Abstract
CHILD IN ADULT LITERATURE: CHILDHOOD AND THE DISAPPERANCE OF CHILDHOOD IN THE EXAMPLE OF ALPER KAMU
The protagonist of the novel Oğullar ve Rencide Ruhlar, Alper Kamu, occupies a distinct position among children in adult literature due to his unique characteristics. Alper Kamu asserts his own will and seeks to carve out a place for himself in the adult world rather than the world of children, displaying a distinctive character. In this regard, Alper Kamu is influenced by both the parenting understanding of postmodernism and stands apart from child protagonists and characters prominent in adult literature with his unique qualities. In the article, within the aforementioned framework, the factors that distinguish Alper Kamu, the protagonist of Alper Canıgüz's novel "Oğullar ve Rencide Ruhlar," from other child protagonists in adult literature are discussed within Neil Postman's perspective of the adult world encroaching upon the child's world. It is argued that Alper Kamu's identity is shaped through the framework of the postmodern paradigm. It is argued that Alper Kamu’s identity is formed within the framework of the postmodern paradigm. Initially, the characteristics of prominent child characters in modern Turkish literature are outlined and compared with Alper Kamu, followed by the establishment of Alper Kamu’s unique position within Turkish literature concerning child characters. Subsequently, the historical development of the concept of childhood is presented, revealing how the postmodern paradigm, within which Alper Kamu exists, defines the concept of childhood. Finally, it is concluded that Alper Kamu’s identity is formed within the framework of the postmodern paradigm, which blurs the boundaries between the worlds of childhood and adulthood.
Keywords
postmodernism, childhood, Oğullar ve Rencide Ruhlar, Alper Canıgüz, parenting, Turskih literature.
