Yabancılaşma Kavramı Ekseninde Vüs’at O. Bener ve Dost Hikâyesi
Cemile OdunkıranYabancılaşma kavramı, çağlar içindeki gerçeklik algısı ve sanat arasındaki etkileşimin bir sonucu olarak modernleşen toplumlarda bireylerin kendi öz değerlerinden uzaklaşmasını, kopuşunu ifade etmektedir. Bu uzaklaşmanın boyutları toplumsal, sosyolojik yahut psikolojik anlamda irdelenebilir. Yabancılaşmanın bizim edebiyatımıza yansıması ise özellikle 1950 sonrasına tekâbül etmektedir. Vüs’at O. Bener bahsettiğimiz bu kopuşun 1950 kuşağı içerisinde en açık şekilde gözlemlendiği hikâyecilerindendir. Başka edebî türlerde de eserler kaleme almasına karşın onun hikâyeleri, yazar için romanlarına geçişte önemli bir basamak teşkil etmeleri ve yabancılaşma kavramına ilişkin yoğun veriler içermeleri hasebiyle dikkati çekmektedir. Bu çalışmanın ekseninde yer alan Dost hikâyesi ise yazarın ilk eseridir ve yabancılaşma konusunda yorumlar yapmamıza yeteri kadar müsait bir yapıdadır. Çalışmada yabancılaşmanın tarihsel evrelerine değinilmiş, daha sonra Dost hikâyesi ve içerdiği karakterler üzerinden birtakım çıkarımlar yapılmıştır.
Vüs’at O. Bener and Dost in the Context of the Concept of Alienation
Cemile OdunkıranThe concept of alienation refers to the detachment and detachment of individuals from their own values in modernized societies as a result of the interaction between the perception of reality and art in the ages. The dimensions of this divergence can be examined socially, sociologically or psychologically. The reflection of alienation on our literature especially corresponds to the post-1950s. Vüs'at O. Bener is one of the storytellers that this divergence we mentioned was most clearly observed in the 1950 generation. Although he writes works in other literary genres, his stories are remarkable because they constitute an important step in the transition to his novels and contain excess data on the concept of alienation. The story of Dost, which is at the centre of this study is the first work of the author and has a structure which is suitable for us to make comments about alienation. In the study, the historical stages of alienation are mentioned; later, some inferences have been made on the story of Dost and the characters it contains.
Alienation is a versatile concept that is used in a wide range of subjects from philosophy to psychology, from sociology to economics. This concept is a character that should be considered together with the perception of reality changing throughout the ages. In the Middle Ages there is a perception of reality that is representative of balance and harmony in a theological way and found its worth in works such as Dante's Divine Comedy. In the east, the style of the Quran was centered and the narrative styles suitable for the Quran were adopted. However, with the prominence of science and technique in the Age of Enlightenment, the perception of reality evolved to take science from theology to the fore. With the prominence of positivism, the mind was exalted and the works in which the cause-effect relationship prevailed. In the first period novel examples in Turkish Literature, it seems possible to trace this situation. However, especially in the 20th century, the perception of reality, which accepted the leadership of reason, began to be destroyed. Modernization has revealed some symptoms in society after the developments and changes that the human mind cannot encompass. With the inability to reach the world outside of itself and the loss of control mechanisms, the situation has become alienated to its own reality. This situation has undoubtedly been reflected in literary works, and the old harmonious, regular narratives have been replaced by pieces that have lost their linearity in the context of time.
The modernization process in Turkish literature was not realized in the natural historical flow as in the West, but with some artificial interventions. In this context, the psychology of not being able to catch up with the West has been the main subject of the literary works after the Tanzimat. The concept of alienation, which is closely related to individualization, also began to sprout in this phase. Later, although there were some independent individualization efforts, tendencies such as the dominant literary view and highlighting social issues completely blocked the way of autonomy. However, after this stage, the concept of alienation in the modern sense emerges and becomes clear, especially after the 1950s. Existentialism, which reflects the uneasy, unhappy and hopeless psychologies of individuals after the Second World War, also began to show itself in this stage in Turkish literature. Likewise, surrealism is one of the prominent currents of this universe. In this sense, literary schools, which offer different approaches to poetry as İkinci Yeni does, are among the important thresholds that should be mentioned. In this way, the reception of the truth has changed and the narratives, in which the contribution of the reader is taken into consideration, have become meaningful. And as a result, content that is loaded with polyphonic, rich connotations and where we can read the inner world and the crisis of the individual has emerged.
Vüs'at O. Bener, the author of Dost story, which is at the center of our work, has written many works that are full of rich associations, multi-layered in terms of meaning and intensely dealing with the inner world of the characters. Known for his pessimism and restless atmospheres in the literary world, the author offers researchers rich content in the context of alienation.
Dost, the first story he wrote, is an important narrative in this sense. Although the language of the story is quite plain and the expressions are clear, the atmosphere it presents to the reader is quite blurred. There are three characters in the story that we examined in the context of alienation. The alienation of Niyazi Bey, who is in an intellectual position among others, is felt very intensely. He does not feel that he belongs to the town he is in; in a view that belittles the people around him. The second character, Kasap Ali, is presented as the friend of the main character and a friend whom he socializes with through drinking. He is a very rude person and constantly humiliates his wife. His wife Naciye wants to get rid of him at the first opportunity and marry Niyazi Bey. She even ignores her children for this marriage. However, Niyazi Bey, who approaches her only with sexual urges at night, does not want to marry a woman like her. As you can see, these three characters we mentioned are foreign to themselves. These are the types that cannot be compromised with their current situation and are constantly restless and unsatisfied. Also, these three characters do not have enough power to take any steps to change the conditions they do not accept and compromise, as we mentioned in our study. This is nothing more than reification and feelings of helplessness, which is one of the important symptoms of the individual alienated in the modernizing world.