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Papers by Özge Üstündağ Güvenç

Changing English

During the COVID-19 pandemic, academics and students have had to respond to the unexpected and un... more During the COVID-19 pandemic, academics and students have had to respond to the unexpected and unplanned shift from face-toface to online teaching. Since teaching and learning through online portals has been a new experience, this has prompted the academics in the English Language and Literature Department at Çankaya University to seek alternative and creative ideas to promote student productivity, participation and motivation. The aim of this case study is to discuss how the course materials, teaching methods and assessment have been redesigned to meet the needs of online education during the pandemic. With the examples from changes in the syllabi, student survey and sample student responses, this study also reveals how the academics in the department have had an opportunity to re-evaluate systems of teaching both on and offline and to refresh their role as instructors.

Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This... more Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This Was the Old Chief's Country recounts the story of white settlers, Major and Mrs Gale, whose routinized farm life in Rhodesia acquires a new dimension with the arrival of an Afrikaner couple, Mr and Mrs De Wet, to assist the Gales. Within the framework of recent theories of Thirdspace / Third Space by Edward Soja and Homi Bhabha, which are then related to Rosi Braidotti's theory on nomadism, this study aims to show how hybridisation can only happen on the material level of space and how space, including the house, the garden and natural environment, can be configured and transformed from restrictive conceptualisation with boundaries to alternative ones where the female characters can escape to.

aims to discuss not only the material qualities of transient places in London and their conceived... more aims to discuss not only the material qualities of transient places in London and their conceived perspective which segregates the poor and the homeless from the wealthy but also the old woman's configuration of alternative spaces for herself out of the ruins without a sense of home.

Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This Was the Old C... more Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This Was the Old Chief's Country recounts the story of white settlers, Major and Mrs Gale, whose routinized farm life in Rhodesia acquires a new dimension with the arrival of an Afrikaner couple, Mr and Mrs De Wet, to assist the Gales. Within the framework of recent theories of Thirdspace / Third Space by Edward Soja and Homi Bhabha, which are then related to Rosi Braidotti's theory on nomadism, this study aims to show how hybridisation can only happen on the material level of space and how space, including the house, the garden and natural environment, can be configured and transformed from restrictive conceptualisation with boundaries to alternative ones where the female characters can escape to.

If interpreted from the historical, Marxist, and feminist viewpoints, Ann Radcliffe in The Myster... more If interpreted from the historical, Marxist, and feminist viewpoints, Ann Radcliffe in The Mysteries of Udolpho can be said to have depicted the historical progression from the feudal to the capitalist order, with the position of woman in this transformation constituting the central theme of the novel. Radcliffe sees the old system as a form of Apollonian (rational and well-organized) order, while she associates the new system with the Dionysian (irrational and chaotic) disorder. In such an outopia (nowhere and everywhere), Emily, the " virtuous " protagonist, and the other " good " characters represent the established feudal system, while the " evil " antagonist Montoni and his band stand for the burgeoning capitalism of the eighteenth century and its rough destructiveness. Though Radcliffe puts emphasis on the triumph of the old over the new system at the end, her solution fails, for Emily, the protagonist of the novel, remains stereotypically flat, for she cannot be more than a " helpless maiden " who still needs the protection and support of a male in her male-dominated society. Hence, Radcliffe fails to create for her audience a self-reliant revolutionary female character and, by extension, a better paradigm in support of the female identity. ÖZET: Tarihsel, Marksist, ve feminist bakış açıları ile yorumladığımızda, Ann Radcliffe'in Udolpho'nun Gizemleri adlı romanında, tarihin feodal sistemden kapitalist düzene ilerleme sürecinde kadının durumunu ana tema yaparak, bu geçiş dönemini tasfir ettiği söylenebilir. Radcliffe eski sistemi Apollonian (yani akıl ve uyum) olarak kabul ederken, yeni düzeni de Dionysian (yani içgüdü ve karmaşa) ile bağdaştırmıştır. Yazarın yarattığı outopia'da (olmayan yer) ana karakter Emily ve diğer iyi karakterler yerleşik feodalitenin doğrularını temsil ederken, Montoni ve arkadaşları ise onsekizinci yüzyılın gelişmekte olan kapitalizmini ve bu yapının yıkıcılığını anlatmaktadır. Romanın sonunda eski sistemin yeni düzene karşı kazandığı zaferin üzerinde önemle durulmasına rağmen, Radcliffe'in önerdiği çözüm tatmin edici değildir; çünkü ana kahraman Emily basmakalıp bir karakter olarak kalmış, aidiyet hissettiği erkek-egemen toplumda halen bir erkeğin korumasına muhtaç, savunmasız bir genç kız tiplemesinden öteye gidememiştir. Bu yüzden Radcliffe, kendine güveni yüksek, devrimci bir karakter yaratamamış ve dolayısıyla kadın kimliğini koruyup destekleyen daha gelişmiş bir kültürel yapıyı eserinde ortaya koyamamıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Radcliffe, Udolpho'nun Gizemleri, kapitalizm, feodalizm, ataerkillik Introduction The Mysteries of Udolpho has hardly been taken as a work demonstrating the social, cultural, and historical aura of its time. Instead, it was interpreted as an exemplar contributing, in terms of the atmospheric devices, to the establishment of the gothic genre after Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto. Radcliffe's work, however, is more than that: other than creating the gothic atmosphere and the strong sense of suspense which form the basis of any gothic work, she introduces her audience to the vital social problems of her time such as the fall of aristocracy, the property rights of women and the problem of usurpation, and the emerging bourgeois ideology with its material aspect of life. Radcliffe sees all these as threats to the established system, and especially to the woman of her society. Hence, a close reading of her text will reveal the author's interest in the social issues of her time and in the position of woman in this paradigmatic shift from the feudal to the capitalist system.

