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Self-composing women: The kenotic representations of the liberated female characters in Fowles', Mcewan's, and Acroyd's selected postmodern novels
This thesis explores the liberation of female characters in postmodern British fiction, focusing on their detachment from their authors and transcendence beyond traditional narrative structures. Throughout history, women have been subordinated, and literature has long been a field dominated by male voices. However, the postmodern perspective has introduced a more equitable approach to literature. This research aims to examine how the representation of women in literary fiction has evolved by analyzing the depictions of female characters in the works of postmodern male writers. This study explores how postmodernism challenges traditional gender roles and provides a platform for more diverse and complex portrayals of women. The importance of my research is to examine how the new writing and expression techniques developed with kenotic postmodern authors affect the representations of female characters in post-modern British literature and how this innovation finds a literary response. During the completion of the thesis, the relevant theories of specific theorists such as Mikhail Bakhtin and Judith Butler are investigated, and a comprehensive survey is made in this field. This thesis is divided into several key chapters: an introduction to the study and its theoretical framework, an exploration of kenotic authorship, a discussion of postmodernism and its impact on gender representation, and performativity. The findings reveal that postmodern male authors challenge traditional gender roles through narrative innovation, allowing female characters to achieve greater autonomy and complexity. By incorporating concepts such as kenosis, dialogism, polyphony, heteroglossia, carnivalesque, and performativity, these authors create female representations that transcend patriarchal constraints, presenting women as active agents in the construction of their identities. Ultimately, the research demonstrates how postmodern literature redefines gender roles and gives voice to marginalized characters.
Blurring the boundaries between human and nonhuman beings in the posthuman universe of Star Wars
Humans started to be seen as the most central figures in the universe after the Renaissance period. With the advancements in technology, science, and art, humanity gradually noticed that they could dominate life and shape the world according to their needs and desires. Humans began to think that they were the most unique and powerful beings that were capable of everything through their knowledge and innovations. This movement in history is called humanism, which brings humans to the center as the most valuable and significant beings among species. The anthropocentric view of humanism causes an exclusionary approach toward all nonhuman beings. Yet, due to the rising ecological awareness after the 1950s, people increasingly valued nonhuman living beings in nature. Additionally, the technological developments in those years led to the rise of interest in futuristic concepts such as robots and cyborgs. These science fiction concepts heavily challenged the traditional norms and boundaries of the human in the humanist movement. These alterations in the perception of humanity triggered the emergence of posthumanism as a critical theory in the 1980s and 1990s. Posthumanism aimed to criticize classical humanism's anthropocentric attitude toward the nonhuman and the human's centrality, agency, and uniqueness in the world. Some works already possessed a posthumanist point of view in science fiction cinema. One of these examples is the Star Wars film series created by George Lucas in 1977. The films in this series have posthumanist themes, topics and concepts that question what it means to be a human. The universe of Star Wars includes myriad nonhuman beings such as aliens, cyborgs, clones and droids (robots in the Star Wars series). Both human and nonhuman beings can co-exist, co-evolve and collaborate despite their different characteristics. In this regard, the film series advocates an egalitarian and embracive manner toward all types of entities in the universe. Therefore, this thesis aims to investigate the boundaries between humans and aliens, as well as humans and machines, in the posthuman universe of Star Wars by using selected films from the series with a posthumanist stance.
Application of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey on Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone and Kentaro Miura's Berserk as examples of dark fantasy and anti-hero archetype
Heroes are common in literature and other media forms. Heroes have a long history from early classical texts to modern stories, and they appear in various forms and genres in traditional texts. Such examples as: Homer's Iliad, Geofrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series and J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit can be considered as traditional text. However, there are texts that are dissimilar than traditional story structures. As there are non-standard story structures, there are also heroes that do not fit into the hero archetype. The non-standards in this sense are the Dark Fantasy sub-genre and the Anti-hero archetype. Both are quite different when compared to traditional hero archetypes and fantasy genre. However, there are questions regarding these topics about the difference from standard structure and their portrayal in popular narratives. Regarding these topic questions, texts like Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone and Berserk are good examples of the Dark Fantasy sub-genre and show remarkable Anti-hero characters. Both texts are beloved by fans in popular culture yet are not discussed or represented in academic studies. The purpose of this thesis is to study and discuss the qualities of the Dark Fantasy sub-genre and Anti-hero archetype in these selected popular texts. For this analysis, Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey is going to be used and through this method the qualities regarding Dark Fantasy and Anti-heroes will be discussed.
Voices in the void: Meaninglessness and disconnection in Anthony Neilson's theatre
This study examines the plays The Wonderful World of Dissocia and Realism by contemporary British playwright Anthony Neilson within the context of the Theatre of the Absurd. Although Neilson is not traditionally classified as an absurdist writer, many fundamental features of the genre appear in his works. These include structural fragmentation, cyclical dialogues, abrupt scene transitions, repetition, silence, miscommunication, alienation, meaninglessness, and existential uncertainty. Neilson's characters struggle to navigate a reality surrounded by absurdity. Although they search for a meaningful life, the systems they inhabit frequently limit this search. This limitation demonstrates the core idea of the Theatre of the Absurd: the futility of seeking meaning. The scenes in Neilson's plays contain surreal, dreamlike, or grotesque elements. However, this is not an aesthetic choice; it also reveals Neilson's attempt to portray the psychological collapse and identity crisis of the modern individual. The plays deal with themes such as mental health issues, social isolation, and the oppressive nature of modern systems. Through his language and stylistic choices, Neilson demonstrates how absurd theatre has evolved into new forms in the contemporary British literature. This study analyses The Wonderful World of Dissocia and Realism in light of Martin Esslin's theory of the absurd and the historical development of British theatre. It also evaluates the reflection of the social transformation of Neilson's age in his works. As a result, the study identifies the absurdist elements within Neilson's plays. Keywords: Theatre of the Absurd, Anthony Neilson, Meaninglessness, Alienation, Engagement
Gothic literature evolves into posthumanism: Jeanette Winterson'sFrankissstein as a 21st century rewriting of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Jeanette Winterson's Frankissstein: A Love Story is a posthumanist reimagining of Mary Shelley's iconic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. This adaptation is not merely a thematic update, but rather a contemporary literary reconstruction that redefines the concepts of the human, the body, and the mind. The gothic sci-fi masterpiece of Shelley is given a lead to get a place in the twenty-first century surrounded by artificial intelligence and high technology. Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, which is a gothic masterpiece of Shelley, can be evaluated to be a step from a gothic novel to a posthuman perspective since it scrutinizes the representation of the human and the monster just like Frankissstein: A Love Story demonstrates the representation of the human and artificial intelligence. In order to understand the connection between gothic and posthumanism, Humanism and Transhumanism must be known with their basic definitions. Frankissstein: A Love Story is a re-written version of Shelley's Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus and it springs up to present day to hold out a posthuman environment focusing on the relationship of human beings with hybrid robots and non-biological creatures. Both of the novels question the ascendency of humans against other forms of nature through the main characters as well as their ultimate desire for creation and transformation. Dr. Frankenstein creates a living being, which becomes a reason of fear for him and Victor Stein fictionalizes a cybernetic life dimension by creating robots. Winterson's novel variegates the posthuman environment by presenting the transgender Dr. Ry falling in love with Victor Stein who dignifies cyber practices as a living. Jeanette Winterson connects the first gothic science-fiction novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus with the future of humanity by recreating the same idea of transforming in a different perspective. This thesis investigates the transformation of gothic literature into the realm of posthumanism, focusing on the transition from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus to Jeanette Winterson's Frankissstein: A Love Story. Throughout the thesis, these two novels will be compared and contrasted in the frame of gothic and posthuman discourse.
Performativity of sexuality and gender in Sarah Waters' Tipping The Velvet and Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal And The White
In her book Gender Trouble, Judith Butler coins gender performativity as a concept, and describes it as the result of repetitive acts that establish a supposed true gender. Since gender is fluid and cannot be determined or defined according to one's sex, gender is considered to be performatively produced. Hence, there is no gender, but it is only produced by means of some performative acts that are regularized by gender coherence. The repetition of certain acts brings about labeling the identity as either a "he" or a "she," which leads to formation of heterosexual identities. This repetition of performative acts suggests the fluidity of sexuality, and indicates that there is no sexuality before actions. As a result, performativity of gender and sexuality challenges heteronormativity and lays bare the constructed nature of heteropatriarchal norms. As such, this thesis analyzes Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet and Michel Faber's Crimson Petal and the White to illustrate two different examples of the use of performativity in a NeoVictorian context. It aims to reveal the fluidity of gender and sexuality by the unconventional characters in a "queer" framework. As a result, it examines how the idea of performativity of gender and sexuality contributed to protagonists' flee from heteropatriarchal norms towards their self-realizations.
