Ottoman Realism

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Realism
Realism is a literary movement that aims at the representation of especially middle-class life without subjective romantic perspective of things and events around them. Realism unlike other literary movements such as romanticism that are based on subjectivity is largely based on objectivity. It is concerned with the fidelity of what it depicts in the material in relation to what is true. In order to exploit a character to depict realism, realists use ordinary and not so interesting characters. In Ottoman literature (literature both written and/or spoken in Turkish), realism has been used for some time. One of the best know person to use realism is Enderunlu Fazıl. Fazil as an Ottoman poet depicts the beauty of men in various lands. The most notable of his material is the “The Book of Women” which was later banned in the Ottoman Empire. This book describes the advantages and disadvantages of women in different nations. As a realist poet, Fazil has written the poem depicting much of what women are. This is brought about by how he depicts women in his literary work “The Book of Women” which he heavily keeps a check in reality and creativity as well as not deviating away from the norms. However, it does represent a rather unconventional method of writing Ottoman literature. The depictions he drew against women heavily rely on the society’s knowledge and conceptions about women.
At the beginning of the poem, alluding to the creation story of the Bible, he starts off by praising women and obscurely giving their position relative to man. He again continues with his praises and shows the fragility of the woman. Here Fazil creates a picture of the woman as a fragile creature that ought to be protected by man from hostilities. Giving some clues to his claims is the order in which he talks about the two being i.e. the man and women being created in tandem. He deliberately uses this order to plant the idea in the readers mind and remind them of the social constructs that exists. These social constructs usually place a woman at a place below a man in rank. Normally, though not overtly referred, most social communities are highly patriarchal. As a result, there is usually a tendency to consider the men’s opinion first then afterwards reconsider women’s opinion. Thus, the allusion from the Bible has been used to strengthen the patriarchal notions and conventions that are held in the society on the position of women in respect to women. In reality though, there exists laws to protect and try to equalize the two extremes. This strengthens the notion that the woman is usually place in a protected state with the men of course doing the protection.
Fazil continues to make claim of the status of women in the patriarchal society. He talks of the expectations that are put thereof by men against women. Comparing this beauty to the primary purpose of women to that of procreation. Beauty is therefore a social concept that is built to maintain a value that otherwise is depleted quickly. He claims that women’s womb are the soil for human. To compare women’s womb to the soil, he basically means of the sole purpose of women to sustain humanity. ...