ÇOCUK DÜNYASINDA BİREYSELLİK YOLCULUĞU: JUST WILLIAM (1922) VE FİLM ADAPTASYONLARI

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 1308 - 1319, 30.09.2025

Zehra Aydın Koçak

https://doi.org/10.37999/udekad.1720005

Abstract

Çocuk edebiyatı, Orta Çağ’dan günümüze dek kapsamlı bir dönüşüm geçirmiş olup, bu süreç boyunca değişen kültürel ve felsefi paradigmaları sürekli olarak yansıtmıştır. Geleneksel bağlamda, ya çocukluk dünyasını yetişkin bakışıyla sunmuş ya da yetişkinler dünyasını çocuğun perspektifinden yorumlamıştır. Ancak yirminci yüzyıl, çocuk karakterlerin özgün (otantik) bir şekilde kendilerini ifade edebilecekleri edebi bir alanın inşasıyla önemli bir kırılma noktası teşkil etmiştir. Bireysellik çerçevesinde kendilik kavramının tanımı, başlıca iki şekilde tezahür eder: bireyin kendi kimliğini aktif olarak ortaya koyması ya da dışsal otoriteler tarafından dayatılan kimlikleri pasif biçimde benimsemesi. Bu doğrultuda, her çocuk dünyayı kendine özgü bir bakış açısıyla algılar ve anlamlandırır. Bu çalışma, Richmal Crompton’ın Just William (1922) adlı eserini inceleyerek, yetişkin karakterlerin zihinlerinde şekillenen “kurgulanmış çocukluk” kavramını örneklendirerek ele almaktadır. William karakteri aracılığıyla—entelektüel farkındalık ve sezgisel derinlikle betimlenen bir çocuk olarak—roman, yetişkinlerin çocukluk olgusuna dair baskın varsayımlarına eleştirel bir bakış sunar. Eser, yetişkin dünyasının çocuklara yönelik tutumlarını yeniden düşünmeye davet eden yansıtıcı bir araç işlevi görmektedir. Bu çalışma, metinsel çözümlemenin ardından ayrıca Crompton’ın eserinin 1940, 1947, 1976, 1994 ve 2010 yıllarındaki film adaptasyonlarını inceleyecektir.

Keywords

Just William , Çocuk Edebiyatı , Bireysellik , Yetişkin Dünyası , Film Adaptasyonu

THE JOURNEY OF INDIVIDUALITY IN THE CHILDREN’S WORLD: JUST WILLIAM (1922) AND FILM ADAPTATIONS

Abstract

Children’s literature has undergone substantial evolution from the medieval period to the present, consistently reflecting shifting cultural and philosophical perspectives. Traditionally, it either presents the child’s world through an adult gaze or interprets the adult world from a child’s viewpoint. The twentieth century marked a pivotal shift by establishing a literary space where child characters could express themselves with authentic voices. Within the framework of individuality, self-expression manifests in two primary ways: through the active assertion of one’s identity or the passive acceptance of identities imposed by others. Each child, therefore, engages with and interprets the world through a uniquely personal lens. This study examines Richmal Crompton’s Just William (1922), which exemplifies the notion of “constructed childhood” as perceived by adult characters. Through the character of William—a child portrayed with both insight and intellectual acuity—the novel challenges prevailing adult conceptions of childhood. It serves as a reflective medium through which the adult world is invited to reconsider its attitudes toward children. Following the textual analysis of Crompton’s novel, this study will also evaluate its various film adaptations released in 1940, 1947, 1976, 1994, and 2010.

Keywords

Just William , Children's Literature , Individuality , Adult World , Film Adaptation

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