Thematic analysis of Hulki Aktunç's stories

Hulki Aktunç is a significant figure in Turkish literature post-1960. Between 1968 and 2011, he produced a substantial body of work encompassing novels, short stories, essays, poetry, dictionaries, and interviews. His five short story collections—Gidenler Dönmeyenler, Kurtarılmış Haziran, Ten ve Gölge, Bir Yer Göstericinin Hayatı, and Güz Her Şeyi Bilir—constitute a notable portion of his literary output. An analysis of the existing academic studies on Aktunç reveals the lack of a comprehensive thematic examination of his stories. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting an in-depth and multifaceted thematic analysis of the aforementioned collections. We believe this research will contribute significantly to the existing scholarship on Aktunç and Turkish literature. Aktunç's literary career can be divided into two distinct periods: pre-1980 and post-1980. His earlier works, such as Gidenler Dönmeyenler and Kurtarılmış Haziran, primarily explore social issues like class division, hate crimes, and ostracism, often contextualized within significant historical events like the September 6-7 Pogrom and the June 15-16 Workers' Protests. In contrast, his later works, including Ten ve Gölge, Bir Yer Göstericinin Hayatı, and Güz Her Şeyi Bilir, delve into themes of urban alienation, loneliness, and a sense of displacement. These stories also address unconventional topics like sexuality, death, and the supernatural, employing innovative narrative techniques. The methodology employed in this study involved a thorough literature review, encompassing Aktunç's novels, short stories, poetry, essays, interviews, dictionaries, and contributions to literary journals and periodicals. Additionally, secondary sources discussing Aktunç and his work were consulted. Relevant materials were categorized, and the short stories were analyzed to identify thematic patterns. Preliminary notes were taken for each story and subsequently organized into thematic sections. The findings were systematically presented under thematic headings, supported by numerous in-text citations to strengthen the arguments. The study concludes that Aktunç's pre-1980 works predominantly focus on societal issues, while his post-1980 works delve into individualistic themes. His distinctive narrative style, characterized by innovative language use and unconventional grammar and punctuation, is a hallmark of his work. The short stories were analyzed under two primary categories: social and individual themes. The conclusion provides an overall assessment of the study's findings.