The role of folk tales in transmitting ideology: Arzu and Kanber as an example [İdeolojinin aktariminda halk hikâyelerinin işlevi: Arzu ile Kanber örneǧi]

Abstract

The first phase of this study will dwell upon Arzu and Kanber, a folk tale rewritten by Bekir Si{dotless}tki{dotless} Kunt in 1940, with regard to the modern elements attached to the tale and how the main characters differ from the original story. Then, on the basis of these determinations, their relevancy to the republican ideology and compatibility with the desired ideals and to what extent they overlapped with the conditions of Turkey in that period will be considered by comparison with the concrete circumstances of the time. When the Republic of Turkey was founded on the grounds of several ideals and principles, the nation building process and making people to accept the new ideology of the state was among the crucial steps for the country as for most of the newly formed nation states. It was not as easy as expected for the people to interiorize these reforms. Benefitting from works of folk literature had been preferred by several states in the world as a method of making people to adopt the ruling discourse. The Turkish Minister for Interior Affairs' demand for several folk tales to be "modernized" in 1937 can be seen as an example in this respect. The reason of utilizing folk books for the dissemination of the reforms among the people was the fact that that they were very much appreciated by the people. It was expected that the people would interiorize the message given by the protagonist and would neither react to the changes in the plot nor to the behaviors of the character that are compatible with the regime. In this context certain folk tales preferred by the Ministry had been rewritten by the famous letter of men of that period.