MARY SHELLEY’NİN FRANKENSTEIN ROMANINDA DONKİŞOTVARİ İDEALİZM VE AHLAKİ ÇÜRÜME

Year 2021, , 248 - 256, 31.12.2021

Cenk Tan

https://doi.org/10.37999/udekad.947076

Abstract

Mary Shelley’nin Frankenstein ya da Modern Prometheus eseri 19. yüzyılın ve spekülatif kurgunun en çok bilinen romanlarından biridir. Roman, insan deneyiminin derinliklerine doğru felsefi bir yolculuğu temsil etmektedir. Romanın çeşitli tema ve meselelerle odaklandığı halde, bu araştırma temel olarak Frankenstein’da Donkişotluk ve Donkişotvari idealizm kavramlarını ele almaktadır. Makalenin temel amacı, metne yapılan göndermelerle, Victor Frankenstein’ın Donkişotvari idealizminin ahlak dışı eylemler aracılığıyla ahlakı nasıl ortadan kaldırdığını ve bunun karakterin çöküşüne yol açtığını açığa çıkarmaktır. Makalenin kuramsal çerçevesinde Donkişotluk kavramı, Cervantes’in zamana meydan okuyan romanı, Don Kişot’a yapılan referanslarla irdelenmektedir. Don Kişot’a ek olarak, Kant’ın ahlak anlayışı, düşünürün “koşulsuz buyruk” kavramına yapılan vurgu ile incelenmektedir. Bu bağlamda, araştırma Victor Frankenstein’ın Donkişotluğunu Don Kişot figürü ile karşılaştırarak pek çok benzerlik gözlemlemekte ve eşdeğer karakterler olarak, her iki kişiliğin eylemlerinin ahlaki kaygılardan yoksun oldukları sonucuna varılmaktadır. Sonuç olarak makale, irrasyonellik ve ahlak dışılığın, Donkişotvari idealizmin birer sonucu olduklarını ve bu sonucun felakete yol açtığını dışa vurmaktadır.

Keywords

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Donkişotvari İdealizm, Ahlaki Çürüme, Immanuel Kant

QUIXOTIC IDEALISM AND MORAL DECAY IN MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN

Abstract

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus is one of the most celebrated novels of the 19th century and of speculative fiction. The novel represents a philosophical journey to the inner depths of the human experience. While the novel focuses on a variety of issues and themes, this study mainly deals with the notion of “Quixotism” and “Quixotic idealism” in Frankenstein. This article’s main purpose is to reveal, with specific references to the text, how Victor Frankenstein’s quixotic idealism destroys morality by engaging into immoral acts and eventually leading to his catastrophic downfall. In the theoretical framework, the notion of quixotism is elaborated with references to Cervantes’ timeless novel, Don Quixote. In addition to quixotism, Kantian morality is presented with emphasis on the philosopher’s concept of “the categorical imperative”. To this end, the study compares Victor Frankenstein’s quixotism to Don Quixote’s and observing many resemblances, it draws the conclusion that both are equivalent characters whose actions are void of moral concerns. Finally, the article also aims to expose that irrationality and immorality are the consequences of quixotic idealism which result in disastrous consequences.

Keywords

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Quixotic Idealism, Moral Decay, Immanuel Kant

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