Ankara : Türk Edebiyatı Bölümü, Bilkent Üniversitesi, 2009.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2009.Includes bibliographical references leaves 100-104.This study focuses on the characters in 19th century Ottoman-Turkish novels,
particularly on their role as book readers. Twenty-five novels by Ahmed Midhat,
Fatma Aliye, Hüseyin Rahmi and Halid Ziya are primarily considered in analyzing
the “reader profile”. The characters are examined from several perspectives; whether
they are male or female, positive or negative, “eastern” or “western” oriented, and
superficial or thorough readers. The analyses made by the author-narrator as to why
these characters read or why they should read are studied in detail. The authors’
views on literature and culture are interpreted through the evaluation of the
relationship between the characters and the books they read.
All four authors mentioned above feature their reader characters in their
novels in different patterns and for different reasons. Ahmed Midhat creates a reader
in almost all his novels in order to promote readership in the population including
women and presents his “ideal reader” image. This design continues in Fatma
Aliye’s work, only this author focuses more on women characters to highlight her
views on women’s education. It is observed that Hüseyin Rahmi opposes such
idealization and brings forth a critical approach to the “ideal reader” image. It is
concluded that his satirical style breaks the trend to view books as sources of object
lessons. Halid Ziya joins Hüseyin Rahmi in the critical approach toward images of
“book” and “reader”, since the characters in his novels criticize the press and literary
circles of those times. It is demonstrated that in addition to his predecessors, Halid
Ziya chooses to use them more as problematic ones.Bitik, BaşakM.S
