Amerikan Viktoryanizminde Çocuk İhmali Üzerine Bir Belge: Henry James’in “The Pupil” Adlı Öyküsü

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, Henry James’in “The Pupil” (1891) adlı öyküsünde “ihmal edilmiş çocuk” konusu incelenmektedir. Morgan, 19. yüzyılın son çeyreğindeki Amerikan kültürel bilincini yansıtan Viktoryan değerlerine sıkıca bağlı olan ilkesiz ebeveynlerin ihmal edilmiş çocuğudur. Harika bir çocuk olmasına rağmen, aile onu sevmez; çünkü onlara bayağılıklarını anımsatmaktadır. Onu fiziksel ve duygusal olarak ihmal eder, yük olarak görürler. Özel öğretmen, çocuğu ailenin yozlaşmışlığından uzak tutmağa çalışsa da hastalığını ihmal ederek ve en çok ihtiyacı olduğu bir zamanda onu terk ederek ölümünde pay sahibi olur. Yorumcu olarak James, çalışmayıp evde eğitim alan çocukların durumuna dikkat çeker. Bu kültürün çocuklara karşı genel tutumunu eleştirir. Bu, rahatsız edici toplumsal bir gerçektir ve James bu maddeci kültürün çocuklara ihmalci ebeveynlik yoluyla nasıl zulmettiğini gösterir

Keywords

• “ihmal edilmiş çocuk”, ebeveynlik, Viktoryan kültürü, Henry James, “The Pupil”

A Note on Child Neglect in American Victorianism: Henry James’ "The Pupil"

Abstract

In this study, the theme of “neglected child” in Henry James’ “The Pupil” (1891) is explored. Morgan is a neglected child with unscrupulous parents who hold strictly on the Victorian values which reflect American cultural consciousness in the last decades of 19th century. Although he is a brilliant boy, the family does not love him; because he reminds them of their vulgarity. They neglect him physically and emotionally, seeing him as a burden. Although his tutor tries to keep the boy from the family’s corruption, he contributes to his death; he neglects his illness and deserts him when he is most needy. As an interpreter, James draws attention to the situation of children that are not working but being tutored at home. He criticizes this culture’s general attitude towards children. It is a disturbing social reality and he shows how that materialistic culture victimizes children in terms of neglectful parenting

Keywords

• “neglected child”, parenting, Victorian culture, Henry James, “The Pupil”

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