Traces of Chinese Philosophy in Esirler and Bozkurtların Ölümü: A Comparative Study on the Axis of Wisdom, Governance and Death

In this study, Sabahattin Ali’s theatre play Esirler (2020) and Nihal Atsız’s novel Bozkurtların Ölümü (2010) are examined. The two works comparatively examine how the Chinese philosophical thought tradition is represented on the axes of wisdom, governance and death. The study brings together the approaches of comparative literature, imagology, philosophical hermeneutics and close reading. Thus, it discusses how the Chinese hetero-image and the Turkish self-image are constructed in the two texts. The figure of wisdom, wu-wei/inaction, symbolic governance, the perception of death as transformation, suggestive expression and the relationship between language/translation have been determined as the main categories of analysis. The findings show that Chinese thought is used more extensively in the play Esirler. Issues of wisdom, death and governance produce an ethical–political awakening and intellectual depth. In Bozkurtların Ölümü, however, Chinese thought is more limited. It becomes visible especially through the opposition established with the Chinese sage, language, intrigue and the Turkish warrior identity. Thus, a similar historical ground is reshaped through different ideological and aesthetic orientations. In this respect, the study opens an original field of discussion regarding the reception of Chinese thought in Turkish literature. As a result, the study reveals that China functions in Turkish literature not only as a historical rival or cultural other, but also as an intellectual field of contact.