The Footsteps of the Stranger in the Context of Zygmunt Bauman's Liquid Modernity Theory: The Picture Of Dorian Gray and Aylak Adam

The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde’s only novel, and Aylak Adam, Yusuf Atılgan’s award-winning work, through the lens of sociological criticism, specifically within the framework of Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of liquid modernity, focusing on the theme of self-alienation. Alienation as a concept, branches into various categories; however, this study primarily concentrates on self-alienation. The protagonists of both works undergo transformations within the axis of modernity, and their alienation from society and themselves is examined in relation to identity construction and the sense of belonging. Bauman defines modernity as an unstable system built on uncertainty. In this context, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Aylak Adam emerge as literary representations of self-alienation. The protagonist of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, isolates himself from society under the influence of hedonist teachings, turning his physical beauty into his persona while concealing the traces of his shadow within his portrait. The unnamed protagonist in Aylak Adam, C., deliberately severs his ties with society, refusing to conform to any structured order. In this regard, Bauman’s concept of liquid modernity, along with his perspective on liquid love, offers a broad framework to explain how and why both C. and Dorian Gray remain in a perpetual state of search yet fail to reach any destination or establish a stable connection with anyone. In both works, the relationship between modernity and alienation is explored in a multidimensional manner. Keywords: Zygmunt Bauman, Liquid Modernity, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Aylak Adam