Convergence of Literature and History: 'The Bridge on the Drina' in the Context of Historiographic Metafiction

Year 2024, , 186 - 197, 28.06.2024

Ayşem Dur

https://doi.org/10.32600/huefd.1256055

Abstract

While the boundary between the disciplines of literature and history has come into question due to the problematization of their ontological natures, their textuality and similar narrative technics stand out as two main elements among the other intersections. As the criticisms of objectivity directed at history have echoed in literary studies, literary works where historical facts and fiction cluster have taken it one step further and rendered it possible to discuss the matter more broadly with cultural aspects. In The Bridge on the Drina, it is seen that the main arch of the narration proceeds along the historical realities, and yet Ivo Andrić’s sole aim is not to put forward a classic historical novel. In fact, rather than foregrounding the realities in question and erasing the fictive elements, he presents a kind of alternative history by palpably bringing together the historical and the fictional. Hence, the aim of this study is to argue that in The Bridge on the Drina, the boundary between history and literature gets blurred and their conventional characteristics get problematised. Presenting views from both historical and literary studies, the primary theoretical frame will be based on the notion of historiographic metafiction.

Keywords

New historical novel, new historicism, modernism, postmodernism, historiographic metafiction, Ivo Andrić

Edebiyat ve Tarihin Kesişimi: Tarihsel Üstkurmaca Bağlamında 'Drina Köprüsü' Romanı

Abstract

Edebiyat ve tarih disiplinleri arasındaki sınır ontolojik yapılarının sorunsallaşmasıyla tartışmaya açılmış, bu disiplinlerin metinsellikleri ve benzer anlatı teknikleri ise kesişim noktasını oluşturan iki temel unsur olarak ön plana çıkmıştır. Genel olarak tarih disiplinine getirilen nesnellik eleştirilerinin edebiyat çalışmalarında da yankı bulmasıyla birlikte, tarihsel gerçekliklerin kurguyla bir araya geldiği edebiyat eserleri söz konusu tartışmayı derinleştirerek değerlendirmelerin çok daha kapsamlı bir şekilde kültürel boyutlarıyla incelenmesini sağlamıştır. Drina Köprüsü’nde anlatının ana ekseni tarihsel gerçeklikler çizgisinde ilerken, Ivo Andrić’in amacının klasik anlamda tarihsel bir roman ortaya koymak olmadığı görülmektidir. Öyle ki, yazar söz konusu gerçeklikleri ön plana çıkarıp anlatının kurgusal izlerini saklamaya çalışmamış, aksine bu gerçekliklerle kurgusal olanı açıkça bir araya getirerek adeta alternatif bir tarih ortaya koymuştur. Bu anlamda, çalışmanın amacı Drina Köprüsü romanında tarih ve edebiyat arasındaki ayrımın netliğini yitirerek alışılagelmiş özelliklerinin sorunsallaşmasını tartışmaktır. Çalışma tarih ve edebiyat eleştirisi parallelliğinde ilerleyecek olup teorik çerçeveyi tarihsel üstkurmaca kavramı şekillendirecektir.

Keywords

Yeni tarihsel roman, yeni tarihselcilik, modernizm, postmodernizm, tarihsel üstkurmaca, Ivo Andrić

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