Image and the World of Image in İhsan Oktay Anar's Novel Puslu Kıtalar Atlası

Abstract

This study will first establish a theoretical framework for understanding the concept of imagery, and then examine how it is incorporated into İhsan Oktay Anar's novel Atlas of Misty Continents. After establishing a scientific foundation, the novel will be analyzed from the perspective of imagery. The image, frequently seen in postmodern novels, expands the work's world of meaning. This study will examine Atlas of Misty Continents from the perspective of imagery. In this context, objects, concepts, entities, etc., that can serve as images during the reading process will be considered, and their usage within the novel will be explained. Atlas of Misty Continents is rich in imagery. Prominent images in the work include: atlas, dream, black money, Rendekar, Ebrehe, journey, void, mirror, etc. These images support the novel thematically and philosophically. The word "image" is of Turkish origin. The individual's subconscious and imagination play a significant role in the formation of images. The image, over time, has undergone a semantic expansion, acquiring meanings such as a picture, a concept, an idea, or an impression that appears in the individual's mind. Later, in the context of literature, it came to be used for figures of speech, especially metaphors or similes. Beyond literary works, the image is a phenomenon frequently observed in painting, cinema, and visual arts. In this context, it would not be wrong to state that the image is related to the unconscious. The image enriches the world of meaning in poetry. İhsan Oktay Anar's novel, The Atlas of Misty Continents, exhibits almost all the characteristics of postmodern literature. This approach to the novel emphasizes veiled meanings, imagery, and metaphors. The Atlas of Misty Continents is rich in imagery.

The atlas is the most important image in the novel. Long İhsan Efendi wants to teach his son Bünyamin something, to show him what is right and true. However, he has nothing to give his son except his dreams. Therefore, he gives his son the "Atlas of Misty Continents" that he has written. Like any father, Uzun İhsan wants to teach his son something, to show him what is real. But Uzun İhsan says he only gives his son his dreams. With this atlas, he wants to reveal the true reality behind what is visible. As Uzun İhsan Efendi bids his son farewell, after giving him some advice, he gives him the book so that his son can find his way out when he gets into trouble. The Atlas of Misty Continents (atlas, map) is an image of Uzun İhsan Efendi's attempts to perceive the world, the mystery of life, the purpose of creation, etc. He tries to cope with a complex, labyrinthine, and meaningless world through the maps he draws. In a way, he wants to push the boundaries of his mind to dispel the mists of the unknown and the mystery.

In this novel, the mirror is an object that blurs the "boundary between reality and dream" in an imaginary sense. Uzun İhsan Efendi contemplates Rendekar's words about thinking and being. He puts seven drops of the green sleeping syrup from the bottle into a glass of water, drinks it, and falls asleep. When he looks in the mirror in his dream, he sees not his own reflection, but that of his son, Bünyamin. Here, the mirror, in an allegorical context, reflects the individual's subconscious fears, dreams, and anxieties. The mirror also reflects the person's sense of identity and existential angst. The mirror is an object that serves to separate dream from reality. Uzun İhsan Efendi refers to the allegorical dimension of the mirror by saying that he dreams and that he has no doubt that he is dreaming.

The Atlas of Misty Continents is also rich in dream imagery. In the work, the contrasts between man and devil, devil and God are presented in an allegorical context. A dream can contain what the individual cannot experience in reality, their fantasies, fears, etc. Uzun İhsan Efendi tries to unravel the secrets of life through his dreams. Uzun İhsan creates a world between dream and reality by saying that he tries to explore the world through his dreams. In The Atlas of Misty Continents, Ebrehe is generally portrayed as an evil character. Ebrehe is a character who wants to reach "black money," a black metal, and escape his fate of death. He is someone who, because he represents Satan, is in pursuit of unlimited speed and the ability to leap forward and backward in time, believing that this will save him from the cursed end that awaits him. Black money is an image that evokes misfortune, curse, and evil. The novel is written centered around René Descartes' proposition, "I think, therefore I am." This statement, one of the most important principles of modern philosophy, links the foundation of existence to thinking. The image of journey is present throughout the novel. While Long İhsan Efendi embarks on journeys in his dreams, characters such as Bünyamin, Arap İhsan Efendi, Ebrehe, etc., constantly travel to different places. Bünyamin's journey, in particular, can be closely linked to the process of self-discovery, maturation, and heroism. Bünyamin's underground journey with Vardapet in his dream serves as an image of his understanding of the world. The events that befall Bünyamin parallel the stages of Campbell's protagonist's journey, and Bünyamin appears in the text within a dilemma of heroism.

