Abstract:

Aşk-ı Memnu, which is accepted as the first “real” Turkish novel despite its not being the first one in terms of chronology, reminds a chess game in Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar’s words. Since focusing on a single character will cause an insufficient evaluation, it is very important to focus on the dynamics among the characters active in this chess game. The fact that Bihter, who has married Adnan Bey with the hope to get her dreams realized, inclines toward a forbidden love with Behlul but that she is betrayed by him results in her decision to commit suicide. No matter how prominent Bihter is due to her “tragic failure” in the novel, each character deserves analysis with his/her active and determining role in this process. In this respect, the novel will be analyzed from a psychoanalytic perspective and it will be attempted to get a comprehensive understanding about the dynamics which determine the characters’ lives.

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