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Ethno-Religious Nationalism in Serbian Literature in the Break of the Yugoslav National Ideal

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Ethno-Religious Nationalism in Serbian Literature in the Break of the Yugoslav National Ideal T.C. İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ KARŞILAŞTIRMALI EDEBİYAT ANABİLİM DALI DOKTORA TEZİ ETHNO-RELIGIOUS NATIONALISM IN SERBIAN LITERATURE IN THE BREAK OF THE YUGOSLAV NATIONAL IDEAL Ümit HASANUSTA 2520160087 TEZ DANIŞMANI Prof. Dr. Hasine ŞEN KARADENİZ İSTANBUL – 2019 I II ÖZ YUGOSLAV ULUS İDEALİNİN ÇÖKÜŞÜNDE SIRP EDEBİYATINDAKİ ETNİK-DİNİ MİLLİYETÇİLİK ÜMİT HASANUSTA Bu tez, Sosyalist Yugoslavya döneminde üç Sırp yazar tarafından üretilmiş olan Ivo Andric’in The Bridge on the Drina (1945), Milorad Pavic’in Dictionary of the Khazars (1984) ve Vuk Draskovic’in Knife (1982) adlı romanlarında Etnik-Dini milliyetçilik konusuna odaklanmaktadır. Çalışma, Yugoslavya’yı oluşturan çoketnili/çokdinli ulusların temsilini ele almakta, özellikle de Sırp karakterlerin betimlenmesine ağırlık vermektedir. Tez, Sırp edebi geleneğinin milliyetçi damarını oluşturan bu örneklerin, Yugoslav kimliğinin çeşitliliğine vurgu yapmaktan ziyade, milliyetçiliğe dayanan, ortak bir Yugoslav kültürünün imkansızlığını ortaya koyarak etnik/milli parçalanma dürtüsünü arttıran döneme ait baskın politik söylemle paralellik gösterdiğini öne sürmekte. Ayrıca, bu söylemin özellikle Yugoslavya’yı oluşturan milletler arasındaki eski anlaşmazlıklar ve tarihi düşmanlıklara yapılan sürekli göndermelerle beslendiği iddia edilmektedir. Çalışma, bu son derece milliyetçi edebi geleneğin temsilcilerinin, ortak bir Güney Slav bayrağı altında barışçıl bir şekilde bir arada yaşama olasılığını ortadan kaldırarak, bütün Güney Slav milletlerinin birlikteliğine dayanan Yugoslav ulus idealinin çöküşünü desteklediğini iddia etmektedir. Çalışmanın ana argümanı üç romanın detaylı analiziyle desteklenmektedir. The Bridge on the Drina’nın analizi, eserin geleneksel okumasından saparak romanın merkezini oluşturan köprü imgesine, Visegrad’ın çoketnikli toplumunun üyelerini birleştirmek yerine bunları ayıran bir güç olarak gören yeni bir bakış açısıyla yaklaşmaktadır. Pavic’in Dictionary of the Khazars romanının incelenmesi, aynı olayın birbiriyle tutarsız hikayelerini anlatan üç ayrı bölümden oluşan metnin, biçim ve içerik olarak Yugoslav ulus idealinin başarısızlığını gösterdiği sonucuna ulaşmaktadır. Çalışmanın son romanı olan Draskovic’in Knife başlıklı eseri ise, 19. Yüzyılda Peter Petrovic Njegos tarafından yazılmış, milliyetçi Sırp edebiyatının temel metinlerinden biri olan The Mountain III Wreath adlı eserin yeniden yazımı olarak okunmaktadır. Bu metin, çalışmada Sırp ırkının ihanet sendromununun ideal bir örneği olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Milliyetçilik, Sırp Milliyetçiliği, Sırp Edebiyatı, Yugoslavya, Yugoslav Edebiyatı, Yugoslavya’nın Parçalanması. IV ABSTRACT ETHNO-RELIGIOUS NATIONALISM IN SERBIAN LITERATURE IN THE BREAK OF THE YUGOSLAV NATIONAL IDEAL ÜMİT HASANUSTA This dissertation focuses on the issue of ethno-religious nationalism in three novels written by Serbian writers in the period of Socialist Yugoslavia: The Bridge on the Drina (1945) by Ivo Andric, Dictionary of the Khazars (1984) by Milorad Pavic and Knife (1982) by Vuk Draskovic. The study concentrates on the representation of the multietnnic/multireligious people constituting Yugoslavia dealing more specifically with the portrayal of Serbian characters. It argues that rather than focusing on the diversity of Yugoslav identity, these examples of the nationalistic vein in the Serbian literary traditon show paralellism with the dominant political discourse of the time that had enhanced the urge for ethnic/national disintegration stressing the impossibility of a shared Yugoslav culture. The dissertation claims further that this discourse is nourished primarily by constant references to the ancient conflicts and age-old animosities between the people constituting Yugoslavia. The study proposes that by dispelling the belief in the possibility for a peaceful coexistence under the banner of common South Slavic origin, the representativies of this deeply nationalistic literary tradition promote the failure of the Yugoslav national ideal based on the unity of all South-Slavic peoples. The main argument of the dissertation is supported with a detailed analysis of the three novels. The study of The Bridge on the Drina deviates from the conventional reading of the work and approaches the central image of the bridge from a fresh perspective viewing it as a force that divides rather than uniting the different members of Visegrad’s multiethnic community. The discussion of Pavic’s Dictionary of the Khazars reaches the conclusion that being composed of three different parts that present incoherent accounts of the same event, the novel presents both in form and content the failure of the Yugoslav national ideal.The last novel, Draskovic’s