Peyami Safa’s Novels and the Characters in the Novel Characters as a Domain of the Reflection of Mentality

Abstract

Mentality is the sum of commonly perceived beliefs, thoughts and habits by members of a social group. In Peyami Safa's characters, there is a clash between feelings, thoughts and moral values making up the Turkish mentality versus the one of Western origin. The writer pictures the mentality of his women characters by their practical behaviours and elements composing the material culture. The intellectual men of the novels are directed towards a conscious imagining concerning mentality, while the western preferences of women in mentality leads them to alienation. The male characters combining eastern and western values take some consequences concerning the attitude ofwomen. While the writer first takes up the mentality clashes from a social and psychological point of view in Matmazel Noraliya'nın Koltuğu and Yalnızız, he then adds a spiritualistic dimension. This is turn, enrichens his literary works.