Department of English Language and Literature
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Browsing Department of English Language and Literature by Author "ARAS, Gökçen"
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Item A FOUCAULDIAN READING OF POWER POLITICS IN ANIMAL FARM AND LORD OF THE FLIES(2020-11-14) SALEH, Mohammed; TEKİN, Kuğu; ARAS, Gökçen; ALPAKIN MARTINEZ CARO, DürrinThis thesis explores the relations of power and politics as represented in George Orwell’s Animal Farm and in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies with reference to the philosophy of Michel Foucault. In both novels, power is an evident source of gaining political advantage over the others. Both Napoleon and Jack rely on “repressive power” to be superior. They either suppress or destroy all the entities in their distinct communities who resist against the hierarchical order. They create a totalitarian system that treats its subjects as puppets. Both Napoleon and Jack rule their communities through fear, and that fear is made up of death threats. On the other hand, Foucault describes another superior form of power, named “normalized power,” which suggests that in order to be assertive, one does not have to use power. This form of power puts certain groups under countless rules and laws and implants them into the group members’ minds as early as childhood. Individuals accept to obey these rules and laws willingly without judging or questioning them. Thus, a superior form of power is created. This power is governed by different systems that enforce these laws on those who are beneath it. The police, who directly enforce those laws, or teachers who indirectly enforce them by teaching these laws might be given as examples. Normalized power offers a more balanced system that ensures those who are subject to it will not revolt. The two novels that are selected to study in this thesis indicate that the systems that use repression alone are imbalanced and likely to end up in revolt. Both novels convey the reactions of those who are subject to the cruel treatment of power-holders. Indeed, both Orwell and Golding emphasize the fact that by using either normalized or repressive power, the system manages to keep the ruled ones under strict control.Item DIASPORIC IDENTITIES OF IMMIGRANTS IN ANDREA LEVY’S SMALL ISLAND AND NADEEM ASLAM’S MAPS FOR LOST LOVERS(2021-11-03) ÇALIŞ, Sıla; ARAS, GökçenThe purpose of this thesis is to explore the impact of migration on the construction of identity and belonging with reference to Andrea Levy’s Small Island (2004) and Nadeem Aslam’s Maps for Lost Lovers (2004) through the analysis of Caribbean and Asian characters in a diaspora context. After the years following the Second World War, there was a large-scale immigration movement of people from ex colonies to Britain who, having served in the war effort or having been raised under the illusions of British colonial education. The underlying idea behind the mindset of immigrants was arriving at the “mother country”; a country that was welcoming them; a country idealised in the colonial imagination as a land of dream. As the members of a diasporic community begin to live in an “imaginary homeland” away from their country of origin, they encounter cultural, physical and psychological displacement in the host country, as a consequence of which they suffer the pangs of alienation and the pangs of lost home. In addition to the problematic relationship with a new land, they feel caught between the indigenous customs of their homeland and those of the motherland. They, thus try to find meaning for themselves in the values of a foreign culture in a diaspora space. Therefore, this thesis examines the literary representations of black and Asian immigrants who strive for asserting a sense of identity as well as securing a sense of belonging in Britain. The study deals with how diasporic identity and belonging are not pre-given or fixed but rather, are something always in constant processes of re/definition, re/construction and change.Item REPRESENTATION OF MIGRANT EXPERIENCE IN SAM SELVON’S THE LONELY LONDONERS (1956), TAYEB SALIH’S SEASON OF MIGRATION TO THE NORTH (1966), AND HANIF KUREISHI’S THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA (1990)(2020-11-02) TAKVA, Serdar; ARAS, GökçenThis dissertation aims at reflecting how migrants are otherized, alienated and finally, forced to have fragmented identities, who are neither Western nor Eastern. The study discusses migrant experience in Sam Selvon’s, Tayeb Salih’s and Hanif Kureishi’s postcolonial novels in the light of postcolonial theory mainly, Fanonian perspective. European imperialism, as a systematic idea for exploiting other nations, emerged almost in the fifteenth century through colonial interests. European Powers, claiming that they would civilize the others, enslaved non-western communities, prospered accordingly, and dominated the worldwide economy. Among the imperial powers, Great Britain has been the most influential in the history of imperialism. The colonial activities of Britain began in the Elizabethan period, peaked in the nineteenth century and continued till the second part of the twentieth century. It has subjugated lots of nations from Caribbeans, Africa and Asia and played a prominent role in their economies, politics and cultures. As a result of losing its hegemonic idea in the aftermath of the Second World War, the communities from ex-colonies have started to immigrate to Britain, mainly to London to have better jobs and education because of the political and economic upheavals in their countries. Such migratory flows described as the “colonization in reverse” have changed the sociocultural structure of Britain and it has swiftly turned into a multiracial country. While migrants hope to be accepted by the motherland, western ideological perception of the other has not changed so the commonwealth has been exposed to othering policies after the mass emigration in the postcolonial epoch.Item THE EFFECTS OF TOTALITARIANISM AS REFLECTED IN WILLIAM GOLDING’S LORD OF THE FLIES, GEORGE ORWELL’S ANIMAL FARM AND NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR(2015-06-25) ÖZÇELİK, Kaya; ARAS, GökçenThe purpose of this thesis is to analyse the development of totalitarianism and its detrimental effects like dehumanisation and social unrest that shatter the unity of society in three basic forms as reflected in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (1953), George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). Totalitarianism, together with “Fascism”, in the twentieth century can be confined to the period between 1922 and 1975. It starts with Mussolini; is followed by Hitler and Stalin, then ends with the death of Franco. Of these dictators, while Mussolini, Hitler and Franco are regarded as both fascist and totalitarian leaders, Stalin is accepted as just a totalitarian leader. “Totalitarianism” is described as a form of government that exerts absolute and centralised control over the all aspects of its citizens through the abuse of power and ideals; manipulation and indoctrination; fear and terror to bring about nothing but destruction, or loss of ideals. It was during this period that individuals were dehumanised to great extent by being deprived of freedom of speech and thought in every aspect, and the concept of a state “a state for its citizens” was changed as “citizens for the state” to impose restrictions or bans for their interests. It was during the rule of totalitarians that all ideals promising peace were abused to claim the rule, terror and fear factors were resorted to secure a totalitarian at the expense of millions of deaths. In these novels, William Golding and George Orwell criticise how totalitarianism was established, and maintained by fear, manipulation and terror in the twentieth century. This thesis consists of an introduction, five main chapters and a conclusion. In the introduction part, the scope of “Totalitarianism” in Twentieth Century English novel has been examined in the light of the views of critics.