A quest for feminine identity in Timberlake Wertenbaker's plays: New Anatomies and The Grace of Mary Traverse
Women have been in the centre of many discussions especially since the seventeenth century as they start to search for ways to get rid of the oppression and restriction which they have been exposed to because of the socially constructed female roles in the patriarchal societies. While the first part of this thesis is conducted with the historical development of the feminist movement that has had different targets and discussions at different periods, in the second part the playwright and her two plays are analyzed in the framework of feminist debates and identity question. This study aims to scrutinize the main female characters in Timberlake Wertenbaker's New Anatomies and the Grace of Mary Traverse who traverse the boundaries of their stereotypical female identities and embark on quest of identity which is free from the restrictions. As this study shows, unless the patriarchal social construction changes, it is not possible to change the stereotypical female identity. Keywords: Feminism, Theatre, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Identity, Woman, Stereotype
An ecofeminist reading of Herland, The Edible Woman and Woman On The Edge Of Time
With the rise of industry, environmental crisis, animal issues and natural concerns have been discussed globally and have been widely represented in literary works in recent years. The ecological movements in 1960s, which were organized against the environmental deterioration, developed with the Second wave feminism and led to the creation of many literary works taking the concern for women and nature as their central issues. The emergence of ecofeminist thought and ecofeminist theory coincides with that time. Ecofeminism relates the domination of women to domination of natue. Therefore, it makes a critique of the patriarchal system through a concern for women and nature. This study, consisting of four chapters, aims to discuss the concept of nature in relation with feminism in Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood and Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy, which were written at different times. The aim of the analysis is to discover how ecofeminist themes like the subjugation of nature and nonhuman animals and oppression of women, marginalized people and "others" are represented in the selected novels. As a consequence, it is thought to be relevant to read these three novels through the ecofeminist theory to understand the concepts of ecofeminist thought.
Conflicts and betrayals in a panoptic world as a Foucauldian power in David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and Joe Orton's The Good and Faithful Servant
The Panopticon is a design for a prison that aimed to gain control over inmates by its sheer architecture, designed by 18th century architect and thinker Jeremy Bentham. Foucault took this architectural idea and applied it as a social and cultural idea, enabling that the panopticist structure can be used in other concepts as well. Thus this study has aimed to search for the idea of panopticism in literary texts. American playwright and screenplay writer David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and British playwright Joe Orton's The Good and Faithful Servant were analysed for this purpose. Although these two plays take place in different cultures and 20 years apart, we still see the same idea of panopticism, representing the capitalistic social system that indirectly forces individuals to appease their personalities in order to comply with the company. This thesis will thus take a closer look at the different perspectives these writers propose to the same issue, due to differences in setting, under a panopticist light. This will of course require analysing Foucault's idea of panopticism and how his idea and the writers' point of views are different on it. Keywords: Joe Orton, David Mamet, Foucault, Panopticism, Power
Ecocriticism in romantik poetry
This study aims to discuss the nature concept found in the English Romantic period poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in their ecocritical dimensions. The messages given in these poems will be detected which are observed to be in accordance with ecocritical theory because of the ecological consciousness they present, so as to demonstrate the fact that these poets had already done the same thing which today's ecocritical theoriticians try to do, two centuries earlier. The study is consisted of three chapters and the introduction and conclusion parts. In the first chapter, the emergence, development and the tenets of ecocriticism are explained and the relationship between the ecological consciousness and the concept of ethics is argued. In the second chapter, the changes that the society went through during the Industrial Revolution process are demonstrated and general information about Romantic poetry is given. Finally, in the last chapter, the handling of the concept of nature in poems of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are scrutinized and their relations to ecocritical principles are demonstrated.
Postmodern characterization in contemporary British novel as reflected in D. M. Thomas's The White Hotel and John Fowles's Mantissa
The concept of character is quite a problematic term in postmodern fiction since postmodern texts overtly subvert and transgress the conventions of characterization of the novels of previous ages. In relation to the paradoxical and ambiguous nature of postmodernism, character undergoes a radical transformation in postmodern fiction, and it cannot be pinned down with regards to the conventions of characterization. The character in postmodern fiction becomes a site where the text reverberates the epistemological and ontological concerns postmodernism rests upon. Thus, postmodern problematization of such contentious concepts as self, identity, essence, history writing, fiction, and fact is carried out and presented through postmodern characterization in the novel genre. As such, this thesis analyzes D M. Thomas's The White Hotel and John Fowles's Mantissa to lay bare how postmodern fiction employs characterization. It aims to exemplify how postmodern fiction is deprived of characters in the conventional sense. As a result, this thesis examines how postmodern character is utilized in the employ of postmodern themes and techniques, and it shows how postmodern fiction establishes its own conventions of characterization. Keywords: postmodernism, postmodern fiction, postmodern character, D.M. Thomas, John Fowles, The White Hotel, Mantissa.
Mikhail Bakhtin's concept of polyphony and the polyphonic novel as reflected in J.M. Coetzee's Summertime and Diary of a Bad Year
This study aims to scrutinize J.M. Coetzee's Summertime and Diary of a Bad Year, which were published in 2000s following Coetzee's relocation in Australia, in terms of the concept of polyphonic novel. Mikhail Bakhtin defines the concept of polyphony in his theoretical studies. The concept of polyphony, by destroying the superiority of the ultimate authorial voice, includes multiple voices, and enables each voice to speak, and Bakhtin bases his studies of polyphony on Dostoevsky and his novels. Bakhtin argues that Dostoevsky has been the first author who involves the concept of polyphony into his novels and who creates polyphonic works. Polyphony disregards the perception of 'the author's voice as ultimate and unique,' and provides all the characters with the freedom to speak their own ideas without the intrusion of authoritative voice. In a polyphonic novel, the characters are in continuous dialogical relations, and the novel has an open-ended plot. This open-ended closure of the novel makes it impossible to have an ultimate judgment/interpretation about the novel and it enables each reader to perceive the novel by filtering it through his/her own ideology and perception. This thesis also explores how Coetzee embodies polyphony in his own unique way in his two novels, Summertime and Diary of a Bad Year. Keywords: Polyphony, Polyphonic Novel, Mikhail Bakhtin, Fyodor Dostoevsky, J.M. Coetzee
Appropriation of science fiction elements in postmodern fiction as reflected in Angela Carter's the Passion of New Eve and Jeanette Winterson's The Stone Gods
There has been an interaction between postmodern fiction and science fiction since the emergence of postmodern tendencies in literature. Postmodern authors' willingness to incorporate elements from science fiction differentiates them from their Victorian realist and modernist predecessors, who did not include science fiction tropes and motifs in their novels. The shift from indifference to interest towards science fiction in British literature requires a thorough analysis. As such, this thesis first gives information about the histories and definitions of postmodernism and science fiction, and then investigates the exchanges between postmodern fiction and science fiction by making references to the studies of scholars and critics who also focus on this subject. As examples of the appropriation of science fiction elements in postmodern fiction, this thesis analyzes Angela Carter's The Passion of New Eve and Jeanette Winterson's The Stone Gods. It examines the employment of spatiotemporal science fiction motifs such as future-world, (post)apocalypse, space travel, and various science-fictional technologies in both novels. Ultimately, it argues that science fiction elements are appropriated in The Passion of New Eve and The Stone Gods because they provide the best means for making postmodern interrogations of time-space, progress metanarratives, social norms, and traditional dichotomies. Key words: postmodernism, postmodern novel, science fiction, Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, The Passion of New Eve, The Stone Gods
Virginia Woolf and the great war:Cchange and disillusionment in a modernist perspective
Having made invaluable contributions to the artistic circles of her time, Virginia Woolf has been regarded as one of the most prominent modernists of the 20th century. Considering that her first modernist novel (Jacob's Room) is published in 1914, her work was inevitably written under the influence of the Great War conducing a sense of change and disillusionment which became an inextricable part of the modernist perspective. As such, this thesis study aims to analyze the essence of the Great War, the sense of change and disillusionment as modernist elements within Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room, Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. To this end, the link between the Great War and modernist novel is examined through the concepts of change and disillusionment within each novel. Keywords: Modernism, change, disillusionment, the Great War, Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse.
