The Primary Sources of Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar’s Fictional World, or Was Hüseyin Rahmi Able to Embrace Naturalism?

Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar (1864–1944) stands as one of the most prominent figures of the early Turkish novel. The late 1880s, when he began his literary career, marked a period of intense literary debates in Turkish literature, driven by the clash between traditional and modern approaches. These years also witnessed the decline of Romanticism, gradually giving way to the emergence of Realism and Naturalism. Among these debates, a significant exchange took place between Beşir Fuad (c. 1852–1887) and Menemenlizâde Mehmed Tahir Efendi (1862–1903) over the merits of Romanticism and Realism. Before penning his first novel, Şık (1889), Hüseyin Rahmi found himself involved in these debates under the influence of Beşir Fuad. Aligning himself with the principles of Realism and Naturalism, Hüseyin Rahmi actively supported Beşir Fuad’s views. In this context, he harshly criticized Menemenlizâde Mehmed Tahir Efendi’s Romantic novel Bir Sergüzeşt through a serialized play titled İstiğrâk-ı Seherî. This work holds particular significance as the first text in which Hüseyin Rahmi elaborates on his realist-naturalist perspective. This article explores Hüseyin Rahmi’s defense of Realism against Romanticism in İstiğrâk-ı Seherî. The 1890s, when he wrote his first novels, were dominated by the Servet-i Fünûn movement, which also adhered to the principles of Realism and Naturalism. However, Hüseyin Rahmi distinguished himself from the Servet-i Fünûn writers, choosing instead to follow his own unique literary path. This divergence raises important questions about the nature of his Realist and Naturalist vision, particularly his focus on depicting the lower strata of society. Unlike Servet-i Fünûn authors, who primarily addressed the concerns of the upper and educated classes, Hüseyin Rahmi aimed to portray the grim realities of various social layers with unflinching objectivity, in line with the principles of Realism and Naturalism. This approach led him to develop a distinct style within these literary movements. This study examines the earliest sources of Hüseyin Rahmi’s fictional world and his understanding of Realism and Naturalism by drawing on both his novels and his instructional writings from different periods.