The Representation of Prison and Prisoners in Ngugi’s Detained: A Writer’s Prison Diary and Orhan Kemal’s 72nd Ward

Year 2022, Issue: 31, 107 - 118, 29.10.2022

Eren Bolat

https://doi.org/10.54600/igdirsosbilder.1076861

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how two distinct authors, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Orhan Kemal, express their experiences in prison as a result of being imprisoned by their own states due to their opinions, as well as how they portray the conditions of the prison and prisoners. Ignoring the fact that both works are written in different literary forms, the events recounted by both authors are completely encountered and witnessed by themselves. Ngugi’s work focuses on the plight of political prisoners, detailing how the prison administration treated them horribly through government indoctrination, as well as how the inmates coped with these circumstances. On the other hand, Orhan Kemal portrays the prison life he witnessed while imprisoned for political reasons, focusing particularly on the lives of the impoverished, poor, and outcast prisoners. In his story, he discusses not only the life of the prisoners, but also the prison atmosphere and the warders’ degrading attitude toward them. In light of these considerations, Kenyan writer and scholar Ngugi wa Thiong’o ’s work, which he composed in the form of a diary, and Orhan Kemal’s story 72nd Ward, in which he tells the events he witnessed, were compared and contrasted, accordingly, the parallels and differences between the two writers were explored.

Keywords

Ngugi, Orhan Kemal, Prison, Prisoners, Representation

Ngugi’nin Tutsak: Bir Yazarın Hapishane Günlüğü ve Orhan Kemal'in 72. Koğuş Adlı Eserlerinde Hapishane ve Mahkûmların Temsili

Abstract

Bu çalışmada iki farklı yazarın, Ngugi wa Thiong’o ve Orhan Kemal, düşünceleri yüzünden kendi devletleri tarafından hapse atılmaları sonucu deneyimledikleri hapishane hayatını ve mahkûmların durumlarını nasıl betimlediklerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Seçilen bu eserler farklı edebi türlerde yazılmış olmasına rağmen her iki yazarın bahsetmiş olduğu olaylar tamamen yaşanmış ve kendilerinin de tanıklık etmiş olduğu olaylarladır. Ngugi çalışmasında özellikle politik mahkûmların durumuna vurgu yaparak hapishane yönetiminin hükümet telkini ile mahkûmlara kabul edilemeyecek bir şekilde nasıl davrandığını, mahkûmların bu şartlara nasıl göğüs gerdiğini ve hayatta kalabilmek için göstermiş oldukları çabayı anlatmaktadır. Bu makaleye konu olan diğer çalışmada ise, Orhan Kemal politik nedenlerden dolayı hapse atıldığında deneyimlemiş olduğu hapishane hayatını özellikle yoksul, gariban ve kimsesiz bireylerin hayatlarına odaklanarak anlatmaktadır. Eserlerinde genellikle sosyalist gerçekçi bir tavır sergileyen Orhan Kemal, bu anlatımında sadece mahkûmların hayatlarını değil aynı zamanda hapishane ortamını ve gardiyanların mahkûmlara karşı olan aşağılayıcı tavrını da canlı bir şekilde betimlemiştir. Tüm bunlar göz önünde bulundurularak, bu çalışmada Kenyalı yazar ve düşünür Ngugi wa Thiong’o’nun bir günlük türünde kaleme aldığı eseri ile Orhan Kemal’in bizzat şahitlik etmiş olduğu olayları aktardığı 72. Koğuş adlı eseri karşılaştırmalı bir şekilde incelenmiş ve her iki yazarın benzer ve farklı yönlerinin ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır.

Keywords

Ngugi, Orhan Kemal, Hapishane, Mahkûm, Temsil

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