Analysing the master and servant dialectic in Charles Dickens' the Pickwick Papers and Little Dorrit
The Victorian Age (1837-1901) is the period in which Britain witnesses such contradictory novelties as the economic and industrial development of the country, the conversion of the country to the empire, and a strict class division between the middle class and the working class. All these changes find a place in the works of British authors, especially in the works of Charles Dickens (1812-1870), one of the most prominent writers of the Victorian Age. In his works, particularly in The Pickwick Papers (1836-7) and Little Dorrit (1855-7), the class division becomes a big part of fiction. In both of these works, Dickens reflects the lives of the characters in terms of the master and the servant relationship. The aim of this thesis is to analyse Dickens' two novels in the light of Hegel's Master and Servant Dialectic. This dialectic has two distinct manifestations in these novels: the mutual recognition of the master and the servant in The Pickwick Papers and the dual role of the master in Little Dorrit. In order to do so, a panorama of Victorian Britain in the 1830s and the 1850s is given so that the effect of the different time-spaces of the novels could be better understood. This thesis concludes that Charles Dickens portrays and represents Hegelian Master and Servant Dialectic in The Pickwick Papers and Little Dorrit and argues that these portrayals are different from one another. Keywords: Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, Little Dorrit, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Industrial Revolution, Victorian England, Master and Servant Dialectic.
Changing time concept and time-man relationship in modernist works: Yeat's short fiction
This thesis aims at studying the parallelism between William Butler Yeat?s fictional stories, ?Rosa Alchemica? and ?Red Hanrahan? and the dislocations lived in the flow of time. In this context, along with the fictional stories, how modernist works relate to gaps lived in time has been the basis of this thesis. The thesis consists of five basic chapters with the introduction and conclusion part.
Trauma, madness and hysteria attributed to female characters in gothic fiction: Ann Radcliffe and Bronte Sisters
This study aims to explore and discuss, through the novels, Radcliffe?s The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Romance of The Forest; Emily Bronte?s Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Bronte?s Jane Eyre the fact that almost every woman character in Gothic fiction is threatened by a powerful, provocative and bullying male character and that she continually fears and wonders, and that all of these negative representations are the result of the dominant ideology on women of the time.In Gothic fiction, the characters are produced in an atmosphere of mystery and curiosity as the extraordinary and unexplained events constitute the theme. However, there is a big difference between male and female characters? presentations in Gothic fiction. While one or more male characters hold the power in the first rank as a father of a young girl or the protector of an orphan girl throughout the novel, they demand things from women that they can not accept. In these novels, the female characters should face the events that frighten them, make them fainted and burst into tears. The lonesome, thoughtful and the oppressed woman becomes the center of the novel. The Gothic works produced by both males and females create similar types of women characters. When the background sociological and communal facts are the same it is an expected outcome and the contributors to this result are the English and American medical men and clergymen with their increasing influence towards the established Victorian rules. This is the same both in the Gothic works produced by men and in the Female Gothic. The dominant patriarchal society of the age believed that the biological features determine the place of women in the society and it confined women into fertility and within the walls of the home. Women?s reproductory system is considered the determining factor of her in the society. The doctors and mothers of the period preached the daughters that the moment they leave their natural duties such as womanhood and motherhood, their lives would be destroyed. As a consequence, while motherhood, obedience, respect and submissiveness were exalted, the demand for education, the attempt to become a writer and the idea of birth control for women were accepted as the most evil sins that would destroy both women and the whole society. In turn, hysteria, madness and trauma became the most prevalent diseases for the women.Having discussed all these prevalent factors, the scope of this study covers displaying women?s very frequently encountered hysteria, trauma and madness in the chosen Gothic fictions namely with references to Radcliffe?s Emily and Adeline, Bronte sisters?, Catherine, Bertha and Jane characters.
Poverty and child abuse in Charles Dickens's novels: Oliver Twist, Hard Times, and David Copperfield
The Industrial Revolution had a great impact in the nineteenth century England. It changed various things in the country, especially the living and working conditions of its people. It was an advantage for the economy in Victorian England as there was a progress in the production due to the free market economy. The level of inequality between the classes increased. While the wealthy became wealthier as a consequence of the progress in the production, the condition of the poor worsened. It was the time for mechanical trade in factories. The working-class was trying hard to get used to the long and tiring working hours. Although they worked so hard, they could not earn enough to make their living. As a result of this, the children of the poor, no matter how young they were, had to work for long hours too, to earn only a few shillings. The child labour increased consequently because they were in need. Cheap labor was something that the industrialists could not refuse. Child abuse was not only in factories but it was also in most of the schools in that period. Some children suffered from the dominance of factory owners while the others suffered from the discipline of the educators who abused their power on the children. Charles Dickens, in Oliver Twist, Hard Times, and David Copperfield, reflects the bad conditions of the working-class and child abuse in this period. The aim of this thesis is to analyze Dickens?s three novels in the light of Marxist criticism and New Historicism.Key words: Poverty, Child abuse, Industrial Revolution, Oppression.
A black feminist analysis of Toni Morrison's Sula and Alice Walker's the Color Purple
The aim of this study is to examine the novels named Sula and The Color Purple penned by the writers Toni Morrison and Alice Walker with the black feminist approach and to put forth the hardships the female characters experience and the fight they have been giving for some piece of freedom and self-reliance. In their works Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, the two prominent black women writers, portray exploitation, dehumanization and oppression of African American women not only by gender roles, by society?s norms and also by their racist and sexist communities. In their so-called novels, the powerful women characters draw the attention as the chief protagonists. Sula, Nel, Eva in Sula and Celie, Sofia, Nettie and Shug in The Color Purple are all representatives of different generations of strong and independent black female selves. The argument?s focal point is that these black female characters are able to survive against all challenges; they are able to cope with all the borders, oppressions, and so they are able to craft a new order free from all these obstacles.
Redefining of trauma in Iris Murdoch's "The Black Prince" and "The Sea, The Sea"
Trauma is a phenomenon which is too shocking to be fully registered upon occurrence and which instead only manifests belatedly and somewhere else in intrusive images and compulsive re-enactments. An overwhelming and unexpected traumatic event renders its victim vulnerable and powerless by shadowing his or her perception. This thesis examines trauma from a psychoanalytic perspective, with a specific focus on the issues of love and death of someone beloved. Using the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan and principles of trauma theory as a starting point, a close textual reading of Iris Murdoch's The Black Prince and The Sea, The Sea will be presented. The concept of trauma will be redefined because of the fact that these books does not actually correspond to the typical norms of trauma narratives. As a matter of fact, the trauma in the books is what could be called the "trauma of the quotidian," a pedestrian trauma that nonetheless has the potential to cause the most intense suffering that most people will ever experience, should we be fortunate enough to escape war, natural disaster or mutilating accident. This thesis aims to explore how "trauma of the quotidian" within these texts is represented and engaged.
Social anxiety and scientific progress in the Late Victorian gothic fiction: Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
In this thesis study, Bram Stoker?s Dracula and Robert Louis Stevenson?s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are analyzed in relation to the time period they were written in according to the literary critical approach of New Historicism. In the analysis of these works, literary texts, texts that provide historical information and information about the life of the authors are read in parallel to each other and thus the methods of the New Historicist approach are used. The thesis is composed of three chapters apart from the introduction and conclusion parts.Following the introduction part where the subject of the thesis and the emergence and the particulars of the New Historicist approach are told, the phases and changes that Gothic novel went through between the 18th and the 20th centuries, and the social, political and cultural structure of the Victorian England are displayed in the first chapter. In the second chapter, Victorian period?s scientific innovations, inventions and other technological progresses that affected the daily life are told initially. Then the social structure of the period, urbanization, industrialization and the hardships accompanying it, and the anxieties and depressions which are the results of these hardships are revealed. In the light of the information provided in the previous chapters, how England of the Late Victorian period is reflected, and how the scientific progresses and the social changes in this period are observed, in these works, are the subjects that are discussed in the third and the last chapter.Finally, as asserted by the New Historicist criticism, no text of history can be objective, and it is quite possible to read Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as historical texts that provide histories of their time from alternative points of view though they are literary works, and moreover non-canonical.
