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“Words As Bearers of History”: Testimony and Trauma in Seamus Heaney's Early Poetry

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“Words As Bearers of History”: Testimony and Trauma in Seamus Heaney's Early Poetry Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences Department of English Language and Literature English Language and Literature “WORDS AS BEARERS OF HISTORY”: TESTIMONY AND TRAUMA IN SEAMUS HEANEY’S EARLY POETRY Gülay GÜLPINAR ÖZORAN Ph.D. Thesis Ankara, 2019 “WORDS AS BEARERS OF HISTORY”: TESTIMONY AND TRAUMA IN SEAMUS HEANEY’S EARLY POETRY Gülay GÜLPINAR ÖZORAN Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences Department of English Language and Literature English Language and Literature Programme Ph.D. Thesis Ankara, 2019 KABUL VE ONAY YAYIMLAMA VE FİKRİ MÜLKİYET HAKLARI BEYANI ETİK BEYAN DEDICATION To my family, who patiently and graciously tolerated my absence during long years devoted to this study v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I used to Welcome the first-year students to the department, Where I Worked for ten years, With a motivational speech draWing an analogy betWeen the challenging and adventurous journey of mythical heroes and the journey the neW students Were about to embark upon. Joseph Campbell’s idea of the “monomyth” Was there in the back of my mind and I literally saW no difference betWeen the difficult but at the same time reWarding road lying before the students and the mythical heroes at the beginning of their stories. I encouraged my students to believe in their capacity to complete their journey With success fit for heroes and constantly advised them to persevere. However, I myself failed to remember at times during the process of Writing this dissertation that I Was also on that road, that Ph.D. Was that challenging and reWarding journey, and that I, too, had to persevere in the face of challenges. Fortunately, I Was surrounded by professors, friends and relatives Who guided me in this journey, and Who alWays found a Way to assure me that I had the necessary courage and perseverance to complete this journey When I Was overcome With self-doubt. If it had not been for them, this study Would have never been completed. I Would like to state here that I Will be forever in their debt for the guidance and support I received from them. First and foremost, I Would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my advisor, Prof. Dr. Huriye Reis for guiding me in this journey With kindness. She constantly showed that she cared not only about the quality of this dissertation but also about my Well- being. I am grateful to her for her moral support and professional mentorship. Her knowledge of Seamus Heaney’s poetry and of trauma theory and her constructive comments on my Work alWays illuminated my Way When I Was lost in the dark. I do not think I can thank her enough for her support. I Would like to extend my thanks to the members of the examining committee, Prof. Dr. Burçin Erol, Prof. Dr. Belgin Elbir, Prof. Dr. Hande Seber and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Margaret J-M. Sönmez, Whose comments and questions contributed significantly to this study. I feel privileged to have my thesis examined by such distinguished academics for Whom I have great admiration and respect. I must also state that I Was fortunate to do research at Brown University/USA for this thesis. I could only take this great opportunity thanks to the generous support of vi TUBITAK BIDEB (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey). I Would like to express my acknowledgement to TUBITAK since 2214/A- Doctoral Research Fellowship from Which I benefitted for six months (February 1, 2018- July 31, 2018) substantially improved the quality of this thesis. Thanks to this fellowship, I got to know Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ravit Reichman, a graceful mentor and a Wonderful person, Who helped me a lot With her insight into trauma theory. I Was both pleased and surprised that she could see With clarity Where I Was having difficulty While Writing and that she could put my mind at ease at once With her suggestions. She directed me to texts that Were of great use for my argument and she offered help countless times even after I returned to Turkey. I Would like to express my gratitude to her, but I doubt that Words can convey my deep and sincere appreciation. I Would also like to state that I was blessed With the presence of a great many friends Who showed me the Way, Whenever I felt stuck in my tracks during the difficult process of Writing this dissertation. I owe special thanks to Dr. Sibel İzmir, Simla Kötüz Çiftçioğlu and Özlem Arslan Who did not only read the drafts of this dissertation and provided me With invaluable feedback but also made me feel alive With their Warmth and friendship. My Ph.D. journey coincided With an eventful period of my life, I am glad that Sibel Was there to guide me through