Advanced Topics in Middle East & North African Studies (390-6-20)
Topic
Modern Turkish Literature
Instructors
Fahri Oz
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-420: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
This course focuses on the notion of the other in modern Turkish fiction from the early 20th century to nearly the present. The other can signify any categorization (based on differences in culture, ethnicity, religion, politics, gender, origin, social status, etc.) that individuals see as an anomaly or threat to their own established values and practices. Turkish literature, like any literature, teems with characters, themes, and narratives that portray and deal with the other, which also evokes the notion of identity. In short, this course deals with the way in which individuals see themselves and others in Turkish fiction. The questions one can ask are as follows: How and why characters treat each other as others? What problems does othering lead to? Do characters see othering as a problem at all? Do they take a step toward a solution? What is the author's position in and reaction to the othering portrayed in their work? Does the author see this as a perennial question, or to they treat this a problem that can be easily surmounted?
Teaching Method
Class discussion, presentations, group work.
Class Materials (Required)
-Three novels Noontime in Yenişehir (Sevgi Soysal), My Name is Red (Orhan Pamuk), and Bastard of Istanbul (Elif Shafak) will be available at Norris Center Bookstore.
- Short stories by Sait Faik, Oğuz Atay, and Murathan Mungan will be uploaded to Canvas page.
-The Turkish series "Ethos" and/or "The Club" on the Netflix.
Class Attributes
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area