POSTMODERNIST TECHNIQUES AND THE SYNTHESIS OF EASTERN/WESTERN IDENTITY IN ELIF SHAFAK’S NOVEL THE ARCHITECT’S APPRENTICE

https://doi.org/10.59982/18294359-26.1-ph-27

Abstract
The article examines the literary worldview and work of the contemporary writer Elif Shafak. Shafak is considered an English-speaking writer whose roots originate from Turkey, but according to her, she belongs to the whole world. Her works belong to the modernist and postmodernist literary trends, as they contain elements typical of twentieth-century and postmodernist literature: the fusion of the fabulous and the real, the subtle definition of irony, intertextuality, and of course, serious and profound religious ideologies. Following all the principles and standards of postmodernist literature, Elif Shafak creates a unique fairy-tale reality in which the intertextual materials, which are somewhat reproduced through irony, become keys to the heroes' self-creation and self-discovery. Many of Shafak's ideas are best reflected in her novel "The Architect's Apprentice", where the behavior and morals of the city Istanbul are examined. By presenting representatives of different nations side by side, Shafak promotes the ideas of universal solidarity and humanity. Elif Shafak also pays special attention to feminist themes, as one of the most important issues of all time.

 Keywords: Elif Shafak, Anglo-Turkish literature, postmodernism, intertextuality, fairy-tale narrative, the synthesis of East and West, intercultural identity.

PAGES: 326-337
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