Orhan Pamuk’un İstanbul ve Mo Yan’ın Kızıl Darı Tarlaları Eserlerinde Mekânın Etkisi

Abstract

It is evident that the works of Orhan Pamuk and Mo Yan—authors from Turkish and Chinese modern literatures who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006 and 2012, respectively—are deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of their hometowns, from which they derive a unique literary geography. In a broader sense, "hometown" functions as a spatial concept. According to the available literature, there is a relative scarcity of comparative studies focusing on spatial representations in the works of these two writers, both in Turkey and in China. Therefore, the topic of this thesis possesses a clear research potential.

This thesis introduces Istanbul: Memories and the City and Red Sorghum—representative works of Orhan Pamuk and Mo Yan, respectively—as the primary objects of analysis. It aims to explore recurring spatial themes in both texts, offering a comparative perspective that highlights similarities, differences, and the deeper meanings underlying these spatial representations. Ultimately, this study aspires to contribute academically, literarily, and socially.

The study begins with a brief overview of the lives and major works of Orhan Pamuk and Mo Yan in the introduction. It then proceeds to define the concept of "space," which constitutes the theoretical framework of the thesis, providing an overview of its academic evolution and current status in scholarly research. Subsequently, the spatial structures in Istanbul: Memories and the City and Red Sorghum are analyzed in detail under four thematic categories: geographical space, historical space, cultural space, and psychological space. These spatial dimensions are then compared across the two works.

In conclusion, it can be stated that both Mo Yan and Orhan Pamuk, by creating their own literary geographies and spatial imaginaries, convey themes such as geography, history, culture, and psychological states under the umbrella of “space.” In this context, a cultural and humanistic affinity between the two authors becomes evident; however, the differences between East and West—particularly in cultural and political domains—remain inevitable. While Pamuk continuously generates new responses to the cultural fractures between East and West, Mo Yan delves into rural culture, exalting the life force that emerges from nature and village life.