Analysis of Elif Şafak's Novel "Intimate" from the Perspective of Gender and the Female Body


Usseli T.

8th International Conference on Gender Studies: Gender & Art and Other Gender Studies, Gazimagusa, Kıbrıs (Kktc), 12 Mayıs 2022

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Gazimagusa
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Kıbrıs (Kktc)
  • Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The aim of this study is to discuss certain concepts and issues of health social science with reference to the novel “Mahrem/Intimate” written by Elif Şafak. The concepts are mainly body perception, medicalization and stigmatization of the female body. The issues are mainly diet and eating disorders.

Stigmatization is traced in the narratives about “too fat”, “too short”, “too ugly”, and “too beautiful” as well as about the concept of being seen.

The heroine's stories of overeating and vomiting are interpreted not only basing on her eating disorder, but also basing on her self-perception, which has been damaged by the sexual abuse she has experienced in her childhood.

The heroine's attempt to transform the appearance of her body with today's beautification and slimming trends such as diet, gymnastics, aerobics, acupuncture and hypnosis is interpreted with reference to medicalization.

This novel written on women, female body and the gaze over the female body uses a semi-realistic, semi-surrealistic fairy-tale language while also telling the stories of people who are being overlooked by society. It also reminds us of the existence of identities that are stigmatized as dwarf, fat, ugly, unnoticeable or undesirable.

 

Keywords: Eating Disorder, Female Body, Gender, Medicalization, Stigmatization, Visibilty