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“Winter Has Got No King”: an Ecocritical Analysis of George R. R. Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire

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“Winter Has Got No King”: an Ecocritical Analysis of George R. R. Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire İBN HALDUN ÜNİVERSİTESİ MEDENİYETLER İTTİFAKI ENSTİTÜSÜ MEDENİYET ARAŞTIRMALARI ANABİLİM DALI YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ “WINTER HAS GOT NO KING”: AN ECOCRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GEORGE R. R. MARTIN’S A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE HATİCE KÜBRA YEGİN EYLÜL 2019 ÖZ “KIŞIN HÜKÜMDARI YOKTUR”: GEORGE R. R. MARTIN’İN BUZ VE ATEŞİN ŞARKISI ROMANLARININ EKOELEŞTİREL OKUMASI Yegin, Hatice Kübra Medeniyet Araştırmaları Yüksek Lisans Programı Tez Danışmanı: Dr. Nagihan Haliloğlu Eylül 2019, 115 sayfa Son yıllarda çevre sorunlarının ve bu sorunlardan kaynaklı iklim değişikliğinin parabolik bir hızla artması, sorunların sadece çözümüne değil kaynağına dair tartışmaları da beraberinde getirdi. Bu tartışmaların bir sonucu olarak ortaya çıkan çevreci eleştiri (ekoeleştiri), edebi metinlerde ekolojik sembollerin kullanımı ve doğa yazını aracılığıyla toplum psikolojisinde ve çevreye bakış açısında değişiklik yaratmayı amaçlar. Bu amaçla toplumsal dinamikleri anlamayı ve dönüştürmeyi hedefleyen ekoeleştirel metotlar geliştirilmektedir. İbn Haldun’un toplumsal dinamikleri anlamlandırmak için oluşturduğu, coğrafya, din ve asabiyet unsurlarına dayanan medeniyet metodolojisi, farklı medeniyetler ve toplumların çevresel perspektiflerini incelemek ve karşılaştırmak için gerekli sosyolojik verileri sunmaktadır. Bu tezde İbn Haldun’un medeniyet metodolojisi George R.R. Martin’in dünyaca ünlü fantastik kurgu eseri Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısına uygulanarak ve metne ekoeleştirel yakın okuma yapılarak, kurgusal bir dünya üzerinden medeniyetlerin çevresel perspektifleri arasındaki benzerlik ve karşıtlıklar incelenecektir. Böylece, medeniyetlerin coğrafya, din ve asabiyet gibi toplum yapısını etkileyen unsurlarının, bu toplumların doğaya bakış açısını etkileyip etkilemediği, etkiliyorsa ne yönde etkilediği gibi sorulara cevap bulunmaya çalışılacaktır. Anahtar Kelimeler: çevreci eleştiri; ekoeleştiri; medeniyet; İbn Haldun; Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı; George R.R. Martin. iv ABSTRACT “WINTER HAS GOT NO KING”: AN ECOCRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GEORGE R. R. MARTIN’S A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Yegin, Hatice Kübra MA in Civilization Studies Thesis Advisor: Dr. Nagihan Haliloğlu September 2019, 115 Pages Over the last decades, an exponential increase in environmental issues and the climate change pertaining to it have generated discussion not only about how to tackle the problems but also about delving into the root cause of the matter. Having emerged as a result of these discussions, environmental criticism (ecocriticism) intends to create change in society’s environmental perspective through utilizing ecological symbols in literary narratives and nature writing. With a view to attaining this goal, methods that would help understand the society and transform it have been devised. Ibn Khaldun’s civilization methodology, which leans on pillars of geography, spirituality and asabiyah (group feeling), provide the necessary sociological data to analyze and juxtapose the environmental perspectives of different societies. In this dissertation, Ibn Khaldun’s civilization methodology is applied to George R.R. Martin’s world-famous fantasy fiction novel A Song of Ice and Fire whilst ecocritically close reading similarities and differences of environmental perspectives in civilizations via a fictional realm. In this way, this thesis will endeavor to answer questions such as whether pillars of civilization such as geography, religion and group feeling influence social structure and if such is the case, in what way. Keywords: environmental criticism; ecocriticism; civilization; Ibn Khaldun; A Song of Ice and Fire; George R.R. Martin v TABLE OF CONTENTS ÖZ ..................................................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. vi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 1: IBN KHALDUN’S CIVILIZATION (UMRAN) THEORY ................... 10 1.1. Place of Spirituality in Ibn Khaldun’s Civilization ........................................... 13 1.2. Place of Group Feeling (Asabiyah) in Ibn Khaldun’s Civilization ................... 15 1.3. Place of Geography in Ibn Khaldun’s Civilization ........................................... 18 CHAPTER 2: ECOCRITICISM AND NEW POSSIBILITIES ...................................... 22 2.1. What is Ecocriticism? ........................................................................................ 