AN ANALYSIS IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIOLOGY OF LITERATURE: ÖMER SEYFETTİN’S STORY, PİÇ (THE BASTARD)

This study analyses Ömer Seyfettin's story Piç (The Bastard) from the perspective of sociology of literature, examining the effects of the Westernization process on individuals and society. The Westernisation movements that started in the Ottoman Empire triggered a great change and transformation process in the Ottoman society. This process brought about serious identity crises at both cultural and individual levels. The study addresses the identity crisis and the search for social status created by Westernization through the character of Ahmet Nihat. Ahmet Nihat's admiration for the West causes him to become detached from his own cultural roots and experience an internal conflict. Additionally, by using the metaphor of bastard in both biological and cultural senses, the study discusses the effects of uncertainties in the character's family structure on identity construction. Conducted through document analysis, this study reveals that the story Piç (The Bastard) reflects not only an individual identity crisis but also the struggles of Ottoman society during the modernization process. Ömer Seyfettin's story analyses the complex effects of cultural and social transformations brought about by Westernization on the individual. In conclusion, the story Piç (The Bastard) is considered an important work for understanding the identity crises created by modernization and Westernization processes at both individual and societal levels from the perspective of sociology of literature. This study presents the cultural context and character analysis of the story, demonstrating how Ömer Seyfettin reflects the social dynamics of his time. Keywords: Piç (The Bastard), Ömer Seyfettin, Sociology of Literature.