Tracking civility and westernization through the performances of the characters in Pride and Prejudice and Aşk-ı Memnu

Abstract

This study investigates the transition of Western culture into the late Ottoman society and the traces of westernisation through cultural performances and performances of culture in private and public life. Since the concept of civility in English culture appears to be compatible with westernisation in late Ottoman culture, this study discusses how these concepts were digested in the two societies and how they were transformed into real-life performances. An in-depth comparative analysis of the performances of the characters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil's Aşk-ı Memnu (1900) points out the analogy between the socio-cultural lives of societies and sheds light on how structured cultural performances move from one society to another. Even the habits and daily routines of members of the communities in private or public spheres, which can be taken as performances of culture, are shaped according to the socio-historical context they are situated in. Thus, several daily performances which are considered civilized in British society are considered western in Ottoman society and indicate a social code. Since the patriarchal structure of societies leads to segregated roles between the two sexes, this study discusses female education and its reflections on their performances seperately.

Keywords

• civility
• westernization
• performance studies
• women

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