20th Century Turkish Literature 1: UG Course: SOAS

20th Century Turkish Literature 1

Course Code:: 155900745
Status:: Course Not Running 2013/14
Unit value:: 1 unit
Year of study:: Year 2 or Year 3

This course introduces students to the development of modern Turkish literature from the late Ottoman period through the 1950s. Works from both the Ottoman and early republican periods, through to the multi-party era of the 1950s are studied with relationship to the establishment of national culture and the Turkish republic. Specifically, the course looks at how modern literature through the 1950s participated in imagining the Turkish nation-state and envisioned modern society through concepts, for example, of egalitarianism, liberty and Turkish national identity.

Prerequisites

Adequate level of Turkish to read literary works in the original.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

The objectives of the course are:

to introduce students to the analysis and evaluation of literature with regards to developments in the modern Turkish national and cultural spheres
to provide students with powers of textual analysis and critical arguments so that they begin to approach different creative and critical formulations of modern Turkish society and history
to offer students a framework of understand how the main literary genres have emerged
to provide students with important analytical skills of literary studies such as close reading, thematic analysis and basic literary studies terminology

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

evaluate and analyse the intellectual history surrounding the development of modern Turkish literature until the 1950s
apply a range of critical and theoretical approaches to the textual analysis and interpretation of specific texts from Turkih literature
analyse and interpret specific works of Turkish literature against the socio-historical and cultural context of the time in which the works were produced, as well as against present day academic contexts
evaluate the role of literature in Turkish society and culture
demonstrate critical insight into the formation of the literary canon both within the nation-state and post-national contexts

Workload

Total of 22 weeks of teaching with 2 hours classroom contact per week.

Scope and syllabus

The development of the main genres of the period is studied with particular reference to major writers of the period like Halide Edib Adivar, Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, and Orhan Kemal. Works from Nazim Hikmet and the Garip school are examples of some of the poetry which will be closely studied. The emergence of Köy Edebiyatı and the social impact of this type of literature are particularly emphasized for its literary, social and national significance.

Method of assessment

One written examination in May-June (80% of the final mark); two essays of approximately 2,500 word each, due on the last day of term 2 and the first day of Term 3 respectively (together 20%).

SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Department of the Languages and Cultures of the Near and Middle East