Abstract
THE REPRESENTATION OF THE FRENCH IMAGE THROUGH THE AESTHETICS OF TIME AND SPACE IN AHMET HAMDI TANPINAR’S HUZUR
The modernization of Turkish literature was shaped through cultural encounters with the West, particularly under the influence of French literature and philosophy, which made significant aesthetic and intellectual contributions. Originating during the Tanzimat period, this orientation gained new dimensions during the Republican era, leaving a lasting imprint on the literary memory. Tanpınar emerges as one of the foremost writers of the Republic who addresses the issues of modernization alongside individual psychology and identity construction. In his literary world, French culture is not a mere superficial imitation but a holistic field of interaction imbued with intellectual depth and aesthetic resonance. Indeed, the references to French literature and philosophy in Huzur transcend simple admiration—they provide an intellectual terrain that facilitates an understanding of the individual’s inner crises of modernization, the ruptures induced by social change, and the transformation of cultural memory. This study aims to reveal how the French image is shaped in Tanpınar’s mind and to examine its functions within the framework of temporal and spatial aesthetics. Employing a content analysis design, the study investigates both direct and indirect French images in the novel through the lens of aesthetic codes of time and memory and space. It finds that Henri Bergson's concept of duration and Marcel Proust's notion of involuntary memory prominently inform Tanpınar's reception and positioning of the French image. Regarding spatial aesthetics, Tanpınar is found to draw parallels with Charles Baudelaire’s modern urban aesthetic.
Keywords
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Huzur, French image, time and memory, aesthetic space