William Faulkner’in Ağustos Işığı Romanında Bir Melezin Yabancılaşması ve Aidiyetsizliği: Postkolonyal Bir Okuma

Abstract

Yoknapatawpha Köyü'nün efsanevi mitik krallığında geçen William Faulkner'ın 1932 tarihli Ağustos Işığı romanı, kendisinin kısmen siyah olduğuna inanan ve böylece hayatı boyunca lanetlenen bir yetim olan Joe Christmas'ın hayatını inceler. Homi Bhabha'nın 'Melez Kimlik' olarak adlandırdığı şeye sahip olmaya başlamıştır ki bu da onun yabancılaşmasını ve aidiyetsizliğini daha da geliştirir. Christmas, ailesi hakkında hiçbir bilgisi olmayan beyaz tenli bir yetim olmasına rağmen, Afrika kökenli Amerikalı bir soya ait olduğunu kabul eder. Hayatı boyunca, Christmas'ın melez kimliği siyah ve beyaz kimlikler arasında salınır. Bu makale, Faulkner'ın Ağustos Işığı romanına postkolonyal bir okuma sunmaktadır. Roman neredeyse iki konuya sahip olsa da, bu çalışmanın ana odağı ana karakter Joe Christmas'ı ilgilendiren kısımdır. Makale ayrıca Homi Bhabha ve Franz Fanon gibi postkolonyal yazarların perspektiflerinden de yararlanmaktadır. Ayrıca, Christmas'ın yaşadığı çarpıtılmış kimlik krizinin, kendini günah keçisi ilan ederek ve bir kurtuluş eylemi olarak Joanna Burden'ı öldürerek zalime karşı isyan etmesiyle sonuçlanan acılarına da odaklanmaktadır.

Keywords

• Postkolonyal
• Hibritlik
• Melez
• Yurtsuzluk
• Joe Christmas
• Yabancılaşma

Estrangement and Unhomeliness Of A Mulatto in William Faulkner’slight in August: A Postcolonial Reading

Abstract

Set in the legendary mythical kingdom of Yoknapatawpha County, William Faulkner’s novel, Light in August (1932), delves into the life of Joe Christmas, an orphan who believes he is part black and is thus condemned for life. He began to have what Homi Bhabha refers to as a ‘Hybrid Identity’, which further develops his alienation and unhomeliness. Although Christmas is a white-skinned orphan with no background knowledge of his family, he accepts that he belongs to an African-American ancestry. Throughout his life, Christmas’ hybrid identity oscillates between black and white identities. This article provides a postcolonial reading of Faulkner’s Light in August. Even though the novel has almost two plots, the main focus of this paper is on the one that concerns the main character, Joe Christmas. The paper also draws on the works of postcolonial authors such as Homi Bhabha and Franz Fanon’s perspectives. It also focuses on the suffering of the twisted identity crisis that Christmas has which culminates in revolting back to the oppressor, by scapegoating himself and murdering Joanna Burden in an act of salvation.

Keywords

• postcolonial
• hybridity
• mulatto
• unhomeliness
• Joe Christmas
• estrangement

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