NATIONALISM AND GENDER IN THE NOVELS OF ALEXANDER PAPADIAMANTIS

Authors : Aslı ÇETE

Pages : 1-16

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Publication Date : 2021-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Orthodoxy, which emerged as one of the most important components of Greek national identity, was further strengthened by the inclusion of the Eastern Roman Empire in the official narrative history as an intermediate period. When religion and/or sect becomes a part of national identity, an `other` is needed to strengthen this identity. Although it is the Ottoman/Turkish people constituting the official “other” of the Greek national narrative, also different “others” are seen in the texts. One of these “others” is Western/European, and the other is the woman. These native and foreign women are often marginalized covertly, rather than being directly marginalized like Ottomans/Turkish people or Western/European male characters. In this study, how the characters appearing in three novels of Alexander Papadiamantis published between 1879-1884 are marginalized in accordance with the Greek official narrative history and hegemonic gendered discourse, and the basis on which national identity was built has been examined.
Keywords : Alexander Papadiamandis, gender, the image of the `other`, 19th century Greek novel, historiography