Katherine Mansfield's contribution to the development of short story genre in English literature ... more Katherine Mansfield's contribution to the development of short story genre in English literature is based on her use of narrative techniques, especially that of focalization. In her short story "The Garden Party" which recounts the story of the upper-class Sheridan family's garden party preparations, Mansfield challenges issues related to class and gender from the main character Laura's focalisation. In this initiation story, Laura starts questioning the roles attributed to an upper-class woman right after she meets the workers who come to make the preparations for the party. Her dilemma about her class comes to a climactic point when she learns the death of a working class neighbour, Mr. Scott, and visits his funeral home. Through the juxtaposition of these two classes from the viewpoint of a female adolescent, Mansfield not only criticises the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie, but also roles expected from a woman. The aim of this article, then, is to discuss Mansfield's "The Garden Party" with respect to the theory of deconstruction to show how the writer problematizes logocentrism by subverting the binary oppositions based on class and gender.

Books by Özge Üstündağ Güvenç

Home in Western Literature, 2021

Changing English

During the COVID-19 pandemic, academics and students have had to respond to the unexpected and un... more During the COVID-19 pandemic, academics and students have had to respond to the unexpected and unplanned shift from face-toface to online teaching. Since teaching and learning through online portals has been a new experience, this has prompted the academics in the English Language and Literature Department at Çankaya University to seek alternative and creative ideas to promote student productivity, participation and motivation. The aim of this case study is to discuss how the course materials, teaching methods and assessment have been redesigned to meet the needs of online education during the pandemic. With the examples from changes in the syllabi, student survey and sample student responses, this study also reveals how the academics in the department have had an opportunity to re-evaluate systems of teaching both on and offline and to refresh their role as instructors.

Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This... more Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This Was the Old Chief's Country recounts the story of white settlers, Major and Mrs Gale, whose routinized farm life in Rhodesia acquires a new dimension with the arrival of an Afrikaner couple, Mr and Mrs De Wet, to assist the Gales. Within the framework of recent theories of Thirdspace / Third Space by Edward Soja and Homi Bhabha, which are then related to Rosi Braidotti's theory on nomadism, this study aims to show how hybridisation can only happen on the material level of space and how space, including the house, the garden and natural environment, can be configured and transformed from restrictive conceptualisation with boundaries to alternative ones where the female characters can escape to.

aims to discuss not only the material qualities of transient places in London and their conceived... more aims to discuss not only the material qualities of transient places in London and their conceived perspective which segregates the poor and the homeless from the wealthy but also the old woman's configuration of alternative spaces for herself out of the ruins without a sense of home.

Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This Was the Old C... more Doris Lessing's story " The De Wets Come to Kloof Grange " from her collection This Was the Old Chief's Country recounts the story of white settlers, Major and Mrs Gale, whose routinized farm life in Rhodesia acquires a new dimension with the arrival of an Afrikaner couple, Mr and Mrs De Wet, to assist the Gales. Within the framework of recent theories of Thirdspace / Third Space by Edward Soja and Homi Bhabha, which are then related to Rosi Braidotti's theory on nomadism, this study aims to show how hybridisation can only happen on the material level of space and how space, including the house, the garden and natural environment, can be configured and transformed from restrictive conceptualisation with boundaries to alternative ones where the female characters can escape to.

