The representation of time and temporality in Ali Smith's seasonal quartet: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer

Along with the developments and transformations in technology, science and political balances, the perception of time in the narrative is also shaped. While a traditional time perception is dominant in classical narratives, this perception is broken with the emergence of modern time and leaves its place to a more depiction of temporality. In this context, the aim of this thesis is to scrutinize the perceptions of time and temporality in contemporary writer Ali Smith's Seasonal Quartet. The Scottish writer of the 21st century owns a distinctive style that appears to be instrumental in contextualizing the time. The Seasonal Quartet, named after one season published in succession consisting of Autumn (2016), Winter (2017), Spring (2019), and Summer (2020), makes time concretely central. In this regard, each instalment of the series will be interpreted in terms of Diachronic Temporality, Synchronic Temporality, and Cyclical Temporality. The first part will underline the timely feature of the novel and will discuss how and to what extent the author's understanding of diachronic temporality is placed on a visible ground in the novel. The second part will frame how the novels contain the synchronic perception of time and how the author instils this attitude into the novel with a unique approach. The final section will reveal the quartet`s cyclical time layer and tend to interpret the novelist's attitude towards art and the artist within this framework. Key Words: Ali Smith, Seasonal Quartet, Time, Temporality