An Unknow Story of Ali Ekrem Bolayır: Te’ehhül
Cemile OdunkıranThe name of Ali Ekrem Bolayır is known for many reasons. He was Namık Kemal’s son, a palace clerk and a writer for Servet-i Fünun. He wrote works in many genres, including poetry, theater, memoirs, and stories. His story “Te’ehhül” was found by us in the Osman Ergin collection of the Atatürk Library (under the record Bel_Mtf_ 070715). This piece was written during the Servet-i Fünun period. In his earlier stories, Ali Ekrem’s main themes were the importance of family institution, the ideal marriage model, and childhood education. Here, the general emphasis falls on how marriage should be, and life experience before marriage is emphasized. In “Te’ehhül,” the idea that the family as an institution cannot be established as a result of others’ decisions is emphasized, and the writer places his own determinations and suggestions in the text. In addition, this story, written in relation to the understanding of language and thought seen in the Servet-i Fünun community with which Ali Ekrem is affiliated, is written in the author’s hand and shows word and composition preferences. The main purpose of this study can is to transfer correctly the story text to the novel alphabet and present it to the readers’ use, additionally performing a textual analysis that emphasizes the general characteristics of and references in the story.
Ali Ekrem Bolayır’ın Bilinmeyen Bir Hikâyesi: Te’ehhül
Cemile OdunkıranAli Ekrem Bolayır, Namık Kemal’in oğlu, Saray kâtibi ve Servet-i Fünûn topluluğuna mensup olması gibi önemli vasıflara sahip bir isimdir. Edebiyatın şiir, tiyatro, hatıra, hikâye gibi birçok türünde eserler kaleme almıştır. Sonuna eklenen tarihten, yazarının Servet-i Fünûn topluluğu içerisinde yer aldığı dönemde yazıldığı, fakat yayımlanmadığı anlaşılan Te’ehhül isimli hikâyesi, İ.B.B. Atatürk Kitaplığı Osman Ergin koleksiyonu içerisinde (Bel_Mtf_ 070715 kaydıyla) tarafımızca tespit edilmiştir. Ali Ekrem’in daha önce yazdığı hikâyelerinde ana temalar aile kurumunun önemi, ideal evlilik modeli ve çocuk eğitimi şeklinde sıralanabilir. Bu hikâyede de genel olarak evliliğin nasıl gerçekleşmesi gerektiği üzerinde durulmuş ve evlilik öncesi deneyime vurgu yapılmıştır. Hikâyede yazarın yer yer kendi tespit ve telkinlerini metne ikame etmesi ile aile kurumunun başkalarının kararı sonucunda oluşturulamayacağı fikri vurgulanmaktadır. Ayrıca Ali Ekrem’in bağlı bulunduğu Servet-i Fünûn topluluğunun dil ve düşünce anlayışına paralel bir şekilde kaleme alınan bu hikâye, yazarın el yazısı ile yazılmış olması ve birtakım kelime-terkip tercihlerini göstermesi hasebiyle de önemli görünmektedir. Bu çalışmada temel amaç hikâye metninin doğru bir biçimde yeni harflere aktarılarak okuyucunun istifadesine sunulması, bununla beraber hikâyenin genel karakteristiği ve göndermeleri üzerinde durularak bir metin incelemesi yapılması şeklinde ifade edilebilir.
Ali Ekrem Bolayır was the son of Namık Kemal, one of the best-known writers of the Tanzimat period. He was influential during the period of Servet-i Fünun, which formed an important threshold in Turkish literature, due in part to the literary legacy he received from his father. During this period, he wrote works in various genres, including poems, essays, monographs, and stories. He also worked in Secretariat of the Mabeyin, an important state function under the Ottoman Empire. The main features of Ali Ekrem’s stories can be seen to be the life of people in need of help, the negative consequences of alcohol addiction, the family, and marriage questions, and the importance of childhood education. Themes related to family and marriage took a particularly large place. The story “Teehül,” which we identified under the reference number Bel_Mtf_070715 in the Osman Ergin collection of Atatürk Library, focuses on these issues.
In “Te’ehhül,” the main character, Azmi, is a young man who has just graduated from school. His mother wants him to marry someone. However, his mind remains focused on the education he has just completed, and he displays inexperience in the face of the realities of life. His emotional stance is presented through intense depictions in the story. Azmi meets his friend Rıfkı later in the story and discusses his mother’s insistence on marriage. Rıfkı on says that it is still early to think about marriage, and says that he is inexperienced with women. Following this thought, he decides to take his friend to Beyoğlu, an Istanbul district. The story tells of the house of a woman named Sarı Mama in Beyoğlu. Azmi’s first experience with a woman is with Katina, who works at this house. He becomes a regular at the house for a while. Later, when he finds out that Katina is pregnant with someone else’s child, he feels reverence for her motherhood. Azmi, feeling strong emotions, goes to his mother and agrees to be married, which is to take place after about a month. During the henna night, his friend Rıfkı’s words about the healthier family he will establish as a result of his experience recur, and this seems to show the main theme of the story.
The history of the story, as recorded by the author (12/19/1898), indicates that it was written during the Servet-i Fünun period and gives us important analytical clues. This story reflects the language perceptions of the literary community to which its author was a member in its preference for ornamental language, except in dialog. Characterization includes long descriptions of spirit worlds and lives, and the characters speak in a style appropriate to their social status and ethnic identity. Premarital experience and the idea that a solid family can be established on this basis are important points highlighted in the story.
The character traits given in “Te’ehhül” and the analysis of the cases show a number of characteristics parallel to the life of the author, Ali Ekrem. As a young graduate, Azmi’s idealistic and respectable side is emphasized, along with his inexperience. Here it is clear that the author is an important proponent of the ornate language exhibited in Servet-i Fünun. Another notable point on this story is that the author interrupts the flow of the text to present his own view. This tendency is technically at odds with that of the modern understanding of story.
This study was performed to introduce this work written with the author’s hand-writing from Arabic alphabet to the new Turkish alphabet. A secondary aim is to determine the location of the text in relation to the period in which the text was written and views of its author Ali Ekrem, along with the presentation of some references. A facsimile of the text in the library collection has also been added to the end of the study, along with the story text, and an opportunity to observe the author’s work was provided.
