The Heroine's Role in Depicting Social Change in the Late Ottoman Era: A Study of Eylül by Mehmet Rauf

Abstract

The novel Eylül by Mehmet Rauf, an Ottoman writer, is a distinguished literary work that highlights the social and cultural transformations experienced by Ottoman society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This study analysed the role of the heroine in this novel, how she interacted with her surrounding environment, and how she reflected the changes that Ottoman society underwent during that period shedding light on how she embodied these social changes that influenced the life of the Ottoman individuals. The findings highlighted the novel’s role in documenting social transformations in the late Ottoman era. By examining the heroine's function, the study demonstrates how changing societal standards, notably those concerning gender roles, individual liberties, and modernity, are reflected in Ottoman literature. The study also placed Eylül in a larger historical and political framework, illustrating how writing can both reflect and critique modern developments. Consequently, the study adds to a better knowledge of Ottoman intellectual and cultural history, with Mehmet Rauf's work serving as a crucial work in depicting the shift from traditional to contemporary society systems.