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A COMPARISON OF SYMBOLISM IN F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S THE GREAT GATSBY AND HARUKİ MURAKAMİ’S NORWEGIAN WOOD

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 60 - 74, 21.10.2023

Abstract

The objective of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the symbolism employed in American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald's renowned work, The Great Gatsby, and Japanese writer Haruki Murakami's acclaimed novel, Norwegian Wood to examine the influence of Fitzgerald's writing style on Murakami's literary expression. Symbolism plays a crucial role in literary works as it discreetly enhances the narrative being conveyed. Symbolism refers to the artistic technique of conveying thoughts and emotions by employing indirect means, rather than explicitly describing or defining them through direct comparisons with tangible representations. Symbolism, as a literary device, serves the purpose of alluding to the underlying thoughts and emotions by evoking them in the reader's mind through the utilization of open-ended symbols. This characteristic sets symbolism apart from the straightforward depiction and explanation found in direct description and definition. Symbolism is a sophisticated mode of communication that excels in conveying thoughts and emotions through understated means. Both Fitzgerald’s and Murakami’s novels surpass the confined scope of the individual and establish a connection between the subjective and the objective realms by employing symbolism in their respective compositions. Within this context, this study aims to offer a thorough analysis to clarify the shared characteristics that can be observed between these two authors and the insights or knowledge that Murakami has acquired by studying the literary works of Fitzgerald. The study examines the social value and perspective exhibited by the characters in Haruki Murakami's work, which is deeply entrenched in the cultural standards of Japan. Nevertheless, the assessment of these values is shaped by Western, specifically American, cultural standards.

References

  • Baldick, C. (2001). The concise Oxford dictionary of literary terms. Oxford University Press.
  • Cuddon, J. A. (1998). Dictionary of literary terms and literary theory. Penguin Books.
  • Fitzgerald, F. S. (1993). The Great Gatsby. Wordsworth Classics.
  • Ghiotto, M. F., Wijanarka, H. (2016). American dreams represented through the color in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. JOLL: Journal of Language and Literature, 16(1), 55-62.
  • Güven, S., Erdoğan, R. (2021). Inanimate witness of history. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, 3(1), 228-234.
  • Hang, D. T. T., Bac, L. Y. (2019). Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood: Intersignalities to Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Mann, J. D. Salinger, and Ken Kesey. Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, 19(3), 239-246.
  • Hauhart, R. C. (2013). Religious language and sybolism in The Great Gatsby’s valley of ashes. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews, 26(3), 200-204.
  • Ismael, A. M. H., Samardali, M. F. S. (2018). Symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, 45, 42-45.
  • Murakami, H. (2001). Norwegian Wood. The Harvill Press.
  • Nugroho, B. S. (2020). American cultural imperialism in 1960s Japan as seen in Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Jurnal Ilmiah Lingua Idea, 11(1), 1-15.
  • Pawloska, V. (2022). Colour symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: An analysis of the meaning and pattern of colours.[Unpublished B. A. Thesis]. Karlstads Universitet.
  • Quinn, E. (2006). A dictionary of literary and thematic terms. Facts on File, Inc.
  • Searles, A. (2012). The function of music in Norwegian Wood. [Unpublished B. A. Thesis]. University of Iceland.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’IN MUHTEŞEM GATSBY VE HARUKİ MURAKAMİ’NİN İMKANSIZIN ŞARKISI ROMANLARININ SEMBOLİZM AÇISINDAN KARŞILAŞTIRILMASI

