Abstract
FROM THE EAST AND WEST OPPOSITION TO THE IDEAL WOMAN IN ÖMER SEYFETTIN’S STORY SPRING AND BUTTERFLIES
Ömer Seyfettin, who wrote works during the Second Constitutionalist Period when the problematic of “identity” was discussed most intensely in the Turkish literature, gathered very significant two oppositions (East and West) in the Turkish cultural history in his story “Spring and Butterflies” as a contrary value in the context of self-alienation.
The note “with New Language“ attached to the preface of “Spring and Butterflies” is the first story written by Ömer Seyfettin after the article New Language was published, has a warning emphasis in the language of the text. However, the thematic fiction examining the old woman (granny) who was selected to represent the past and the young girl (granddaughter) who was selected to represent the future in the story within the context of east-west opposition and suggesting that these two poles would not create a ‘new’ prototype in terms of ideal woman will be analyzed within the possibilities of textual linguistics.
The present study will try to answer how Ömer Seyfettin intends to depict the idealized woman type in his story “Spring and Butterflies” (Bahar ve Kelebekler) in reader’s mind, by taking into consideration the fact that he considered to name his novel as In Pursuit was expressed to plan to write in his journal and failed in writing that work.
Keywords
Ömer Seyfettin, Spring and Butterflies, East-West Opposition, Women’s Identity, Idealized Women Type