Spiritual Growth in Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End

Year 2021, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 107 - 121, 29.06.2021

Seda Pekşen

https://doi.org/10.47777/cankujhss.941095

Abstract

The relationships between all human and non-human characters in Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End can be analysed as that of parents and their offspring, which, in return, will bring forth the contention that all these characters, including humanity in the broadest sense, can be considered children in a never-ending process of growth. Though such a contention stems from the similarities between the attitude of children and adults in the relationship of each with their own literal or figurative parents, contrastingly it is also enhanced by the differences of perspective between children and adults. The use of the words “children” and “adults” here should not be taken solely in their literal sense, but as referring to the characters’ position in each particular relationship. In that sense, “children” would refer not only to actual human children in their relationship with their human parents, but also to the adult human characters in their relationship with God/the alien Overlords/the Overmind/the Universe. The aim here is to offer an in-depth analysis of these relationships between humans as children of the universe and the Overlords as their guides towards the path of spiritual growth, as well as to portray the current relevance of this science-fiction novel which was first published in 1953.

Keywords

Arthur C. Clarke, childhood, growth, spirituality, Buddhism

Arthur C. Clarke’ın Çocukluğun Sonu Romanında Ruhsal Büyüme

Abstract

Arthur C. Clarke’ın Çocukluğun Sonu romanında insan ya da uzaylı tüm karakterler arasındaki ilişkileri bir ebeveyn-çocuk ilişkisi bağlamında ele almak mümkündür ve böyle bir bakış açısı tüm bu karakterlerin ve en geniş anlamıyla insanlığın hiç bitmeyen bir büyüme sürecindeki çocuklar olarak değerlendirilebilecekleri tartışmasını beraberinde getirecektir. Böylesi bir tartışmanın kaynağı hem çocukların hem de yetişkinlerin kendi gerçek ya da simgesel ebeveyn figürleriyle ilişkilerindeki tavırlarında gözlenen benzerlik olsa da çocuklarla yetişkinlerin bakış açılarındaki farklılıkların da bu tartışmaya katkısı olduğunu söylemek mümkündür. Buradaki “çocuk” ve “yetişkin” ifadeleri yalnızca sözlük anlamlarıyla değil, bir karakterin belli bir ilişki içindeki konumu bağlamında anlaşılmalıdır. Bu bağlamda “çocuk” ifadesi yalnızca yetişkin bir insanın ebeveynlik ettiği çocuğu değil; Tanrı, uzaylı Efendiler, Üstbilinç ve evren ile ilişkileri içerisinde yetişkin insanları da kapsayacaktır. Burada amaç evrenin çocukları olarak insanlık ile onlara ruhsal büyümeleri esnasında kılavuzluk eden Efendiler arasındaki ilişkileri ayrıntılı olarak inceleyerek, ilk basımı 1953’de yapılmış olan bu bilim kurgu romanının insanlığın güncel durumu ile ilgisini gözler önüne sermektir.

Keywords

Arthur C. Clarke, çocukluk, büyüme, ruhsal büyüme, Budizm

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