TWO AUTHORS IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIALIST-REALISTIC LITERATURE: JOHN STEINBECK AND ORHAN KEMAL

Abstract

Increasing mechanization since the Industrial Revolution has affected many societies of the world, especially Western societies. Increasing mechanization with the revolution has brought with it migration movements due to economic origin. Increasing migration from rural areas to cities with the dream of a better life has resulted in worse socio-economic results rather than individuals leading a better life. The surplus of workers resulting from the ever-increasing population in the cities has provided the capital owners with the opportunity to employ workers at a lower cost. As a result, working hours increased and wages decreased. Workers are compelled to lead an inhuman life in the cities. Increasing mechanization has begun to show its effect in rural areas as well, with the mechanization in agriculture, the workforce of the villagers has decreased, and their lands have been taken away from them by means of banks and they have been forced to migrate. Some artists could not remain indifferent to these difficult life conditions experienced by the workers, and they dealt with this subject in their works. This situation brought with it a new understanding of literature. This understanding is the "Socialist Realist" understanding of art, the foundation of which was laid in Soviet Russia in 1934. With this understanding, a number of duties and ideologies have been imposed on the artist and the artist. In this study, in addition to the universality and literary similarity of the subjects of John Steinbeck and Orhan Kemal, two writers from different geographies in the context of SocialistRealistic Literature understanding, the social and political reasons why Orhan Kemal could not achieve such a great reputation as Steinbeck despite this literary success are both sociological and sociological. and will be examined from the perspective of comparative literature. Key words: Socialist Literature, Orhan Kemal, John Steinbeck.