İNSAN-MERKEZCİLİĞE MEYDAN OKUMA: SAKI'NİN “SREDNI VASHTAR” ADLI ÖYKÜSÜNDE ANİMİZM KULLANIMI

Year 2018, Volume: 58 Issue: 1, 270 - 282, 01.01.2018

Adem Balcı

Abstract

Çok eski zamanlara dayanan yakın ilişkilerine rağmen, insanmerkezci yaklaşımın bir sonucu olarak insanlar her zaman hayvanları ötekileştirmiş ve kendi menfaatleri uğruna kullanmıştır. İnsan anlamına gelen Yunanca kelime anthropos’tan türetilmiş olan insanmerkezcilik anthropocentrism , insan dışındaki varlıkların eyleyici özelliklerini inkâr ederek evrenin merkezinde gördüğü insanı ayrıcalıklı kılmaktadır. Fakat insanmerkezciliğin aksine, animist bir inanış ruhun ve eyleyiciliğin sadece insanlarda değil, hayvanlarda ve diğer varlıklarda da olduğunu kabul ederek bu varlıkların da içsel değerlerini takdir eder. Eserlerini genellikle Saki mahlası ile yazan Edward dönemi öykü yazarı Hector Hugh Munro 1870-1916 , kendi zamanının insanmerkezci ideolojisine rağmen, bir çok eserinde bu yaklaşımı sorgulayarak hayvanlara yapılan zulme karşı hassasiyetini göstermektedir. Çocuk başkarakter Conradin’in hayvan tanrısına yüklediği bir takım animistik özellikler sayesinde hayvan ve insan arasındaki sınırları iyice belirsizleştirerek bu iki kavramı sorunsallaştırdığı “Sredni Vashtar” adlı öyküsünde Saki’nin animizm kullanarak insanmerkezciliğe meydan okuduğu görülmektedir. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışmanın amacı animistik bir görüşle yazdığı “Sredni Vashtar” öyküsünde Saki’nin kendi toplumunun gelenekleri ve baskın normlarının dışına çıkarak insanmerkezciliğe meydan okuyuşunu incelemektir.

Keywords

Saki, H.H. Munro, “Sredni Vashtar, ” İnsanmerkezcilik, Animizm, Hayvanlar

CHALLENGING ANTHROPOCENTRISM: SAKI'S USE OF ANIMISM IN HIS “SREDNI VASHTAR

Abstract

Despite their close relationships since the earliest times, human beings have always marginalised and exploited animals due to the anthropocentric mind-set. Derived from the Greek word anthropos, which stands for human, anthropocentrism privileges human beings as the centre of the universe by marginalising all other life forms. Since such an approach justifies itself by privileging human beings due to their agentic capabilities, and by denying the agency of more-than-humans, anthropocentrism legitimises the ruthless use of natural resources and animal species as a means to human needs. Contrary to anthropocentrism, however, an animistic belief acknowledges soul and agency not only in human beings but also in more-than-humans; and therefore, appreciates their intrinsic values. Despite the dominant anthropocentric ideology of his time, the Edwardian short story writer Hector Hugh Munro 1870-1916 , who writes his work with the penname Saki, evinces his sensitivities to the exploitation of animals in most of his short stories by challenging the anthropocentric viewpoint. Saki’s direct challenge to anthropocentrism manifests itself with his use of animism in his “Sredni Vashtar,” where the author problematises the notions of human and animal by blurring the boundaries between them through the child protagonist Conradin’s formulation of an animistic religion with an animal god. Accordingly, the main objective of this article is to discuss how Saki challenge anthropocentrism, and tends to step outside of the traditions and dominant norms of his society by incorporating an animistic view into his “Sredni Vashtar.”

Keywords

Saki, H.H. Munro, “Sredni Vashtar, ” Anthropocentrism, Animism, Animals

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