the hardships I endured. I guess, I can only hope that she Will move to İstanbul one day When her daughter grows up to release her from the responsibilities of motherhood. I am also grateful to Simla, Who, With her endless interest in literature, continually reneWed my energy and restored my desire to continue studying literature. Özlem also deserves my heartfelt thanks as she has alWays been there to support me since 2005. I am also very much indebted to my dear friends, Who feel more like sisters, Burçin İçdem and Merve Gül Gün for offering me a constant place in their homes and hearts. I do not really know how I could possibly have completed this thesis if Burçin and Merve had not kindly invited me to share their apartments for long periods of time. I have not yet come to the full realisation that I have permanently left Ankara, thanks to their generosity. Karishma Goradia, With Whom I had the chance of meeting in another corner of the World, was a great support during the hardships that I endured for this study. I strongly believe that Karishma prevented me from having distractions that vii could have resulted from homesickness and culture-shock While I Was doing research in the USA by making me feel at home even though I Was a ten-hour-flight aWay. I know that I Will alWays remember that old and someWhat uncomfortable apartment on Thayer as a blissful and peaceful home thanks to her. I also have the dearest of friends to Whom I owe my gratitude for their understanding and constant support as much as I owe my apologies for not being there When I Was needed. Dr. Gizem Sarısoy Aksüt, Dr. Sezen Vatansever İnak, Dr. Ceylan Ertung Fallon, Dr. Naile Sarmaşık, Dr. Emre Sezgin and Yasemin Sezgin. I know that they Went through monumental experiences that required the attention of a close friend and am sorry that I Was not there to share those experiences With them. I need to extend my gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evrim Doğan Adanur and Dr. Selen Aktari-Sevgi Who believed in me more than myself. I Would also like to thank my dear friend, Dr. Azime Pekşen Yakar, Who motivated me When I lost all motivation to continue Writing and patiently ansWered all my questions about the thesis submission process. I am also grateful to Kübra Vural Özbey, Emine Akkülah Doğan, Cemre Mimoza Bartu, Dr. İmren Yelmiş and Dr. Pınar Taşdelen for their support and also for making me feel a part of Hacettepe İDE family. I am forever indebted to my parents, İsmail and Havva Gülpınar, my brothers Kamil and Selçuk, and my sisters-in-laW Ayşegül and Meltem Gülpınar for their support and unwavering faith in me. I cannot imagine how I could have earned a Ph.D. if it had not been for their support and understanding. I also thank Mehmet and Latife Özoran, and Dilek and Ayhan Yüksel for their loving support. Both Gülpınar and Özoran families tolerated my absence in important family gatherings so graciously that I do not know how to express my sincere thanks for their understanding. I owe the greatest debt of gratitude to my husband, Dinçer Özoran, Who lovingly and constantly supported me throughout my Ph.D. studies. I believe it Was his presence and love that kept my sanity in the long years of Ph.D. solitude. I am greatly thankful to him for taking care of my mental and physical health much better than I did. I am also indebted to him for being supportive of me and my studies even When supporting me meant sending me off to another continent for six months. viii ÖZET GÜLPINAR ÖZORAN, Gülay. “Tarihe Tanıklık Eden Sözcükler”: Seamus Heaney’nin Erken Dönem Şiirlerinde Tanıklık İfadesi ve Travma, Doktora Tezi, Ankara, 2019. Bu çalışma Seamus Heaney’nin erken dönem şiirlerinde travmaya tanıklık etmenin iyileştirici işlevi ile ilgili çelişkili bir tutum olduğunu savunur. Heaney’nin erken dönem şiir koleksiyonları, Wintering Out (1972), North (1975) ve Field Work (1979) İrlanda’nın sömürgeleştirilmesi ve Troubles dönemindeki mezhepsel şiddet gibi İrlanda’nın kültürel travmalarını temsil eder. Bu tez, Heaney’nin erken dönem şiirlerinde travmaya tanıklık etmeyi travmayla baş etme yöntemi olarak temsil ettiğini ve uyguladığını öte yandan ise travmaya tanıklık etmenin iyileştirici işlevi olduğu varsayımını sorguladığını, çürüttüğünü ve reddettiğini savunur. 1970’lerde yayınlanan bu şiirler travmaya tanıklık etmeyi iyileşme için gerekli bir adım olarak kaydeder çünkü tanıklık etme süreci travma tanığının daha önce anlayamadığı, çözümleyemediği travmatik olay ve/veya deneyimi anlamasını ve çözümlemesini sağlar. Aynı zamanda, bu şiirler kültürel travmalara tanıklık etmeyi kontrol edilemeyen travmatik hafızayı düzenlemenin ve bu hafızanın şimdiki zaman üzerindeki etkilerini sonlandırmak için onu geçmişin hikayesine eklemenin bir yolu olarak gösterirler. Ayrıca, Wintering Out, North ve Field Work’te yakın ve uzak geçmişteki kültürel travmalara tanıklık etme imkansız ya da tehlikeli bir eylem olarak da temsil edilir.
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