An inquiry on the representation of Oriental women in Tariq Ali's Islam Quintet
This study aims to scrutinize the representation of ?Oriental? women in Tariq Ali?s Islam Quintet, which were published in the period of 1992-2010. Shaped by an ?anti-Orientalist? perspective to release the so-called Orient from the Orientalist perceptions, the Islam Quintet is questioned in its uniformity in relation to its approach to the native women. Within the analysis of the stereotypical ?Oriental? woman, the female characters in five volumes and their position vis-à-vis their local culture are examined in order to unfold the latent Orientalist discourse in Ali's narrative. By such intention, this thesis also explores the parallels between the Orientalist depiction of the women and the imperial discourse of a ?gendered? Orient. Accordingly, the notions of femininity, patriarchy, and the ?Oriental? social norms are discussed in relation to the Orientalist and anti-Orientalist frameworks that are applied in the Quintet.Keywords: Orientalism, Tariq Ali, Representation, Women, Stereotype, Culture
Temporality and spatiality in contemporary Britisih theatre
Space and time are two interconnected concepts that have a long philosophical background. They lie at the heart of identity construction and have a substantial impact on contemporary literary works. The sense of time and space changed with the emergence of postmodern theory, and its influence became observable in contemporary British theatre, which covers a period between the 1980s and today. Contemporary British playwrights have not only explored (historical or non-historical) identity quests, but also targeted collapsing or transforming conventional theatre concepts by experimenting with time and space with new theatrical techniques in their plays. In addition, the psychological and social reflections of spatial and temporal boundaries along with existential anxiety have become central issues in their plays. This thesis thus aims to shed light upon the use of theatrical time and space by analysing Caryl Churchill's Icecream and Top Girls, Roy Williams' Sucker Punch and Joe Guy and Mark Ravenhill's Over There and Ten Plagues. The use of these concepts in postmodernist, postcolonial and postdramatic plays will not only be examined textually and but also complemented with the details of theatrical performances. Since some of the selected plays present problematic representations of women and black people, special consideration will also be given to the constructions of female and black identities at spatio-temporal intersections.
An analaysis of the attitudes of the instructors and students towards the use of literature in English language teaching
This thesis aims at investigating the relationships betveen the study of literatüre and language teaching in preparatory classes. The study also intends to investigate vhether there exists a statistically significant difference between the opinions of instructors and students on the study of literatüre in language teaching with particular reference to their departmental affiliations. For this purpose subjects were chosen randomly from three different universities --Gaziantep University, Atatürk University and Van 100. Yıl University-- having English Language and Literatüre Department Preparatory Classes. Subjects were also included from two other departments that offered English instruction as & service course for students from other departments in the University of Gaziantep, Foreign Languages Department and Girne American University Business Management Department Preparatory Section. A descriptive type of investigation has been undertaken in this study. in order to collect data, a guestionnaire has been prepared and administered to the subjects. After the administration of the guestionnairfe the differences between the opinions of instructors at the departments and opinions of students based on the departmental affiliations have been analyzed. The percentages of the results have been illustrated in the tables and the results have been tested by the non-parametric test of 'significance', chi-square. iiiThe analysis of data indicated that there existed a significant difference between the opinions of students and instructors for some of the questions on the use of literature in language teaching. This difference originates from the departments they study in. In the light of the findings of this study further recommendations have been made. Science Code:ELT 599 IV
The autobiographical reverberations in Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)' post conversion lyrical compositions: A thematic study
The academic study on Yusuf Islam also known as Cat Stevens is rare apart from his rich and inspirational lyrical compositions. In examining Stevens' legacy which is predominantly his songs, it is highly recommended to bring together his autobiography as a well-known world-class musician. A comprehensive literary analysis of his lyrical compositions should, therefore, be connected to his autobiography predominantly his conversion to Islam as one of the crucial life events of Stevens. This study concentrated on the autobiographical reverberations in Stevens' post-conversion lyrical compositions. The main goal is to figure out in what ways Stevens' real-life emotional, psychological, and spiritual experiences reverberated in his songs composed after his conversion to Islam. This study is classified as a thematic analysis by using the close reading technique. It examined six major themes found in Stevens' post-conversion songs. The themes are Islamic identities, Stevens' autobiographical imprint, children, dream, pro-peace/anti-war, and ignorance. The study revealed four main findings. First, Yusuf Islam also known as Cat Stevens has shifted his diction choice from Islamic diction to general diction. Second, he has maintained his pre-conversion song themes in his post-conversion era. Third, he has portrayed disinformation and bias of Western media in his lyrics. Finally, the fourth finding suggests that the artist has criticized the ignorance toward people in need. Keywords: Yusuf Islam, Cat Stevens, Autobiography, Post-Conversion, Lyrics
Bildungsroman experience of secondary worlds of Neil Gaimanand Diana Wynne Jones' fantasy literature
This thesis has demonstrated the formation the Bildungsroman genre has gone through as a result of its convergence with the fantasy literature, which allowed the genre to portray the coming-of-age stories in a supernatural setting. Traditionally, Bildungsroman has been observed as a realistic genre however, with the contemporary popularity of the fantasy genre and as a means to comment on and depict "Bildung" in the contemporary world, this thesis has underlined Bildungsroman has resorted to fantasy. Looking at the examples of their convergence, the thesis has observed a generic mixture of the two genres, naming it "Fantastic Bildungsroman." To this end, the thesis has studied both Bildungsroman and fantasy genres in-depth, and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones have been chosen as the primary texts that portray the convergence of both genres. With the help of these novels many Bildungsroman elements have been observed in fantasy texts and these elements have been analysed to point out how the supernatural contributes to the coming-of-age stories. Fantasy, as the literature of subversion, is explained as a deconstructive force and through the supernatural elements, the expectations from the Bildungsroman genre have been observed to shift with its convergence to fantasy. It has been reflected that both Gaiman and Jones have used fantasy to comment upon coming-of-age stories and subvert the norms of Bildungsroman to broaden the boundaries of the genre so that it can portray a wider range of development stories. It has been stated that "Bildung" also occurs in the "Secondary Worlds" of fantasy and the supernatural elements can provide highly developing experiences.
Islamophobia & the western media: A comparative critical discourse analysis of Anglo-American news media's approach to terror attacks targeting Muslims and non-muslims and the applied double standards
The main purpose of the present study is to analyze the discourse employed by the agenda-setting Anglo-American newspapers, having a wide outreach and the potential to influence public opinion and action, to cover the six devastating terrorist attacks carried out against both Muslims and non-Muslims within the last decade. In accordance with this purpose, the publicly available online archives of Anglo-American news media outlets are searched through to gather the required data to conduct this study, in consequence of which twenty-four news reports in total are selected through purposive sampling. By drawing on Teun van Dijk's qualitative and interdisciplinary Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method, which has been initially developed to examine the discursive features of news reports and their implications, and by building on the Orientalist and post-colonial scholarship headed by Edward Said, the selected news reports are both comparatively and critically analyzed in terms of the micro and macrostructures such as the headlines, leads, visuals, sentence structures, and rhetoric embedded in their narratives. As a result of the detailed comparative and critical discourse analyses, it is determined that Anglo-American news media outlets play a pivotal role in the fabrication and amplification of Islamophobia, which has escalated specifically in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and currently manifests itself in a great variety of platforms ranging from Hollywood movies to mass media, by way of both the sweeping generalizations they make about the religion of Islam and Muslims, and double standards they systematically apply on the basis of the religious affiliation of both victims and perpetrators of the terrorist incidents. So much so that, while they associate terrorism with Islam and thus incriminating both the religion of Islam and all the Muslims around the globe for the actions of a handful of terrorists, they adopt a protectionist and humanizing stance towards the non-Muslim perpetrators whose religious affiliation they do not even mention once. Key Words: Islamophobia, Critical Discourse Analysis, Anglo-American News Media, Terrorist Attack, Double Standards, Orientalism
Retelling of the classical: Greek mythology and the fantastic literature in Madeline Miller's Circe and Jennifer Saint's ariadne
One of the upcoming areas in literature is the topic of women and writing, that is writing conducted by women, about women's inner lives and worlds through the basis of feminist literary theory and feminist approach. Women writers take a different approach in order to highlight and deconstruct gender roles in various genres and areas. To put it somewhat differently, they examine the canonical literary works through a new lens. The act of revisiting is crucial for developing a feminist literary canon without the exclusion of women in fictional works. This thesis is on the topic of the place of women in fantastic literature focusing on women writers Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint, who choose to retell the classical myths under the area of fantastic literature. Their aim is to situate women as the main characters while providing insights into the female experiences and perspectives in their works Circe and Ariadne highlight several topics including individuality, domesticity, motherhood, and female identity. They situate the works through a comparison of Homer's The Iliad (800-700 BCE) and The Odyssey (725-675 BCE) and Ovid's Metamorphoses (8 BCE) and Heroides (date of publication unknown, presumed to be 1-20 BCE).