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 60 - 74, 21.10.2023

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Amerikalı yazar F. Scott Fitzgerald'ın ünlü eseri Muhteşem Gatsby ile Japon yazar Haruki Murakami'nin romanı İmkansızın Şarkısı’nda kullanılan sembolizmin karşılaştırmalı bir analizini yaparak Fitzgerald'ın yazım tarzının Murakami'nin edebi tarzı üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir. Sembolizm, aktarılan anlatıyı gizlice güçlendirdiği için edebi eserlerde çok önemli bir rol oynar. Sembolizm, düşünce ve duyguları somut temsillerle doğrudan karşılaştırmalar yoluyla açıkça tanımlamak veya tanımlamak yerine, dolaylı araçlar kullanarak aktarmanın sanatsal tekniğini ifade eder. Edebi bir araç olarak sembolizm, açık uçlu sembollerden yararlanarak, altta yatan düşünce ve duyguları okuyucunun zihninde uyandırarak onlara gönderme yapma amacına hizmet eder. Bu özellik, sembolizmi, doğrudan tanımlama ve tanımlamada bulunan basit tasvir ve açıklamadan ayırır. Sembolizm, düşünceleri ve duyguları abartısız araçlarla aktarmada üstün olan karmaşık bir iletişim biçimidir. Hem Fitzgerald'ın hem de Murakami'nin romanları, bireyin sınırlı alanını aşarak, anlatılarda sembolizmi kullanarak öznel ve nesnel alan arasında bir bağlantı kurar. Bu bağlamda bu çalışma, bu iki yazar arasında gözlemlenebilecek ortak özellikleri ve Murakami'nin Fitzgerald'ın edebi eserlerini inceleyerek edindiği içgörü veya bilgileri açıklığa kavuşturmak için kapsamlı bir analiz sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.Çalışma, Haruki Murakami'nin eserinde, Japonya'nın kültürel standartlarına derinlemesine yerleşmiş olan karakterlerin sergilediği toplumsal değer ve bakış açısını incelemekte, bununla birlikte, bu değerlerin yazınsal olarak ele alınmasının Batı'nın, özellikle de Amerika'nın kültürel standartlarına göre şekillenmekte olduğunu savunmaktadır.

References

  • Baldick, C. (2001). The concise Oxford dictionary of literary terms. Oxford University Press.
  • Cuddon, J. A. (1998). Dictionary of literary terms and literary theory. Penguin Books.
  • Fitzgerald, F. S. (1993). The Great Gatsby. Wordsworth Classics.
  • Ghiotto, M. F., Wijanarka, H. (2016). American dreams represented through the color in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. JOLL: Journal of Language and Literature, 16(1), 55-62.
  • Güven, S., Erdoğan, R. (2021). Inanimate witness of history. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, 3(1), 228-234.
  • Hang, D. T. T., Bac, L. Y. (2019). Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood: Intersignalities to Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Mann, J. D. Salinger, and Ken Kesey. Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, 19(3), 239-246.
  • Hauhart, R. C. (2013). Religious language and sybolism in The Great Gatsby’s valley of ashes. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews, 26(3), 200-204.
  • Ismael, A. M. H., Samardali, M. F. S. (2018). Symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, 45, 42-45.
  • Murakami, H. (2001). Norwegian Wood. The Harvill Press.
  • Nugroho, B. S. (2020). American cultural imperialism in 1960s Japan as seen in Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Jurnal Ilmiah Lingua Idea, 11(1), 1-15.
  • Pawloska, V. (2022). Colour symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: An analysis of the meaning and pattern of colours.[Unpublished B. A. Thesis]. Karlstads Universitet.
  • Quinn, E. (2006). A dictionary of literary and thematic terms. Facts on File, Inc.
  • Searles, A. (2012). The function of music in Norwegian Wood. [Unpublished B. A. Thesis]. University of Iceland.
There are 13 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects British and Irish Language, Literature and Culture
Journal Section TOBİDER - International Journal of Social Sciences Volume 7 Issue 3
Authors

Barış Ağır 0000-0002-7132-5844

Early Pub Date October 20, 2023
Publication Date October 21, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Volume: 7 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Ağır, B. (2023). A COMPARISON OF SYMBOLISM IN F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S THE GREAT GATSBY AND HARUKİ MURAKAMİ’S NORWEGIAN WOOD. Uluslararası Toplumsal Bilimler Dergisi, 7(3), 60-74.