The transformation of folk tales: An examination of socialist realist folk tales

Folk tales, considered one of the rich legacies among traditional folk narratives, fulfill many social, moral, and ideological functions. In recent years, interest in the genre of folk tales has increased significantly in the field of folk literature in Turkey. However, most of these studies examine folk tales within the context of the oral culture tradition. On the other hand, it is difficult to say that scientific studies have been conducted that examine literary folk tales, which have emerged and spread within written culture, and provide information about their characteristics. However, the process of change and transformation that occurs with the interaction between oral and written culture can be read in the context of the creation and transmission of literary folk tales. The examination of folk tales defined as written or literary folk tales in terms of content, structure, and function is extremely important in determining the place of the folk tale genre in written culture. This study examines the folk tale genre in Turkish literature within the context of its ideological function and aims to reveal how the socialist realist literary perspective transformed the folk tale form. The findings reveal that folk tales are not merely a traditional narrative genre aimed at children, but are also used as a powerful political tool. In this context, the study examines how fundamental socialist realist issues, such as class struggle, the conflict between labor and capital, state institutions, the people's search for justice, and their growing awareness, are represented within the allegorical structure of folk tales. Using qualitative analysis methods, the study analyzes the folk tale books of selected socialist realist authors (Sabahattin Ali, Aziz Nesin, Yaşar Kemal, etc.). The metaphors used in the texts, character typologies, forms of conflict, and the ideological transformation of the genre are evaluated. Ultimately, this study aims to demonstrate how traditional folk tale patterns are reimagined with modern and political content.