A Comparative Study of Jane Austen and Fatma Aliye’s Novels Around the Theme of “Love”

Abstract

Jane Austen, who became the first female novelist of her country with the novels she wrote in English literature in the first quarter of the 19th century, and Fatma Âliye, who lived in the last quarter of the same century and became the first female novelist of Turkish literature, are female writers from different geographies. However, this geographical distance does not prevent the two female writers from meeting at many points. Both female artists do not accept the conditions that life offers them as boundaries and question the validity of the image drawn for them by their era. This questioning pushes them to create a space of their own and to take over the “pen”, whose field of action has been under male domination for centuries. For this purpose, they find it appropriate to express women and everything that belongs to them by blending their daily life adventures with their imaginary universes and turning them into novels. The main reason why the two female artists, who grew up without knowing each other, come together on many grounds is that the common sensitivity and purpose are presented with the accompaniment of a female pen. In addition to the points of agreement seen in their life stories, their positions on the literary plane and the content of their literary works also contain some similarities. For instance, when the novels they wrote are compared in terms of their form and content, it is noticed that more than one common theme meets. When a perspective that focuses on these themes is observed, it is seen that the ways in which “love”, which is at the forefront of individual themes and especially concerns women writers, is handled overlap. Both novelists prioritize the theme of love in all the novels they wrote, adopt similar attitudes and use this theme in their fiction. This situation necessitates the evaluation of Jane Austen and Fatma Âliye’s novels within the framework of the theme of “love” and the presentation of common aspects. In this context, the study compares Jane Austen and Fatma Âliye’s novels written around the theme of love in terms of their content features. With this comparison, the common elements in the love-centered novels of both artists were identified and compiled. While conducting this review, all of Jane Austen and Fatma Âliye’s novels were identified, and one of the unfinished novels of the two artists was also included in the study in order to provide integrity. The theme of “love”, which has become a subject of study in novels, includes a multifaceted scope. This theme, which is present in the novels of the two artists, takes its place as a lens that reflects the emotional and intellectual worlds of the writers as well as shedding light on the social issues of their time. Thus, an individual issue addressed through the novels takes its place in the novels as a phenomenon that reveals the social aspects of the period as well as reflecting feminine sensitivity. Therefore, while determining the theme of love in the works throughout the study, it is also aimed to conduct a comparative study of both English and Turkish literature.

Citation: Görhan, Cemile (2025). “A Comparative Study of Jane Austen and Fatma Aliye’s Novels Around the Theme of “Love””, Erdem, December, Issue:89, pp. 93-116