David Hare's "Stuff Happens": An Alternative Narrative of Iraq War

Year 2020, Issue: 6, 28 - 65, 15.09.2020

Ömer Kemal Gültekin

https://doi.org/10.46250/kulturder.776016

Abstract

In the 20th century postmodernism has fundamentally altered the approach to the concept of history. Showing that grand narratives can be reversed by minor narratives, Jean-François Lyotard played a great role in the development of postmodernism. The purpose of this article is to analyse how the dramatic techniques used in David Hare’s play Stuff Happens in line with Lyotard’s take deconstruct grand narratives about Iraq War at the beginning of the 21st century. By manipulating verbatim theatre techniques, the play asserts that historical reality must always be perceived through a sceptical perspective. Setting the political verbatim accounts, therefore the grand narratives, with unheard minor voices/narratives, Hare, both unearths the discrepancies of political reality and stresses that every narrative is fictional. In this respect, as a postmodern text, Stuff Happens rejects construction of grand narratives by drawing attention to alternative realities and demonstrates that political grand narratives cannot be unique realities.

Keywords

Stuff Happens, David Hare, Jean-François Lyotard, Postmodern History, Iraq War

David Hare'in "Stuff Happens"ı: Alternatif Bir Irak Savaşı Anlatısı

Abstract

Postmodernism 20. yüzyılda hiç şüphesiz tarih kavramına bakışı kökten bir şekilde değiştirmiştir. Bu değişimde resmi tarih gibi üst-anlatıları (grand narratives) alt-anlatılarla (minor narratives) ters yüz edilebileceğini gösteren Jean-François Lyotard’ın payı da oldukça büyüktür. Bu makalenin amacı David Hare tarafından yazılan Stuff Happens adlı oyununda kullanılan teatral tekniklerin Lyotard’ın izlerini takip ederek 21. yüzyılın başındaki Irak Savaşı hakkındaki üst-anlatıları nasıl değersiz kıldığını incelemektir. Oyun tarihi gerçekliğe olan bakışın daima şüpheci bir yaklaşım ile olması gerektiğini verbatim tiyatro tekniğini manipüle ederek anlatır. Hare Irak Savaşı hakkında politikacılar tarafından verilen motamot demeçleri ve dolayısıyla oluşturulan üst anlatıları daha az duyulan alt-anlatılar ve alternatif gerçekliklerle aynı sahnede buluşturarak hem politik gerçekliğin tutarsızlıklarını gün yüzüne çıkarır hem de her anlatının aslında bir kurgusal olduğunu vurgular. Bu açıdan postmodern bir metin olan Stuff Happens susturulan alternatif gerçeklere dikkat çekerek üst-anlatıların oluşturulmasına karşı çıkar ve politik üst-anlatıların asla tek gerçek olamayacağını bir kez daha gösterir.

Keywords

Stuff Happens, David Hare, Jean-François Lyotard, Postmodern Tarih, Irak Savaşı

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