Abstract:

The approach that “To write is to think” perceives the writers as the intellectuals of the society. Thus, the writers are the thought leaders of the society. Through their works, they put forward their assessments about “what should be lived through”, as well as the assessments regarding “what is being lived through”. As a female author at the beginning of the 20th century who is the first hand witness of the change and transition within the social life, Halide Edib, questions her place within the process. Through her works written during the early stages of her fiction-writing, the author specifically questions the woman who tries to attain a role within the social life and dilemmas of the society. It would be said that with these novels, the writer interprets and makes suggestions regarding the place of the Turkish women within the society. Therefore, it is signaled that the novels of Halide Edib could be read in order to trace the process of socialization of Turkish women and the problems they face; even, they could be assessed as social data. Having been acquainting with the readers with her first novel Heyula in 1909, the author wrote Raik’in Annesi (1909) Seviyye Talip (1910) Handan (1912), Yeni Turan (1910), Son Eseri (1910) during the early stages of her career. Ateşten Gömlek (1922) is starts of a new period for her fiction-writing. In these novels, via the female characters created, she discusses the women of her age who converse and take huge steps to be a part of the social life. The author’s women who gradually change from Seviye Talip and Macide, to Handan, from Handan to Kaya, from Kaya to Ayşe and who mature, renew and complete their defects as they change, reflect the adventure of socialization of the Turkish women who have been part of the modernization movement since the second half of the 19th century. In this paper, the female characters will be studied ranging from Seviye Talib, who is the first effective female character, to Ayşe, who reflects the great alteration in women; it will be emphasized that the female characters of the writer reflect the changes within the society about women and also it will be manifested that these novels are the projections of the Turkish women’s journey in joining the social life

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