Knife is interpreted as a rewriting of The Mountain Wreath, the foundational ultra-nationalistic Serbian text written by Peter Petrovic Njegos in the V 19th century and defined in the dissertation as an epitome of the Serbian race betrayal syndrome. Key Words: Nationalism, Serbian Nationalism, Serbian Literature, Yugoslavia, Yugoslav Literature, the Disintegration of Yugoslavia. VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The first ideas about writing a thesis about the Balkans emerged in my mind, I suppose, when I was reading The Bridge on the Drina for the first time within the context of a doctoral course titled “Postcolonialism and Transnational Encounters”. The novel was about the life of people in a Bosnian town and the text included many characters that we know from our historical narratives. However, this time all stories and characters were rendered from the perspective of a Serbian writer. So, the narrative was noteworthy regarding the representation of the Bosnian identity and it was a fruitful source for thinking about Balkan identities. In the long process that I narrowed down the topic and wrote the thesis, I encountered many other texts. I can indicate that throughout this period, I mostly wanted to make decisions myself and endeavor to find the best expression for my ideas. However, assuredly, sometimes it was really hard to see the deficiencies of my text and find the right way and the motivation to pursue. In all these times, my thesis advisor Prof. Hasine Şen Karadeniz clearly pointed out everything that I was not able to notice. I have to express my deepest gratitude to her as she always encouraged and guided me with her knowledge, kindness, and discipline. Her sincerity and insightfulness as a mentor and an intellectual will always be a model for me throughout my life. Also, I would like to thank the members of my thesis committee. In fact, it was reassuring to see Prof. Hürriyet Özden Sözalan in my committee. It is not easy to describe her influence on us as students of literature because since the very first days of our university years her lectures and attitude provided us a great insight to think about literature. Needless to say, her opinions about my thesis were enlightening in this period as well. I met Ahmet Naim Çiçekler when we were first year students of American Culture and Literature and we have been close friends since then. Now, I feel proud to see him as an Associate Professor and a member of my thesis committee. His support and encouragement was also greatly significant for me to finish this study. VII My family of course deserves many thanks for their tolerance, support, and understanding. As they formed all their schedules considering my studies throughout this long period, I owe countless days to my wife Esra Hasanusta, my son Ediz Hasanusta, and my mother Leyla Hasanusta. I should also thank my colleagues at Biruni University as they always helped me stay hopeful about finishing this study. I only wish my father Hasan Hasanusta who passed away when I was in a doctorate class could see that I finished this thesis. ÜMİT HASANUSTA İSTANBUL, 2019 VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS ÖZ ………………………………………….…………………………...…………..iii ABSTRACT ……………………………….………………………………..………v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………….……………………………………..vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………….……………………………………....ix INTRODUCTION ………………………….…………………………………........1 CHAPTER ONE THEORIES OF NATIONALISM, SPECIFICITY OF SERBIAN NATIONALISM AND THE QUEST FOR NATIONAL LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE …………….………………………………….........……………...17 1.1. The Roots of Nationalism: A Historical Perspective….………...……...17 1.2. Characteristics of Serbian Nationalism………………….…………...…25 1.2.1. The Kosovo Battle in Serbian Mythology…….……………....30 1.2.2. The Battle as an “Invented Tradition”………….……………..36 1.3. The quest for National Language and Literature………….…………....38 1.3.1 Vuk Karadzic and his role in Creating a National Language and Literature…………………………………………………....……….38 1.3.2. Peter Petrovic Njegos’ The Mountain Wreath: The Epic of the Serbian Race Betrayal Syndrome……………………….……...……41 IX CHAPTER TWO THE UNENDING SELF-SACRIFICE AND VICTIMIZATION OF SERBS: BRIDGE ON THE DRINA BY IVO ANDRIC ……………..……….…………..55 2.1 Visegrad: A Prototype of Yugoslavia ………………...………….…….57 2.2 Balkanism ………………………………………………..………..……62 2.3 The Unending Suffering and Victimization of Serbs ………..…….…..67 2.4 The Impalement of Radisav: Rewriting the Mythical Death of Prince Lazar …………………………………………………………………....…..77 2.5 The Bridge on the Drina: A Tombstone of the Sacrificed Bodies of the Serbian Nation Rather than a Symbol of Interrelated Cultures ………....…82 CHAPTER THREE MILORAD PAVIC’S DICTIONARY OF THE KHAZARS: AN ALLEGORICAL REPRESENTATION OF YUGOSLAVIA…..….………......87 3.1 The Form and Content/Context of Pavic’s work….…………..…….….88 3.1.1 The Structure and the Experimental Style
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