SHE IS NOT PURE ANYMORE: THE PURITY CONCEPT IN Ö. ZÜLFÜ LİVANELİ’S BLISS

Year 2024, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 61 - 83

Berivan Saltık

Abstract

This article focuses on the concept of female purity in the context of honour killings by exploring Turkish writer Ö. Zülfü Livaneli’s third novel Mutluluk (2002) / Bliss (2007) and by addressing the ways in which the discourses of purity and impurity are constructed in the narration. The classification systems which label the main character, Meryem, as both dirty and pure are examined by focusing on Meryem’s childish and feminine purity as well as her perceived impurity. Also, the ways in which Meryem’s supposed sexual impurity stains the family's honour and ultimately leads to an honour killing attempt are investigated. Through an analysis of different constructions of purity in Bliss, it is argued that Meryem’s purity or impurity is a matter of perception and that varying discourses of purity determine whether she is pure or not. This reading of Bliss helps us to make sense of different constructions of social norms and expectations according to certain discourses of purity. This article argues that Bliss provides depth and nuance to our understanding of how the notion of purity operates in the context of honor killings, while also demonstrating how literature can be a valuable tool to enhance our understanding of social phenomena.

Keywords

Female Purity, Honour Killings, Literary Analysis, Cultural Constructions

O ARTIK SAF DEĞİL: O. ZÜLFÜ LİVANELİ'NİN MUTLULUK ROMANINDA SAFLIK KAVRAMI

Abstract

Bu makale, Türk yazar O. Zülfü Livaneli’nin üçüncü romanı Mutluluk (2002) / Bliss (2007) üzerinden namus cinayetleri bağlamında kadın saflığı kavramına odaklanmakta ve anlatıda saflık ve kirlilik söylemlerinin nasıl inşa edildiğini ele almaktadır. Ana karakter Meryem’i hem kirli hem de saf olarak etiketleyen sınıflandırma sistemleri, Meryem’in çocuksu ve kadınsı saflığına ve algılanan kirliliğine odaklanılarak incelenmektedir. Ayrıca, Meryem’in varsayılan cinsel kirliliğinin aile onurunu nasıl lekelediği ve nihayetinde bir namus cinayetine teşebbüse nasıl yol açtığı araştırılmaktadır. Mutluluk’taki farklı saflık kurgularının analiziyle, Meryem’in saflığının ya da kirliliğinin bir algı meselesi olduğu ve değişen saflık söylemlerinin onun saf olup olmadığını belirlediği ileri sürülmektedir. Mutluluk’un bu okuması, belirli saflık söylemlerine göre toplumsal normların ve beklentilerin nasıl inşa edildiğini anlamamıza yardımcı olmaktadır. Bu makale, Mutluluk’un saflık kavramının namus cinayetleri bağlamında nasıl işlediğine dair anlayışımıza derinlik ve nüans kazandırırken aynı zamanda edebiyatın toplumsal olgulara dair anlayışımızı geliştirmede değerli bir araç olduğunu göstermektedir.

Keywords

Kadın Saflığı, Namus Cinayetleri, Edebi Analiz, Kültürel İnşa

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