If interpreted from the historical, Marxist, and feminist viewpoints, Ann Radcliffe in The Myster... more If interpreted from the historical, Marxist, and feminist viewpoints, Ann Radcliffe in The Mysteries of Udolpho can be said to have depicted the historical progression from the feudal to the capitalist order, with the position of woman in this transformation constituting the central theme of the novel. Radcliffe sees the old system as a form of Apollonian (rational and well-organized) order, while she associates the new system with the Dionysian (irrational and chaotic) disorder. In such an outopia (nowhere and everywhere), Emily, the " virtuous " protagonist, and the other " good " characters represent the established feudal system, while the " evil " antagonist Montoni and his band stand for the burgeoning capitalism of the eighteenth century and its rough destructiveness. Though Radcliffe puts emphasis on the triumph of the old over the new system at the end, her solution fails, for Emily, the protagonist of the novel, remains stereotypically flat, for she cannot be more than a " helpless maiden " who still needs the protection and support of a male in her male-dominated society. Hence, Radcliffe fails to create for her audience a self-reliant revolutionary female character and, by extension, a better paradigm in support of the female identity. ÖZET: Tarihsel, Marksist, ve feminist bakış açıları ile yorumladığımızda, Ann Radcliffe'in Udolpho'nun Gizemleri adlı romanında, tarihin feodal sistemden kapitalist düzene ilerleme sürecinde kadının durumunu ana tema yaparak, bu geçiş dönemini tasfir ettiği söylenebilir. Radcliffe eski sistemi Apollonian (yani akıl ve uyum) olarak kabul ederken, yeni düzeni de Dionysian (yani içgüdü ve karmaşa) ile bağdaştırmıştır. Yazarın yarattığı outopia'da (olmayan yer) ana karakter Emily ve diğer iyi karakterler yerleşik feodalitenin doğrularını temsil ederken, Montoni ve arkadaşları ise onsekizinci yüzyılın gelişmekte olan kapitalizmini ve bu yapının yıkıcılığını anlatmaktadır. Romanın sonunda eski sistemin yeni düzene karşı kazandığı zaferin üzerinde önemle durulmasına rağmen, Radcliffe'in önerdiği çözüm tatmin edici değildir; çünkü ana kahraman Emily basmakalıp bir karakter olarak kalmış, aidiyet hissettiği erkek-egemen toplumda halen bir erkeğin korumasına muhtaç, savunmasız bir genç kız tiplemesinden öteye gidememiştir. Bu yüzden Radcliffe, kendine güveni yüksek, devrimci bir karakter yaratamamış ve dolayısıyla kadın kimliğini koruyup destekleyen daha gelişmiş bir kültürel yapıyı eserinde ortaya koyamamıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Radcliffe, Udolpho'nun Gizemleri, kapitalizm, feodalizm, ataerkillik Introduction The Mysteries of Udolpho has hardly been taken as a work demonstrating the social, cultural, and historical aura of its time. Instead, it was interpreted as an exemplar contributing, in terms of the atmospheric devices, to the establishment of the gothic genre after Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto. Radcliffe's work, however, is more than that: other than creating the gothic atmosphere and the strong sense of suspense which form the basis of any gothic work, she introduces her audience to the vital social problems of her time such as the fall of aristocracy, the property rights of women and the problem of usurpation, and the emerging bourgeois ideology with its material aspect of life. Radcliffe sees all these as threats to the established system, and especially to the woman of her society. Hence, a close reading of her text will reveal the author's interest in the social issues of her time and in the position of woman in this paradigmatic shift from the feudal to the capitalist system.

Katherine Mansfield's contribution to the development of short story genre in English literature ... more Katherine Mansfield's contribution to the development of short story genre in English literature is based on her use of narrative techniques, especially that of focalization. In her short story "The Garden Party" which recounts the story of the upper-class Sheridan family's garden party preparations, Mansfield challenges issues related to class and gender from the main character Laura's focalisation. In this initiation story, Laura starts questioning the roles attributed to an upper-class woman right after she meets the workers who come to make the preparations for the party. Her dilemma about her class comes to a climactic point when she learns the death of a working class neighbour, Mr. Scott, and visits his funeral home. Through the juxtaposition of these two classes from the viewpoint of a female adolescent, Mansfield not only criticises the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie, but also roles expected from a woman. The aim of this article, then, is to discuss Mansfield's "The Garden Party" with respect to the theory of deconstruction to show how the writer problematizes logocentrism by subverting the binary oppositions based on class and gender.

Home in Western Literature, 2021