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OVERVIEW OF WOMEN AND FEMINIST THOUGHT AT THE YOUNG TURKS NOVEL OF AHMET MİTHAT EFENDİ
Tanzimat (restructuring) periods forbearing novelist Ahmet Mithat Efendi, wrote his novels with social benefit principal in mind rather than literature related and esthetic concerns. For this reason, he covered new subjects for his period and issues that haven’t been surfaced or discussed before to inform and educate public. Author’s “Jon Turk” novel written in 1910 after the second Mesrutiyet (reform) covers multiple subjects and includes educational and informative messages to the society he was a member of. Especially with the modernization period after the Tanzimat and change in life and thinking styles enabled women to get front role in life, as a result this reflected in the novels. Women’s value in society, their education, upbringing, and roles in the family became subject the novels. In addition during this period, women rights and feminism issues got a little in to the novels; artists used novels to express their ideas about these issues.
In this article, with Jon Turk novel societies view on women and feminism, which was a new subject for that period, will be discussed. By emphasizing women’s role in society and family, their upbringing, and education how they were placed in the novel was discussed. In line with the women theme, issues such as family and marriage will be covered and women’ clothing and makeup and religious head covering will be discussed. By taking the novel as starting point feminism view point was explained and from the novelist’s perspective background of this view point was provided. Women rights were also covered based on the novels view point on feminism. Last but not least, novel was critiqued based on the period and societies view during that period.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Ahmet Mithat Efendi, Jon Turk novel, women, feminism, family