A Marxist Critical Approach to Akabi Hikâyesi

Abstract

Akabi Hikâyesi is the first Turkish novel written with Armenian alphabet in 1851. It reflects understanding of art and social life of Tanzimat period by the love story of a couple who belong to different sects of the Armenian community. The main resource of Marxist criticism is dialectic method and correctly analysed history perception; it works with same principles while examining literary works. For that reason, it is accepted as the economic, political and social criticism of the society. Social structure, class distinction and clashing powers in society are measures of value for Marxist criticism and the text works as the “object” which concretizes the critics. In this article, Akabi Hikâyesi will be evaluated according to Marxist criticism by considering economic and social relationships. Economic conditions and the impact of religion on society are taken into consideration through the characters in novel. Moreover, the representative “types” are identified by analysing the interaction between economy and society. This article aims at analyzing the novel by Marxist critism; therefore the plot is not summarized and the points necessary for the analysis are discussed.