Author(s): Ä°pek YILDI
Ahmet Mithat Efendi is a name that stands out with his ideas and works in the literature of Tanzimat period. Ahmet Mithat places education in the focus of civilization. His perception of civilization is made up of the idea that a society which contains material and spiritual assets in itself should continuously work to maximize the living conditions. His perception of civilization is made up of the idea that a society which contains material and spiritual assets in itself should continuously work to maximize the living conditions. He also regards that with hard work and effort education is the source of power of the generation which will maintain its own civilisation. He also mentions his view in many of his articles and writings as well as his novels “Roman Yahut Amerika Doktorlar?”and “Rikalda Yahut Amerika’da Vah?et Âlemi”. The writer often expresses these ideas is due to the belief that the public should be educated in all areas. Ahmet Mithat, who expresses that the artists and intellectuals have great responsibilities in informing the readers, is in favor of the idea that science should be presented clearly. Therefore, he trains his readers in various subjects with an informative attitude in his novels. The concept of education in novels called “Fennî Bir Roman Yahut Amerika Doktorlar?” ve “Ri kalda Yahut Amerika’da Vah?et Âlemi”is primarly expressed and dealt with in various aspects for the civilization of a society and to maintain its presence within other states without falling behind the period. While the writer conveys the concepts such as science and industry with a clear language, he also makes the importance of education clear in the mind of the reader with a new/civilised life theory. Moreover, he instills that the real trouble is laziness; civilisation is hard-working. Not only the effect of education which starts basically and goes on gradually is expressed in novels, but the importance of practical education is also revealed. In this study, the concept of "Education", which Ahmet Mithat Efendi considers as the fundamental requirement of civilization and modernization, will be evaluated within the framework of novels “Fennî Bir Roman Yahut Amerika Doktorlar?” and “Rikalda Yahut Amerika’da Vah?et Âlemi”.
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