T. C. Balikesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Ingiliz Dili Eğitimi Anabilim Dali
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T. C. BALIKESİR ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ İNGİLİZ DİLİ EĞİTİMİ ANABİLİM DALI LANGUAGE AND POWER RELATIONS IN MARTIN CRIMP’S THE COUNTRY YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ Ayşe Didem YAKUT Balıkesir, 2016 T. C. BALIKESİR ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ İNGİLİZ DİLİ EĞİTİMİ ANABİLİM DALI LANGUAGE AND POWER RELATIONS IN MARTIN CRIMP’S THE COUNTRY YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ “Bu çalışma Balıkesir Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Birimi tarafından BAP 2014/150 numaralı proje ile desteklenmiştir. Teşekkür ederiz.” Ayşe Didem YAKUT Tez Danışmanı Doç. Dr. Dilek İNAN Balıkesir, 2016 FOREWORD/ÖN SÖZ The aim of this thesis is to explore the dynamic relationships between language and power in The Country by the innovative British playwright Martin Crimp. A number of scholars have explored Crimp’s challenging texts as satires of certain institutions such as marriage and state and also in terms of the postdramatic elements, violence, and urban materialism. However, the scarcity of research in uncovering Crimp’s portrayal of the complex and dynamic relationships between language and power, is indeed a powerful source of motivation for this thesis. The thesis is designed in three sections. Firstly, Crimp’s place in the tradition of contemporary British drama is established and his avant-garde style and innovations in theatrical forms are analyzed. Secondly, the vigorous relationships between language and power are explored through the terminology of Barthes, Bourdieu and Foucault. The related terminology is appropriated to Crimp’s use of language in order to exert power. In the third section, The Country is analyzed squarely in the light of the theoretical terminology. In the conclusion part, it is argued that Crimp’s language analytically and intentionally resists the established conventional standards and challenges any typical expectations for dramatic discourse. Instead, he employs stimulating and inventive dialogues through word games and language strategies such as interrogations, repetitions, pauses, faint laughs, and euphemisms. The plays’ emphasis on the denotational and connotational potency of words challenges the readers to dwell on the literal and metaphorical meanings of almost each and every word. Crimp uses language as a weapon and as a means of control. His enigmatic language refutes any sense of effortless meaning-making or easy communication. His language in the plays systematically defies set norms and typical expectations for dramatic discourse in order to arrive at an unprecedented level of potentiality and signification. The importance of this thesis lies in the fact that it sets an example study in contributing greatly to the understanding of Crimp’s non-mainstream works. The research analyzes the playwright’s new formal and narrative possibilities through an articulation of the relationships between language and power. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek İNAN for her endless support that made this difficult process enjoyable for me. Without her encouragement, valuable advice and supportive attitude, it would not have been possible to complete this study. It has been pleasure to write this thesis under her guidance. Then, I would like to offer my special thanks to my professors, Prof. Dr. Mehmet BAŞTÜRK, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selami AYDIN, Assist. Prof. Dr. Fatih YAVUZ, Assist. Prof. Dr. Dilek TÜFEKÇİ CAN, and Lecturer Vahit SAPAR for their precious contribution to my profession. I feel lucky to be one of their students, and what I have learned from them will be the treasure of my life. Finally, I would like to thank my beloved family. I am indebted to my parents Nilgün and Erol Yakut, and my sister Merve Yakut for their love, care and encouragement. They were always there to support me whenever I needed. I thank them for believing in me. Ayşe Didem YAKUT iv ABSTRACT LANGUAGE AND POWER RELATIONS IN MARTIN CRIMP’S THE COUNTRY YAKUT, Ayşe Didem MA Thesis, Department of English Language Teaching, Adviser: Doç. Dr. Dilek İNAN 2015, 85 pages Martin Crimp contributes greatly to the tradition of British playwriting with his dramatic and postdramatic plays. The scarcity of research in uncovering Crimp’s portrayal of the complex and dynamic relationships between language and power is a valuable source of motivation for this research. The thesis is designed in three sections: Firstly, Crimp’s place in the