In the novel, "emptiness" is used in an allegorical context. Ebrehe, the symbol of evil, devises a diabolical plan to find the infinite void, thereby traveling to a time before death existed and achieving immortality. The novel's alternative title, Atlas of Misty Continents, is the Atlas of Emptiness. This image is used to reveal the individual's ego, desires, and passions within the conflict between reality and fantasy. In Atlas of Misty Continents, sleep is a means for Uzun İhsan Efendi to see the world in his dreams. In an allegorical context, sleep is like a threshold for the individual to detach from reality and transition into a dream world. His son, Bünyamin, also falls into a long sleep after drinking too much of the green liquid his father drank. Believed to be dead and buried, Bünyamin awakens to a mysterious voice and emerges from the grave. Later, a sewer worker named Vardapet finds him. The motif of sleep and dreams is prominent here. Bünyamin falls into a deep sleep, but is buried because it is believed he has died and come back to life. After emerging from the grave, his memory is erased, and he seems to begin a new life.

In the novel, Uzun İhsan Efendi sees Bünyamin as his right-hand man, support, and source of strength. Bünyamin undergoes a process of maturation during his spiritual and physical journey. The events he encounters transform him into a mythical hero. He reaches a point of transcending boundaries on his arduous journey. In this respect, while trying to obtain black money, he is severely injured in the face, becoming unrecognizable and taking on a grotesque appearance. The novel contains many other images. Uzun İhsan symbolically represents the author. The numbers 3, 7, and 17 contain philosophical and mystical meanings in an symbolic context. The number 3 is a mystical and philosophical image representing the process of creation. The characters' journeys within their own minds and in Istanbul create an image of a labyrinth. The dark and foggy imagery seen throughout the work reflects the mystery of life, the incomprehensibility of events, and difficulties. The compass, on the other hand, is an image representing truth, righteousness, and the way out.

İhsan Oktay Anar's novel, Atlas of Misty Continents, exhibits almost all the characteristics of postmodern literature. The novel is rich in imagery. The title, Atlas of Misty Continents, or atlas, is rich in imagery. Long İhsan Efendi completes this work by writing down the places he sees in his dreams in an atlas and gives it to his son, Bünyamin. Through this atlas, Bünyamin learns how to act and what to do. The atlas is the most important image of the mystery in the novel. Another important image in the work is the mirror. The dream, existing somewhere between dream and reality, is presented in a way that complements the atlas image. When Long İhsan Efendi looks in the mirror, he sees not his own reflection, but the reflection of his son, Bünyamin. Here, the mirror, in an imagistic context, reveals the individual's subconscious fears, dreams, and anxieties. Another mirror in the novel is Ebrehe's mirror of prophecy. This mirror is a mysterious entity that foretells the date of the apocalypse seven years in advance. Parallel to the novel's title, the mirror is also an object that reveals reality in a world where truth is obscured. Another image in the work is the dream. The work is also rich in dream imagery. In a symbolic context, the contrasts between man and devil, and devil and God are presented. Ebrehe is also generally portrayed as a bad character. The image of black money evokes misfortune, curse, and evil. The author centers on Rene Descartes' understanding of "I think, therefore I am" (Cogito, ergo sum). The name Bünyamin is also used symbolically. Bünyamin is the son of Uzun İhsan and is, in effect, his source of strength, his right hand.