22 2.2. Ecocriticism Literature ...................................................................................... 23 2.2.1. First Wave Ecocriticism ............................................................................. 24 2.2.2. Second Wave Ecocriticism ........................................................................ 24 2.2.3. Third Wave Ecocriticism ........................................................................... 25 2.3. Why Ecocriticism? A Brief History of Major Environmentalist Positions ....... 25 2.3.1. Cornucopia ................................................................................................. 27 2.3.2. Environmentalism ...................................................................................... 28 2.3.3. Deep Ecology ............................................................................................. 28 2.3.4. Ecofeminism .............................................................................................. 29 2.3.5. Social Ecology and Eco-Marxism .............................................................. 31 2.3.6. Heideggerian Ecophilosophy ..................................................................... 32 2.4. A New Ecocritical Approach Based on Civilization Studies ............................ 32 CHAPTER 3: ECOCRITICAL READING OF A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE WITHIN IBN KHALDUN’S CIVILIZATION THEORY ............................................................. 34 3.1. A Song of Ice and Fire in Fantasy Fiction Genre .............................................. 34 3.2. Formation of Civilizations in Westeros in A Song of Ice and Fire ................... 36 3.2.1. The Part Geographical Factors Play in Formation of Civilizations ........... 37 3.2.1.1. Climate and Landscape .......................................................................... 38 3.2.1.2. Animals .................................................................................................. 40 3.2.1.3. Castles and Crafts ................................................................................... 42 vi 3.2.1.4. Temperament .......................................................................................... 45 3.2.2. The Part Spirituality/Religion Plays in Formation of Civilization ............ 49 3.2.2.1. Old Gods ................................................................................................. 50 3.2.2.2. New Gods ............................................................................................... 54 3.2.2.3. Drowned God ......................................................................................... 59 3.2.2.4. Red God .................................................................................................. 61 3.2.2.5. River Goddess ........................................................................................ 65 3.2.3. The Part Group Feeling Plays in Formation of Civilizations ..................... 66 3.2.3.1. House Stark ............................................................................................ 67 3.2.3.2. Southern Houses of Lannister, Baratheon, Tully, Arryn, Tyrell ............ 69 3.2.3.3. House Nymeros Martell ......................................................................... 74 3.2.3.4. House Greyjoy ........................................................................................ 75 3.2.3.5. House Targaryen .................................................................................... 77 3.3. Westerosi Civilizations and Their Relations with Nature ................................. 80 3.3.1. Northern Civilization ................................................................................. 81 3.3.2. Southern Civilization ................................................................................. 88 3.3.3. Dornish Civilization ................................................................................... 93 3.3.4. Ironborn Civilization .................................................................................. 97 3.3.5. Valyrian Civilization ................................................................................ 101 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 107 WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................ 111 vii INTRODUCTION As climate change becomes a prevalent discussion in our world today, studies that analyze the sources, attributers and consequences of the climate change becomes more and more necessary every day. Climate change and in general environmental problems not only cause ecologic disturbance but it also deeply effects the human psyche. These effects are seen on TV, on social media, in music and most definitely in literature.
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