The image of the Ottoman Turk through the eyes of nineteenth century British traveller Julia Pardoe
This thesis aims to analyze the image of Turkish people through the eyes of a nineteenth-century British woman travel writer Julia Pardoe, specifically in her travel narrative The City of the Sultan and the Domestic Manners of Turks, in 1836. The nineteenth century was a period when travel to the East had become more popular than ever in Europe. This era saw many travel narratives written by Western travelers who visited Eastern countries, especially the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, travel literature has become an important genre in Orientalism studies in terms of its vast source of representations of the other, East-West relations, and the image of the East, its people, and culture through the eyes of Westerners. Women travelers have played an immense role in the genre of travel literature during the nineteenth century with their unique access to places in Eastern countries, such as the harem, where their male compatriots had no access to. Therefore, they contributed to the creation of a new image of Eastern people in the eyes of their readers back home, different from the imagined, sexualized, and Orientalist image created by male travelers. Julia Pardoe, as one of these travelers, has a distinctive role in challenging and reshaping the Orientalist discourse prevalent in nineteenth-century travel literature. Using Edward Said's theory of Orientalism, the thesis explores Pardoe's counter-Orientalist approach and her portrayal of Turkish people, culture, and society. The thesis evinces through a detailed examination of Pardoe's descriptions and comments in her narrative that Pardoe puts forth a conscious effort to correct the previous misconceptions about Turkish and Eastern people formed by other travel narratives, offering a more accurate understanding and positive perception of the East. This thesis contributes to the understanding of Pardoe's distinct role within travel literature and her efforts to present a more accurate and nuanced portrayal of the East, challenging Western prejudices and offering a counter-narrative perspective. Key Words: travel literature, Julia Pardoe, Orientalism, women travel writers, image of the Ottoman Turks
The disillusionment of characters in Andrea Levy's Novels Small Island and Fruit of the Lemon
This dissertation explores the theme of immigrant disillusionment in Andrea Levy's novels Small Island and Fruit of the Lemon. Focusing on the experiences of the first and second-generation Windrush immigrant characters as they arrive in England, this study delves into the dissonance between their preconceived notions of the 'Mother Country' as a land of grand opportunities and their actual encounters with a society that challenges their expectations. Through meticulous analysis of character perspectives, interactions, and societal contexts, this dissertation sheds light on how Levy's characters grapple with the stark contrast between their idealized vision of England and the reality of a nation marred by racism and a lack of acceptance for those who defy the boundaries of traditional Englishness. Through its analysis of Levy's evocative portrayals of immigrant experiences, this dissertation contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between aspiration and disillusionment within the context of immigration. It sheds light on the emotional, psychological, and cultural conflicts faced by immigrants as they navigate a world that challenges their identities and disrupts their ideals. Ultimately, this research serves to illuminate the enduring relevance of these novels in fostering conversations about the complexities of immigration, belonging, and the disheartening discovery that the 'Mother Country' may not always live up to its promise of acceptance and opportunity.
Identity and homeland in Susan Abulhawa's Mornings in Jenin
The present study aims to analyze the concepts of identity and homeland as represented in Susan Abulhawa's novel Mornings in Jenin (2010). By following the story of four generations, the novel portrays the attachment and the sense of belonging to a homeland, exploring the strong connection to the land and the deep sense of identity the characters show amid different traumas and their ramifications on the characters and their bonds to the land and identity, and deeply tracing the emotional effects of diaspora, exile, and dislocation on the characters' identities and ties to the homeland. The thesis examines how the novel illustrates the strong attachment of the characters to the land and their indomitable sense of identity. The novel explores the profound impact of the characters' deep-rooted connection to the land on their sense of belonging and existence, as well as the traumatic experiences challenging them. More precisely, the thesis will approach the novel as a literary narrative charting the impacts of exile, diaspora, loss, and displacement on various characters' sense of home and identity formations. To this end, through the lens of postcolonial literary criticism, Edward Said's theory of Orientalism is employed as an analytical and insightful framework. Postcolonial theory, which accentuates the impacts of external factors on the inhabitants and such issues as homeland and identity and the processes that create societies, can be utilized to interpret and analyze the novel in relation to the conceptualizations of identity and homeland. It suggests that identity is a dynamic process shaped by historical, cultural, heritage, and discursive factors. Said's theory is essential for examining the case of identity, imaginative geographies, and notions such as homeland and identity. Moreover, the theoretical framework is pivotal for a thorough comprehension of the roles of history, cultural heritage, the impact of experiences of suffering, and the sense of loss created by diaspora, exile, and dislocation in identity formation and the relation between the characters and sense of home. The study concludes that experiences of trauma strengthen and crystallize the intrinsic ties of the characters in the novel to the land and their identity. Based on the reading of Mornings in Jenin, the main argument in this thesis is that the novel's characters' steadfast attachment to the land and ancestral heritage shape and determine their identity. However, despite the traumatic experiences that challenge the characters' ties to their roots and sense of home, places, and existence, these challenges have ultimately strengthened and solidified their bond to the homeland and perception of identity, as represented in the novel. Consequently, the novel suggests that the characters' connection to the land plays a pivotal role, even in the face of hardships, in sustaining and maintaining their identity, their being, and a sense of belonging that persists across generations; thereby, the concepts of homeland and identity are interconnected.
Ideal society in Nizami Ganjavi's Iskandarname and Thomas More's Utopia
The conception of an ideal society has been one of the central themes of literature throughout history across different cultures and languages. Originating in Plato's Republic (375 B.C.) in the fourth century B.C., the idea of an ideal society evolved in various genres and styles, such as poetry or prose. Representative of Western literature, English philosopher Sir Thomas More's Utopia (1516), shaped by European fifteenth century historical context for instance has been considered as a significant contribution to utopian literature. Muslim philosopher Abu Nasr Al-Farabi (870-950), who harmonized Plato's ideal city concepts with Islamic doctrines became an important text in eastern utopian literary tradition. Azerbaijani philosopher Nizami Ganjavi, one of the earlier examples of utopian concept from the twelfth century, also adopted this framework of ideal society in his poem Iskandarname (1194 or 1196-1202). This thesis compares eastern and western utopian traditions as represented by Thomas More's Utopia and Nizami Ganjavi's Iskandarname. Focusing on both works' conceptions of the individual and daily life, economy and work, religion and freedom as well as governance and justice systems. Iskandarname and Utopia emphasize the importance of nature, animals, and human relationships in society, highlighting the significance of bodily care and healthy eating habits. They contrast barbaric and civilized societies, emphasizing the need for harmony and peace. They believe in afterlife, divine power, and gratitude for God's favour. Both societies evolved into prosperous cities through hard work, with disobedience seen as misbehaviour and expulsion as punishment. However, there are differences in ideologies and cultural specifics. Nizami's ideal city lacks class distinction, while More's Utopia mentions slaves and a governance system. Iskandarname dreams of peace and worshipping God, while Utopia focuses more on societal routines and a large group of idle priests, religious men, and wealthy noblemen. Despite these differences, both works highlight the importance of nature, animals, and human relationships in society. By comparing and contrasting, and generating the similarities and differences between Iskandarname and Utopia, the research aims to rethink, reassess, and acknowledge the diverse ideals held by nearly every culture. Iskandarname and Utopia provides an opportunity to see variations and parallels in the concept of the perfect society over time. The thesis aims to determine that, Ganjavi's ideal society is similar to More's, emphasizing the connection established with nature and the value of animals in society. Both works are utopian, but Iskandarname is more idealized, transcending equality for equity, while More's Utopia is based on equality.
A Psychoanalytic approach to the Machiavellian characters in Christopher Marlowe's plays
Niccolo Machiavelli was an iconic figure in the Renaissance Period especially due to his radical views in The Prince. In its essence, Machiavellianism encourages the individual to perform whatever is necessary to reach one's goals. It is a moral issue at the same time since Machiavelli's The Prince does not have a perception of limitation so as to obtain the ultimate power. Due to its rapidly increasing popularity, many Elizabethan playwrights adapted the embodiment of Machiavellian hero that Machiavelli describes in his The Prince into their plays extensively. Therefore, this thesis focuses on Marlowe's understanding of Machiavellianism and his portrayal of the Machiavellian heroes in his plays. In the thesis, Marlowe's plays entitled Tamburlaine, Doctor Faustus, The Jew of Malta are analysed. Particularly, this study aims to reveal psychoanalytic patterns of the Machiavellian characters in Christopher Marlowe's plays. Hence, this thesis examines both the inner desires, anxieties, and fears of these characters and Marlowe's autobiographical patterns at the same time. Moreover, this study also attempts to find an answer if the characters' Machiavellianism and their use of rhetoric truly help to achieve their goals or not. Although they can be simply characterized as mere "villains" who are driven by their passions, greed, and excessive pride; Machiavellian characters' psychological motifs will help us to understand the reasons underneath their urge to do wicked things. Besides, the Machiavellian heroes' interaction with other characters, their influence on them, and their relations to Machiavellianism are remarkable points that need to be clarified and to be analysed in further detail. Thus, this thesis attempts to provide answers for a better understanding of Marlowe's attitude towards Elizabethan setting and the concept of the Renaissance.
