Browsing by Subject "Turkish wit and humor."

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Open Access
Ahmet Mithat Efendi'de mizahın toplumsal cinsiyeti
(2014) Kekeç, Nuran
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.
Open Access
Lehçetü`l Hakayık`ta mizah söylemi
(2006) Yıldırım, Tuğba
Âlî Bey (1846-1899), who was known by the name of “Director” during his lifetime, is a writer of humor who published several journalistic articles, plays, adaptations, a short story, and travel notes. With his works during the Tanzimat period, Âlî Bey is a pioneer of novelty in the changing understanding of humor. In this study, the discourse of humor represented by Âlî Bey’s dictionary titled Lehcetü’l Hakâyık (The Language of Truth) is investigated in two main sections under the titles of “The Structure and Content of the Discourse of Humor” and “The Analysis of the Discourse of Humor”. The first section contains the subsections in which “Dictionary Studies and the Understanding of Humor Prior to Lehcetü’l Hakâyık” and “Features of the Text” are investigated. The first section of the thesis discusses the place of this dictionary within the traditions of humor and dictionary writing in Ottoman literature, analyzes Âlî Bey’s dictionary in terms of these genres, and exposes in depth the content of dictionary. The second section of the thesis, which is titled “The Analysis of the Discourse of Humor” contains the following subsections: “The Unique Aspects of Being Human and Human Behavior”, “Relationships between Women and Men”, “Political and Social Discourse about the Ottoman Empire”, and “Other Entries”. Under the title of “The Unique Aspects of Being Human and Human Behavior” entries relating to verbal, mental, and bodily aspects of being human are explicated. Under the title of “Relationships between Women and Men” the entries relating to women and men are discussed. Under the title of “Political and Social Discourse about the Ottoman Empire” issues relating to political and social life are examined. “Other Entries” discusses those subjects that are not considered under previous classifications. In Lehcetü’l Hakâyık, Âlî Bey satirically responds to those subjects that reflect human thought and behavior, relationship between women and men, the daily and political life of the Ottoman Empire, and the cultural background of his period. Considering humor as a critical weapon, he cleverly redefines the platitudes, thus showing the “irony of truth”.