National and gender identities at theatre scripts in the Early Republican Period

This thesis analyses the national and gender identities in the Early Republican Period via theatre scripts, and evaluates the institutionalisation of the revolutionary authority from a gender perspective. The messages of the new regime towards the society is elaborated with the dramaturgical analysis of seven theatre scripts written by the prominent intellectuals of the period. While these authors defended the universal principles of the Republic, they had different approaches towards gender roles. The thesis underlines the heterogenity of the ruling elite towards various political subjects. The thesis defends that gender identity has a foundational role in the construction of the national identity. Additionally, the significance of the theatre during the institutionalisation period of the new regime is analysed via Althusser's ideological state apparatus approach. Based on these approaches, while the positive and negative characters in theatre scripts are evaluated, additional duties and attributes to women characters are underlined. For instance, while both the male and female characters are patriotic and educated intellectuals, women characters also mention how honourable they are. Or while male and female evil characters are Westophile and alienated to their own national identities, female characters are additionally weak and lustful. The thesis critically examines the other studies focusing on the gender roles in the same historical period in the literature and states the importance of taking into account the domestic and international political conditions. In the 1930s, in Europe, strong fascist and militarist movements and an economic depression negatively affected the representation of the woman in the public sphere. However, in contrast to the centuries-old impact of the old regime and the contemporary international political atmosphere, significant progress was observed in Turkey in the participation of women to social life.