Matricentric feminist reading of Elisa Albert's After Birth (2015) and Sheila Heti's Motherhood (2018)
This thesis examines Elisa Albert's After Birth (2015) and Sheila Heti's Motherhood (2018) from the perspective of matricentric feminism. First coined by Andrea O'Reilly in 2016, matricentric feminism enables a reading that centralizes maternal experience, mothers' needs, and motherhood itself in an epistemological stand. Employed in this thesis, this theory sheds light on the ways how After Birth and Motherhood rethink and reconstruct the concept of motherhood. The research, which is positioned within the cultural and political atmosphere of fourth-wave feminism, suggests that motherhood is a multilayered concept. It is shaped by social, cultural, political and psychological elements. In the dialogue with this perspective, both After Birth and Motherhood depict motherhood not as a stable or universally shared condition but as an experience marked by ambivalence, fragmentation, and negotiation. These works show that motherhood includes many complexities, challenges, and alternatives, including forms of mothering that extend beyond biological maternity. The thesis follows a thematic and structural approach in the analysis of After Birth and Motherhood and seeks to find an answer to how these texts fictionalize the emotional and bodily complexities of motherhood alongside its non-traditional possibilities.
Examining silence and gender themes in feminist Bildungsromane in the light of écriture feminine: Clarice Lispector's Near To The Wild Heart and Angela Carter's The Magic Toyshop
This thesis investigates the intertwined relationship between silence and gender in Clarice Lispector's Near to the Wild Heart (1943) and Angela Carter's The Magic Toyshop (1967) within the framework of écriture féminine. By employing the theoretical perspectives of Hélène Cixous, Julia Kristeva, and Luce Irigaray, the study explores how both writers subvert patriarchal discourse by transforming silence—a concept historically associated with female oppression—into a site of expression, resistance, and self-construction. The analysis demonstrates that Lispector and Carter, through their protagonists Joana and Melanie, reformulate the traditional bildungsroman structure, turning it into a feminist bildungsroman that privileges interiority, fragmentation, and the body over linear social integration. Silence, in their novels, becomes a linguistic and bodily practice through which the female self articulates identity beyond the symbolic order. Drawing on Cixous' concept of body-writing, Kristeva's semiotic chora, and Irigaray's mimicry, the thesis argues that both writers employ silence not as a lack of speech but as a generative form of feminine language. Through close textual readings, this research reveals that silence functions as a mode of writing that inscribes resistance and autonomy into the female experience. Lispector's introspective prose and Carter's myth-reversing narratives illustrate how écriture féminine dismantles masculine language and redefines the parameters of voice, identity, and authorship. Ultimately, this study concludes that silence—when reframed through écriture féminine—becomes a radical feminist strategy that challenges patriarchal norms and opens new possibilities for expressing female subjectivity within modernist and postmodernist traditions.
The echoes of the wound on stage: The voice of post-war trauma reflected in In-Yer-Face Theatre and Butoh
This study explores how trauma, both personal and collective, is expressed through two radically different theatre traditions: In-Yer-Face Theatre from the UK and Butoh from Japan. Grounded in the trauma theories of Freud and Cathy Caruth, the research investigates how literature and performance function as mediums through which the voice of trauma is articulated. Following the devastating aftermath of World War II and the nuclear bombings in Japan, societies across the globe were left grappling with wounds too deep to articulate through conventional means. In-Yer-Face Theatre, characterized by graphic violence, verbal aggression, and emotional intensity, confronts the audience directly, breaking traditional theatrical boundaries to provoke action. In contrast, Butoh relies on silence, grotesque physical expression, and symbolic imagery to evoke a more introspective and embodied experience of trauma. Through a comparative analysis of Sarah Kane's Blasted and Kazuo Ohno's My Mother, this thesis examines how each form translates trauma into performance, highlighting the cultural distinctions in their approaches. While both traditions aim to disturb and awaken their audiences, their methods, verbal vs. physical, confrontational vs. contemplative, reflect differing national histories, aesthetic values, and understandings of suffering. This research not only adds to the individual scholarship on each theatre form but also offers a unique cross-cultural perspective on the performative expression of trauma. Key Words: Trauma Theory, In-Yer-Face Theatre, Butoh, Collective Trauma, Performance Studies
Tracing the tragic through Ancient Greek theatre and Howard Barker's Theatre of Catastrophe
In this thesis, the continuities between the institutional and intellectual foundations of Ancient Greek theatre and Howard Barker's Theatre of Catastrophe are examined. The examination considers the continuum between ancient and contemporary tragedy through three intrinsic institutes that are catastrophe, catharsis, and chorus. It first considers the transition of rituals rooted in the Dionysian cult into the formation of tragedy, then conducts a contrastive assessment of Aeschylus' Agamemnon (458 BCE), Sophocles' Oedipus the King (c. 433 BCE), and Euripides' Medea (431 BCE) with Barker's Blok/Eko (2011). The thesis insists that Barker resists the Aristotelian theorisation of theatre as an ethical and instructional foundational form, which resituates art as an aesthetic extension of existence. In contrast to the Aristotelian theorisation of catastrophe, catharsis, and chorus as an ethical institution, Barker's theatre situates ethical intent inconclusive. Methodologically, the thesis utilises intertextual and intellectual examination of theatrical texture. The outcomes construe that catastrophe no longer constitutes a denouement but a detriment. The archaic catharsis that consolidated the audience turned into anti-catharsis that confronted the audience with dislocation, dissolution, and distortion. The chorus no longer represents collective consciousness; instead, it echoes the fragmented and erratic individualism. The transition is assessed as a structural stance to the ethical and existential isolation of the modern individual. In conclusion, the thesis reveals that Barker's Theatre of Catastrophe revived the Dionysian foundation of tragedy. It reverses moderation in favour of excess, ethical coherence in favour of ambiguity, and harmony in favour of solitude. In this sense, Barker's resistance to Aristotelian form associated his artistic attitude with a Nietzschean force. This stance asserts an autonomous aesthetic as a constitution of tragedy construction. Thus, tragedy is conceived not as ethical inculcation but as a confrontation with incoherence within existence. Keywords: Howard Barker, Tragedy, Catastrophe, Catharsis, Chorus
The reasons of the dilemma between individual desires and social priorities in Edith Wharton's novels
Edith Wharton?s The Age of Innocence (1920) and The House of Mirth (1905) are discussed in this study as they depict the Gilded Age that emerged during the years after the Civil War (from 1870s to 1900) with its most distinctive aspects. Although Wharton spent most of her life out of America, in her novels she illustrates a New York society in which the wealthy set is dominant, social conventions are regarded as priorities and even, when necessary, the individuals are sacrificed for these conventions. The conventions, social life, men - women relationships, prejudices and morals of the time are presented in detail. Wharton depicts a society dominated by money and, people in that society are accepted or denounced according to their wealth. Unlike these two novels, in Ethan Frome (1911), an impoverished family and the members? lives in a small village are penned.Wharton herself lived a distressing life. Raised to be an ideal Victorian girl, she encountered problems in her family and marriage. She often had difficulties to adopt the suffocating conventions of her social circle and these led her into personal dilemmas. Her family preferred her to get married, but she wanted to become a writer. In her marriage, her husband?s mental instability and his relationship with a young woman which led to their divorce became a problematic period for Wharton. These experiences of the writer are also reflected in the characters she depicts: in The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth, the effect of social conventions on individuals is considerably felt. In The House of Mirth, a woman who is raised to marry, just like Wharton, is portrayed. In Ethan Frome, Zeena is a sickly woman and she leads her husband to financial and spiritual problems. The common point of The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome is that main male characters love other women. Much as they live in distinct societies and conditions, characters share a common feature: their social priorities overwhelm what they want to do and lead them to dilemma. As they cannot set a balance between their priorities and the social environment they live in, they are stuck in difficult positions as a result of which they live unhappy lives. These positions are presented along with the reasons leading the characters to these points. In addition, how their choices affect their lives is highlighted. Each character is influenced by this process in different ways:At the beginning of The Age of Innocence, Newland Archer is about to marry May Welland who is suitable for the society with all her features, but Archer falls in love with Countess Ellen Olenska, who is his wife?s cousin just returning from Europe. He will either marry May and maintain his social position or go to distant places with the Countess and be excluded from the society he lives in. Newland prefers to marry May and he keeps his love for the Countess for long years in his heart. Here we understand that Archer has a dilemma due to his fear of losing his social status. In The House of Mirth, Lily Bart is a character who is in the quest for a wealthy spouse so as to gain status in the society. On the other hand, she loves Selden who is a lawyer from the middle class. As Selden cannot provide her with the prosperous life she desired, she keeps herself away from him. At the end of the novel, she is not able to reach either of her desires ? wealth and Selden ? and even if not intentionally, she commits suicide and dies. In Ethan Frome, Ethan leads a life with his hypochondriac wife Zeena who wears him away both financially and spiritually. One day, a young and beautiful girl named Mattie who is his wife?s cousin settles the farm in order to take care of his wife and household. Ethan falls in love with Mattie and he also learns that his love is reciprocal. However, when jealous Zeena is aware of their love, and wants to send Mattie from the house, the lovers who could not tolerate breaking up resolve to commit suicide. At the last moment, Ethan thinks that his wife could not overcome the hard conditions under which they live alone, because their saw-mill and farm are mortgaged. They also have no money sufficient enough to get by. Therefore, Ethan avoids the suicide and he and Mattie are involved in the accident disabling them both and leaving them dependent on Zeena.Another reason leading the characters to dilemma is the Victorian morality. In The Age of Innocence, May, being aware of the love between Ellen and her husband, tells Ellen that she is pregnant in order to keep her away from her husband and Ellen leaves the city at the end. Learning he is going to have a child, Archer does not leave May and she regains her husband even if she leaves him in despair. In The House of Mirth, Bertha Dorset causes Lily to be ostracized from the wealthy set and her family circle, gossiping about her flirtation with her husband. Afterwards, in order not to be called as mistress, Lily avoids herself making debut into the wealthy group which she desires most and begins to lead a life in poverty. In Ethan Frome, Ethan?s thinking of his wife even on the verge of death could be also dealt in ethical points.Key Words : Wharton, Dilemma, Personal Desires, Social Priorities
