Kaostan kaçış: Joe Hill'in İtfaiyeci ve Naomi Alderman'ın Güç eserlerinin tarikat zihniyeti bağlamında incelenmesi

This thesis examines how cult mentality shapes power dynamics in society through a comparative analysis of Naomi Alderman's The Power (2017) and Joe Hill's The Fireman (2016). Drawing on Michel Foucault's concept of power, it investigates the influence of disciplinary and repressive powers on cult formation, collective unity, and social effects. This discussion allows the thesis to address the role of disciplinary and repressive powers in determining a cult's capacity to operate and affect the public. In doing so, the thesis reveals that the achievement of alternative societies' goals relies on the effective execution of discipline, repression, and control mechanisms. In this sense, Allie's cult in The Power represents a successful example of group cohesion and societal influence, in contrast to Carol's cult in The Fireman, which crumbles at the hands of its own leader. These fictional cults help the thesis illustrate that establishing a profound counterpower necessitates a combination of repressive and disciplinary powers to instil a collective belief system. This approach extends beyond mere loyalty and fosters environments where alternative power structures can thrive and potentially challenge dominant ones. In this respect, Allie's balanced approach outweighs Carol's oppressive disposition, considering the latter's ineffectiveness in coping with a hostile world. Therefore, while Allie's success in rising to power illustrates a counter-narrative that strongly challenges the established order by empowering the marginalised through religion, Carol's unsuccessful resistance to external forces highlights how an unstructured power falls short in rivalling the government's systematic power. Accordingly, the thesis concludes that a balance has to be maintained between repression and discipline if counterpowers are to survive and reconstruct social dynamics.