Adultery and Infidelity: A Comparative Study of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil' s Aşk-ı Memnû (Forbidden Love)

Abstract

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899) and Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil’s Aşk-ıMemnû (Forbidden Love, 1900) explore the oppressive gender expectations placed upon women in their societies of late 19th-century Louisiana Creole and Ottoman Istanbul. Despite their cultural and geographical differences, both novels depict heroines who are seeking personal autonomy and emotional fulfillment. However, they ultimately succumb to the rigid constraints of patriarchy. Edna Pontellier and Bihter Ziyagül embark on transformative journeys that challenge prescribed gender roles through extramarital relationships, yet their desires for independence are met with societal condemnation. Edna’s rebellion stems from self-discovery and existential awakening, whereas a quest for passion and social validation shapes Bihter’s actions. Both women’s tragic suicides reveal the inescapable consequences of defying patriarchal norms, which underscore the systematic limitations placed on female agency. This comparative study situates The Awakening and Aşk-ıMemnû within feminist and psychoanalytic frameworks and it draws on theories by Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, Sigmund Freud, and other related theoreticians to analyze the intersection of gender, desire, and social order. By highlighting the structural barriers that deny women autonomy, the analysis shows how both works serve as criticism of gendered oppression and reflect the broader struggles of women who navigate patriarchal expectations across different cultural contexts.