American business ethic in David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo
In general, the socio-cultural, political and economic transformations of the United States of America are historically conveyed and its contemporary state and overtones are revealed in the thesis. This thesis is basically focused on the analysis of American business ethic and anomie in two of David Mamet?s `business trilogy?; Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo. It is put forward that how the socio-cultural merits and values turn out to be exploitable commodities in the free market mentality of the system, in the course of the character?s struggle of survival in American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross which are designed as the microcosms of American capitalist system. Specifically, the anomic characters, in the labyrinth of the American business system, who are constantly oriented by the pressures of the American dream, are observed.In the introduction chapter, the emergence of modern American drama in relation to the emergence of modern America in an historical context and David Mamet?s distinguished place as a dramatist are revised. In Chapter I malpractices and aftermaths of the American business system as tragic imperatives on Mamet?s characters are examined. In addition, the norms of survival in Mametian business world and further ramifications are presented. In the second chapter, the very results of the ethics-lacking setting referring to the anomie theories of Emile Durkheim, Robert Merton, Steven F. Messner and Richard Rosenfeld are mentioned. Durkheim?s thesis of `insufficient normative regulation? of individuals? activities and social standarts, Merton?s deinstitutionalization, spring from the detachment/imbalance between `culturally approved goals? and `institutionally approved means of achieving these goals?, and Messner?s given socio-cultural panorama in which high crime rates are related to the excessive cultural emphasis on the American dream of financial gain, are used to explain the Mametian sense of anomie. In general, beyond the commodification of the socio-cultural values in the name of the business, in the thesis it is also aimed to reveal how this process itself and all its deviant extensions are normalized and justified by the characters. Both chapters are concerned with the conflicts and inapplicability of the norms of the American business system and its deleterious effects on individual and social terms. General deductions, obtained in the light of aforementioned theories and the presentation of American business world in Mamet?s plays, are presented in the conclusion part.
John Keats?s attitudes towards death and how he copes with the idea of mortality
In this thesis, John Keats?(1795-1821), one of the greatest literary figures of English literature in the Romantic period attitudes towards death and the ways he copes with it will be dealt with. Keats got to know death at a very early age. His father died as a result of an accident and his mother died of tuberculosis. His brother, Tom, died of the same illness in a later period of his life. Keats himself is suffering from tuberculosis, too. He knows his end will be the same. All these, of course, affected deeply someone with a sensitive heart like Keats and this effect was reflected in his works.The thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, a brief account of his life will be given, putting the emphasis on his tragic affair with death. His attitudes towards death will be given in the second part and his ways of coping with it in the third part.Key Words: John Keats, Death, Immortality, Attitudes Towards Death, Ways of Coping With Death
İlköğretim okulu dördüncü sınıfta İngilizce derslerinin planlanması ve uygulanmasına ilişkin bir değerlendirme (Elazığ ili örneği)
IV ABSTRACT Master's Thesis Aynur YÜKSEL AN EVALUATION OF ENGLİSH TEACHİNG PROGRAMME AND IMPLEMENTATIONS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS (4TH GRADE) (ELAZI? SAMPLE) HRAT UNIVERSITY THE INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT 2001, Page 100 This thesis presents and discusses the present implementation of the English classes in the 4th grade in primary schools. In this respect, the thesis was organised under different concerns considering the status of the teachers teaching English to 4th graders; the programme stated by the Ministry of Education; application of the programme in the 4th grade; general views of the teachers about the programme and the teaching environment, methodology and the attitudes of the students towards English classes respectively. Additionally, the applications in the classroom setting were presented. Finally, the techniques, methods, classroom activities, the teaching aids and activities that are assigned to the students were analysed. The population was limited to 64 teachers teaching English to 4th graders in primary schools. The questionnaire was developed by the researcher. The analysis presented that children exhibit a positive attitude towards English. However, the teachers teaching in primary schools who were novice teachers were trained in different majors. The results of this study revealed that the number of teaching hours were not sufficient and the classes were over -crowded. The programme was stated to be, more or less, applicable to the classroom setting. Ultimately, more teaching aids and materials were required to establish a sound teaching environment. All the results suggested that new English Education programmes were required to provide qualified English teachers. The forthcoming teachers should be trained to teach English, especially, to children. For the currently employed teachers, the Ministry of Education should organise seminars or in-service training programmes. Though the programme for the 4th grades seemed adequate, studies should be carried out to develop a more sufficient programme and provide the continuity of the programmes in different grades. The teaching hours should be increased and the size of the classes should be decreased. The teachers should be provided with an opportunity to arrange their classes to achieve the best teaching environment. Finally, the Ministry of Education should provide the schools with teaching aids and teaching materials. Key words: Basic Education Schools, English teaching.
The problem of otherness in George Eliot's The Mill on The Floss, Silas Marner, and Middlemarch
This thesis examines how societal contradictions shape identity and otherness in the Victorian era, focusing on George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, and Middlemarch. Drawing on Julia Kristeva's feminist theoretical framework, especially her concepts of abjection and melancholia, the study explores the profound impact of the Industrial Revolution and urbanization on identity construction. Mikhail Bakhtin's theories of heteroglossia, dialogism, and the carnivalesque provide a complementary social and linguistic perspective to Kristeva's psychoanalytic approach, offering insights into identity and marginalization. In The Mill on the Floss, Maggie Tulliver's family dynamics, gender dilemmas, and societal expectations are analyzed through Kristeva's semiotic and symbolic theories, Bakhtin's dialogism, and the carnivalesque. In Silas Marner, strangeness is explored through the application of Kristeva's theory of abjection to Silas's alienation and identity transformation, framed by Bakhtin's concepts of dialogism and heteroglossia. Finally, Dorothea Brooke's identity formation, desires, and rebellion are explored in Middlemarch, within the social constraints of her time, highlighting Kristeva's melancholia, abjection, and strangeness theories. Bakhtin's theories of dialogism and heteroglossia are employed to examine Dorothea's struggle with established gender roles. This thesis underscores how Eliot's narratives mirror societal conflicts, providing a critical framework for analyzing identity, gender, and otherness. By integrating Kristevan psychoanalysis with Bakhtinian dialogism, it offers insight into Eliot's contributions to the discourse on societal change and individual formation.
A lacanian reading of Jeanette Winterson's Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit and Zadie Smith's White Teeth
This study aims to examine two contemporary British novels, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson and White Teeth by Zadie Smith from the perspective of Lacanian psychoanalysis. The self-discovery processes of the female characters in both novels render it possible to carry out this study in the light of Lacan's psychoanalytic criticism. In this respect, Jeanette, the protagonist, from Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and Irie, one of the major characters, from White Teeth are to be analysed within the framework of Lacan's key concepts: the Mirror Stage, unconscious desire, the theory of sexuation, and his three Orders called the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real. Within their Lacanian journeys of self-discovery, both Jeanette and Irie undergo similar conflicts and challenges in the course of their identity formation. Living through complex familial relationships and romantic entanglements, both female characters struggle to achieve their desired identities in spite of the constraints imposed by their respective symbolic discourses. While Jeanette explores her sexual identity as a lesbian woman despite her strictly religious environment, Irie discovers her racial identity as a mixed-race woman in a multicultural environment predominantly shaped by white British culture. Hence, for this study, these two young women's individual experiences as Lacanian subjects in different symbolic discourses are considered distinctive examples to reveal the Lacanian psychological identity construction process.
