through the stages of denial-isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. However, these stages may be experienced in different sequences, forms, and durations for each individual. Among these stages, depression, anger, and denial are most frequently reflected in literary texts, whereas acceptance and bargaining are least represented. It has also been determined that the representation of these stages in literature does not always align with Kübler-Ross's original model. This study aims to investigate the effects of earthquakes on the inner worlds of characters in Republican Era literature and their reflections in literary texts.