(Non)westernized men against westernized woman in the novel Handan

Turkish novelists seem to be deeply involved in the question of Westernization. That is, at the same time, a reflection of the social tendency towards Westernization, through the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The position of woman in society was also examined through that innovation period, and many novels emphasize this problem. In this respect, the article focuses on the novel Handan, which is in the form of correspondence and was first published in 1912, written by Halide Edip Ad？var, who is a prominent figure in women’s movement. The novel’s main character Handan’s problematical love affairs with Westernized-like men desiring her in various ways, prompt us to question the position of woman in society in the modernization period. The novel characters Naz？m, Hüsnü Pasha and Refik Cemal shallowly imitate West through that same period. On one hand, those characters represent a new-type man in society in various ways, but on the other, inconsistently, they cannot internalize the new-type woman. Handan is a well-educated woman who has ideas on social issues. Unlike other women in society representing traditional values, she feels comfortable in her conversations with men, she expresses her opinions freely in men’s gatherings; besides, she does not refrain from entering into discussions with men. With all those aspects, Handan causes an obvious hesitation for Naz？m, Hüsnü Pasha and Refik Cemal. This article focuses on Handan’s love affairs with those three male characters, men’s contradictory manner towards women in this new social context, and Handan’s positioning in respect of tradition