Colonization of woman in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Christina Dalcher's Vox
This thesis examines two contemporary dystopian novels, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Vox by Christina Dalcher, from a feminist perspective, focusing on the systemic strategies that patriarchal ideologies employ to reinforce dominance and suppress female autonomy. Both novels depict societies in which oppressive regimes strengthen institutionalized patriarchal ideology through education, religion, language control, constructed gender roles, distinguished spheres, and panoptic surveillance to maintain the dominant ideology. Furthermore, this study investigates how these means are used to objectify, commodify, silence, control, and confine women to the private sphere, aligning with Simone de Beauvoir's concept of women as the 'second sex'. It also examines how female identity is defined and constructed by patriarchal structures that reshape gender roles, positioning women as silent, obedient, and submissive figures. Women's autonomy is systematically erased and undermined through political and theological strategies of subjugation, with both texts illustrating how such oppression is normalized under ideological extremism. Subjected to the political and religious control of patriarchy, women struggle to retain their autonomy. The Handmaid's Tale and Vox reveal the colonization of women's bodies, identities, and voices under oppressive patriarchal authorities. The theme of resistance, explicitly or subtly, is also portrayed throughout this thesis, as the novels under discussion serve as cautionary tales that underscore the dangers of patriarchal control and the silencing of women. Ultimately, this thesis highlights the importance of awareness of women's suppression and calls attention to the need to question and resist dominant ideologies that reduce women to subordinate identities, advocating for the recognition of women as autonomous and equal individuals.
Parody of the academy in the novels of david lodge and malcolm bradbury
This thesis explores a comparison of two of the principal craftsmen of Modern BritishFiction, David Lodge and Malcolm Bradbury, whose works, as well as their lives, areimmensely interrelated and dialogic. My attention is devoted especially to the two authors'differing deployment of postmodernism and post-structuralist theory, as well as variants ofmore traditional devices such as parody, satire, and double imagery in a discourse aimed atcriticizing the academy by being seriously funny. I also underline both authors? contributioninto the academic novel with their representative works while keeping the development thissub-genre as a background to this study and analysing it according to the perceptions ofElaine Showalter in Faculty Towers: The Academic Novel and Its Discontents (2005).This study takes into consideration four novels by David Lodge: (The Picturegoers(1960), The British Museum is Falling Down (1965), Changing Places (1975), and SmallWorld (1984)) and three novels by Malcolm Bradbury namely Eating People is Wrong(1959), Stepping Westward (1965), The History Man (1975), and a novella titled Mensonge:My Strange Quest for Structuralism?s Hidden Hero (1987). During the course of the study, Iconsult and refer to various literary criticisms written by both authors as well as other theoriesof the major critics of literary theory but my utmost attention is on Mikhail Bakhtin?sconception of parody with means of having ?dualistic characteristics? that is directly linkedwith his idea of ?Carnival?.In my comparison of these two equally talented craftsmen, I concentrate on two mainpoints. My first point is to analyse both authors? treatment of the academy through theirimaginary characters that are mainly shaped as academics, who are pictured in an endlessquest for recognition and power. My second point is an attempt to reply Amanda Craig?swondering in her review of David Lodge?s Consciousness and the Novel (2002), ? ? why[David Lodge], unlike Bradbury, has not been knighted yet for his services to literature [for]he is the much better critic and novelist? (2).
The Fate of Innocence and Independence in the Corrupt European Society: A Study of Henry James's American Girls in Daisy Miller, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Wings of The Dove
In this thesis, in one novella and two novels by Henry James, namely Daisy Miller, ThePortrait of a Lady, and The Wings of the Dove, the innocent and the independent Americangirl?s predicament against conventional, patriarchal, and conservative Europe society of thelate nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, her free will against her fate, herimaginative desire, her love relations, and her subject position in the marriage institution arestudied.In this context, The American woman?s dilemma in the patriarchal processes of the corruptedEurope will be foregrounded in .Daisy Miller, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Wings of theDove by the readings of the feminist theoreticians of the period.
Self,intention and confession in "confessions","deliverance from error" and"circumfession"
The central concern of this thesis is to explore the different and similar ways in which three self writers (Augustine, Ghazali and Derrida), who lived in different times in history and belong to different religious traditions tackle the problems of ?self portrayal? and ?truth? in their confessional works: Confessions (397-398), Deliverance from Error (1090-1100) and Circumfession (1989-1990). The life stories seek to display the inner world and the intellectual concerns of their authors. Since the writers construct their stories on or around their respective belief systems and the role their beliefs play in the way they conceive of themselves, Christian, Sufi and Jewish mysticisms are discussed in a separate chapter of the thesis. In the chapters focusing on the texts of the authors, the similarities but mainly the differences in the way each writer approaches ?religion?, ?truth? and ?world? are discussed. The chapter on the Confessions analyzes Augustine?s self portrayal in the context of Augustine?s intentions and his commitment to Christianity. Here, the significance of God?s grace and other Christian dogma for Augustine are studied with references to the text. In the section on Ghazali?s Deliverance from Error discussions concentrate on the performative nature of Ghazali?s writing and the way his intention erases the private self of the writer and gives the readers an account of the struggles of a Sufi believer on the way to Truth. Derrida?s Circumfession is shown to be a multilayer text in which Augustine?s Confessions, Bennington?s Derridabase, Derrida?s own interpretations of these texts and his own life as a text are written and rewritten as supplements of one another.
A narrative of the life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke and the eighteenth century English society
This thesis seeks to display the struggles of the women of eighteenth century England to have a profession, a self and a life of their own. Charlotte Charke?s autobiography portrays these problems in ways which are on the one hand very contemporary (depicting the psychology and the socio-cultural and economic concerns of its writer), on the other very traditional and dated since it follows the eighteenth century male autobiographical writing practices, reflecting the artistic, religious, class and sexual biases of its age. Accordingly, the thesis first discusses the important aspects of autobiographical writing. It is followed by a brief panorama of the autobiographical practices from its origins till the eighteenth century. Then, it seeks to examine the ways in which the socio-cultural events of mid-eighteenth century have changed Charke?s life and contributed to her self-fashioning and the self we find in her autobiography. The changes that are mentioned and discussed are: a redefinition of the middle class and middle class consciousness, the value given to arts and letters, the decline of royal patronage, how bookseller-publishers replace the aristocracy in financing literary productions, the way women are perceived in eighteenth century English society, the split between the public and private spheres, and the rising levels of literacy and its effects on the education of women. By giving such a lengthy discussion of the eighteenth century English society, the thesis hopes to highlight the significance of Charlotte Charke?s autobiography in displaying the struggles of the women of her society to have a respectable self and a profession through which they can survive.
Magical realism in Toni Morrison's Beloved and Song of Solomon
This thesis examines magical realism in literature and its reflections on Toni Morrison?s two novels Beloved and Song of Solomon. As an African-American writer whose aim is to represent the reality of black people in America, Morrison not only narrates the realistic events and people but also ghosts, magical characters and extraordinary events. Combining rational stories that are considered as the reflections of her American heritage and magical ones that are derived from her African heritage, the author narrates the reality of African-Americans from different aspects.In the first part of the thesis the history and meaning of magical realism is explored. Then the movement is compared with other literary movements such as; realism, postmodernism, surrealism and the fantastic. The second part seeks to prove that there are magical realist elements in Morrison?s novels. In order to display the realistic events that have been recorded or experienced and the supernatural characters, events and myths in Morrison?s novels, the books are observed in details. Moreover, the narration of Morrison and the important themes of her novels are also emphasized.Finally, this thesis explains how and why Morrison uses magical realism in her two novels and suggests that through magical realism the writer portrays the expanded reality of African-Americans that is not only realistic but also magical.
Samuel Beckett: A postmodern playwright of silence and negation
In this study, Samuel Beckett?s four plays, Waiting for Godot, Endgame, Krapp?s Last Tape and Not I, will be analyzed with a view to highlighting Beckett?s major concerns as a postmodern playwright. These plays were chosen on the grounds that they comprise the main themes of Beckett?s drama and illustrate how he subverts the norms and conventions of traditional drama in order to convey the plight of the modern man in a meaningless world that is devoid of stable values and that therefore resists any traditional interpretations. An in-depth analysis of Company and Stirrings Still will also be offered as these two particular prose works, written in the later period of Beckett?s career, shed light on his previous plays and fictional writings by `revisiting? them in numerous references and allusions.