Writing as a space: metadiegetic narratives in Kırmızı Pelerinli Kent and Romantik Bir Viyana Yazı

Abstract

In this thesis study, through analysing Aslı Erdoğan’s novel Kırmızı Pelerinli Kent and Adalet Ağaoğlu’s novel Romantik Bir Viyana Yazı, I would like to assert the idea that “writing” provides a space to the characters that have already become placeless for various reasons. To this end, I will point out that what makes this possible is the new layers of narrative born by the fact that the main characters of both novels write novels that share the same title with the ones in which they exist. I will also discuss the opportunities offered by the narrative techniques and elements of both novels, to their characters who avoid the reality of the outer world and seek to create a brand-new space for themselves. To achieve that, I will focus on the metadiegetic narratives, which enable “writing” to serve as a space for the characters, as well as on the functions of these narratives, by employing Genette’s terminology of narrative levels.