An Analysis of Leyla Erbil’s Political Poetica

Leyla Erbil, a writer of the 1950s generation talks about the depression and trauma caused by being a witness of violence and oppression that has been hidden in unjust and unequal relations in all her works, from her first story to her last novel. She raises the evils pushed out of the collective memory to the surface by making use of the possibilities of philosophy, psychiatry and modern literature and invites the readers to face them together with her. Injustice and violence that magnify each other in Erbil’s narratives appear in three areas: Household, Cultural World and State. Under these three titles, which also comprise the study’s parts, the hierarchy nourished by the patriarchal social order and the established gender roles are examined. Another theme is the concept of political activity that opens the floodgates for each member of society to speak and do politics. In this context, acting can be considered the beginning of the search for freedom. Through the fictional characters of Erbil, this study, which is not a literary review, seeks the possibility of political activity, which emerges with individual opinions, words, and resistance. This study is essentially based on three novels: Tuhaf Bir Kadın, in which the speech and objection are strong, Karanlığın Günü, in which the resistance fades, and Cüce, in which the political activity turns into recording by writing. In line with the scope of the study, other works of the author are also included.