Ankara : Türk Edebiyatı Bölümü, İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent Üniv., 2014.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2014.Includes bibliographical references.Ahmet Mithat Efendi, one of the most prolific writers of the establishment
phase of modern literature, depicts an age of political and social transformation,
while also producing the first examples of novels and stories. In reflection of his
social responsibility consciousness, this writer discusses in his texts the necessity of
building a society according to neo-traditional forms, without departing from the
principle of “useful information”. Acknowledging the advantages of popularization
Ahmet Mithat Efendi takes advantage of opportunities provided by the media, in his
production of series of novels and stories which depict his view of ideal social order
and his conceptualization of modern identities for both men and women. Through
such works, and by using media as a channel, he aims to be accessible to all sectors
of society and share his views on ideal traditional-modern femininity – masculinity
forms. In other words, while reproducing tradition according to Western criteria, his
primary goal is to reorganize gender relations. Features of traditional narration
function as a vehicle for the author, onto which he transposes the images of men and
women who will lead society. Thus, Ahmet Mithat Efendi, aware of the limitations
of his contemporary readership and of traditional forms of narrative, inserted his
view of ideal gender roles into fictional texts. The writer employs humor for the
purpose of combining his view of a new social order with gender identity in his
literary texts. Humorous elements contribute both to constructing the text and to
determining an ideal gender perception; people and phenomena, though depicted in
humorous ways, display a social acceptance of gender roles. In this context, during
the Tanzimat period the behavior of the Ottoman citizen and readers’ perceptions of
gender identities are shaped according to Western norms Ahmet Mithat Efendi
promotes such influences within his fictional works of and he uses humor as a tool to
help convince his readership of his ideas.Kekeç, NuranM.S
