FRENCH AND TURKISH WOMAN WRITERS IN THE XXth CENTURY (1900-1945)

Abstract

In this article, the author deals with French and Turkish women writers of the first half of the XXthcentury. The study of this period has shown that French women writers such as Anna de Nouailles,Colette and Simone Weil were completely free in their professional and private lives. There arealso others female writers like Rachilde and Renée Vivien who could express their homosexualtendencies. As for the Turkish writers, troubled by the war and timidly liberated afterwardsthanks to the Revolution of Mustafa Kemal, they also started to live in freedom in their politicaland professional lives and proved their knowledge and talents in scientific, political and artisticendeavours. In this framework, Halide Edip Adıvar, Emine Semiye and Nezihe Muhittin weresubjects of the author’s research. While some of the Turkish male writers dealt with the themeof sexual liberation in their novels, issues on sexual freedom were totally absent in the works of Turkish women writers. The marginality that specified a sensual liberation and freedom, particular choices in sexual life for the French writers had a very different meaning for the Turkish ones. In their case, this word is used to draw attention to their political attitude and literary activities, which were a bright sign of liberty and marginality in the Turkish society