tradition of Contemporary British Drama is established and his avant-garde style and innovations in theatrical forms are analyzed. Secondly, the vigorous relationships between language and power are explored through the terminology of Barthes, Bourdieu and Foucault. The related terminology is appropriated to Crimp’s use of language in order to exert power. In the third section The Country is analyzed in terms of language that is used as a strong weapon to organize power relations among the characters in the light of the theoretical terminology. In the conclusion part, it is argued that Crimp’s language, which consists of poetry and cruelty, resists the established conventional standards and challenges any typical expectations for dramatic discourse. Instead he employs stimulating and inventive dialogues through word games and language strategies such as interrogations, repetitions, pauses, faint laughs, and euphemisms. The play’s emphasis on the denotational and connotational potency of words challenges the audiences/readers to dwell on the literal and metaphorical meanings of almost each and every word. Crimp takes his deserved place in the great tradition of British new writing due to his originality in language and his innovative attitude to theatrical form. He continues to push the boundaries of writing and theatrical representation where language is not a means of communication but on the contrary a screen preventing truth from resurfacing. Key Words: Contemporary British Drama, Martin Crimp, The Country, Language, Power v ÖZET MARTIN CRIMP’IN THE COUNTRY (KIR) OYUNUNDA DİL VE GÜÇ İLİŞKİLERİ YAKUT, Ayşe Didem Yüksek Lisans, İngiliz Dili Eğitimi Anabilim Dalı Tez Danışmanı: Doç. Dr. Dilek İNAN 2015, 85 Sayfa Martin Crimp dramatik ve postdramatik eserleri ile İngiliz tiyatro oyunu yazma geleneğine önemli katkılarda bulunur. Bu çalışma Crimp tiyatrosunda dil ve güç ilişkilerinin karmaşık ve dinamik yapısını çözerek, bu alandaki eksikliği giderme ve Crimp çalışmalarına katkıda bulunmayı hedefler. Tez üç ana bölümden oluşur: Birinci bölümde, Crimp’in avangard ve yenilikçi yazma tekniği incelenerek yazarın İngiliz tiyatrosundaki önemi vurgulanır. İkinci bölümde, dil ve güç arasındaki dinamik ilişki Barthes, Bourdieu ve Foucault’nun savunduğu teori ve terminoloji aracılığı ile açıklanarak ilgili terminoloji Crimp’e uyarlanır ve seçilen kuramcıların ilkeleri ile yazarın dil ve güç dinamiklerini ilişkilendirmesi arasındaki benzerlikler araştırılır. Üçüncü bölümde, The Country eserinde dilin güç ilişkilerini belirleyen etkili bir savunma ve saldırı aracı olduğu kuramsal terimler ve ilkeler rehberliğinde açıklanır. İncelenen eserde karakterler şiirsel fakat merhametsiz bir dil kullanarak tiyatro dilinin geleneksel olarak kabul görmüş standartlarına karşı koyar. Bunun yerine eserde kelime oyunları, sorgulama, tekrarlama, duraksama, hafif gülüşmeler ve örtmece gibi iletişim ve konuşma stratejilerinden oluşan merak uyandırıcı ve yenilikçi diyaloglar yer alır. İzleyici/okuyucu sözcüklerin öz anlamlarından daha çok çağrıştırdığı anlamları yorumlamak durumundadır. Crimp kullandığı dilin orijinalliği ve tiyatro formlarına olan yenilikçi yaklaşımı ile İngiliz yeni yazın geleneğinde önemli bir yere sahip olduğunu gösterir. Crimp The Country metninde örneklendirdiği gibi diğer eserlerinde de dilin bir iletişim aracı olmadığını hatta gerçeğin ortaya çıkmasını engelleyen bir nesne olduğunu gösterir; yazma ve tiyatral temsilin sınırlarını zorlamaya devam eder. Anahtar Kelimeler: Çağdaş İngiliz Tiyatrosu, Martin Crimp, The Country, Dil, Güç vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page FOREWORD/ÖN SÖZ ............................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ v ÖZET .......................................................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... vii LIST OF IMAGES .................................................................................................. viii 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Objectives ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2. Method ................................................................................................................ 2 2. MARTIN CRIMP’S PLACE IN THE CONTEMPORARY BRITISH DRAMA……………………………………………………………………………...3 2.1. The New Writing................................................................................................. 4 2.2. “The Theatre is the Acid Test of Language” .................................................... 10 3. LANGUAGE AND POWER THEORIES AND MARTIN CRIMP ............... 12 3.1. Roland Barthes and Martin Crimp ...................................................................