JOSHAS Journal (e-ISSN:2630-6417) APRIL 2021 / Vol:7, Issue:38 / pp.372-376
Arrival Date : 20.02.2021
Published Date : 11.04.2021
Doi Number : http://dx.doi.org/10.31589/JOSHAS.556
Cite As : Saribas, S. (2021). “A Comparative Analysis Of The Concept Of Aging In Homer’s Iiiad And Yaşar Kemal’s The Wind
From The Plain”, Journal Of Social, Humanities and Administrative Sciences, 7(38):372-376.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF AGING IN HOMER’S IIIAD
AND YAŞAR KEMAL’S THE WIND FROM THE PLAIN
YAŞLILIK KAVRAMI ÜZERİNE KARŞILAŞTIRMALI BİR ÇÖZÜMLEME: İLYADA, HOMER VE ORTADİREK, YAŞAR KEMAL
Asts. Prof. Dr. Serap SARIBAŞ
Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Faculty of Literature, Department of English Language and Literature, Karaman/Turkey
ORCID Number: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4079-8024
ABSTRACT
Both The Iliad and The Wind from the Plain are classic literary works connected to two very distinct time periods. Similarly, these works both depict society’s view of its elderly citizens in two very distinct ways. Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, showcases the respect and dignity the elderly are given by the Achaeans. This can be clearly identified through Homer’s depictions of the characters Priam, Chryses, and Phoenix. Each of these characters were once strong, but now due to the age, must act as supplicants to achieve their aims. However, they continue to be sought out for their advice as their advanced years make them knowledgeable and experienced. On the other hand, Kemal’s novel The Wind from the Plain illustrates how old age negatively affects how the main characters are viewed by their fellow villagers. The two main aged characters of Old Halil and Meryemce are depicted as burdens and annoyances within their village. They are no longer looked upon with respect and the knowledge that comes with their years of experience is no longer sought out. In another point of comparison, Homer does not describe the physical characteristics of his aged characters, focusing solely on their history of experience, whereas Kemal goes into great detail to describe the ravages of age on the human body.
Key Words: Social and Historical Conflicts, The paradox of “Gerontocracy” in Ancient Greek Society, Aging and Death in Anatolian Culture
ÖZET
Hem İlyada hem de Ortadirek iki belirgin zaman dilimiyle bağlantılı edebi eserlerdir. Bu eserler birbirine benzer olarak toplumun yaşlılara yönelik görüşlerini iki farklı şekilde anlatır. Homer’in destansı şiiri İlyada, Akalıların yaşlılara gösterdiği saygıyı ve değeri göstermektedir. Bu Homer’in Priam, Chryses ve Phoenix karakterlerini anlatışında açıkça görülebilir. Bu karakterlerden her biri zamanında güçlü kişiler olup şimdi yaşlarından ötürü amaçlarını gerçekleştirmek için yalvarmak durumunda kalmıştır. İleri yaşları onları bilge ve deneyimli kıldığı için hâlâ onlardan tavsiye istenmektedir. Diğer bir yandan Yaşar Kemal’in romanı Ortadirek’de yaşlılığının baş karakterlerin köydeki diğer insanlarca algılanmalarını nasıl etkilediği gösterilir. İki yaşlı ana karakter Yaşlı Halil ve Meryemce köylerinde bir yük ve rahatsızlıkmış gibi gösterilmiştir. Artık saygı görmüyor ve yıllanmış deneyimlerinden gelen bilgelik artık sorulmuyordur. Bir diğer karşılaştırma unsuruna bakarsak Homer yaşlı karakterlerinin fiziksel özelliklerinden bahsetmemiştir ve sadece onların deneyimsel geçmişine odaklanmıştır. Ancak Yaşar Kemal yaşın insan vücudunda ortaya çıkardığı yıkımı detaylı bir şekilde işlemiştir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Sosyal ve Tarihsel Çatışmalar, Eski Yunan Toplumunda “Gerontokrasi” Paradoksu, Anadolu Kültüründe Yaşlılık ve
Ölüm
1. INTRODUCTION
The Iliad, as one of the most momentous works in Western literature, is known for its characteristics of a heroic narrative. Homer articulates the story of a great war by depicting both the excellence of physical and intellectual sides of the heroic tradition. The heroic side of war is represented by young, strong men who physically do battle, whilst the intellectual side is represented by old men who understand the war mentally. Nevertheless, old age does not only bring wisdom, it also brings variety of impediments. In the Iliad, Homer depicts the deprivation and inconveniences old age brings, even though he does not deride or despise his old characters. In The Wind from the Plain, a Turkish literary work of a wholly different era, Yaşar Kemal narrates the story of two old people who strive to resist the hardships of declining years. Although both The Iliad and The Wind from the Plain unveil aged characters, Homer and Kemal offer diverse approaches.
To start, character depiction is disparate in both literary works, Homer refrains from direct depictions of appearance and personality. Through the poem, aged characters are consistently the focus of attention, but little is said about their physical appearance. Homer recounts them as “old man”, but he does not entirely reveal the characteristics of old age. His characters are not wholly delicate, crawling, and disabled men, but rather Review Article
old age is represented by comparing the earlier and younger version of each character with their present version. On the contrary, in the very beginning of The Wind from the Plain, Kemal describes Old Halil in detail while he is resting in his garden:
“He was sitting in the sun leaning against the wall of the house, his legs stretched out, a bitter expression on his long-shrivelled face. His dirty white beard straggled over his breast and his grizzled tufted eyebrows jutted over his tiny green eyes, but his head was quite bald. The bones of his huge bare feet, tapering into black jagged nails, could be counted” (Kemal, 1969:7).
Additionally, throughout the novel, Kemal portrays how old age defeats Meryemce and Old Halil during their journey to Çukurova. Steep, rough roads and paths accelerate the asperity of old age in the struggle to reach the plain:
“Meryemdje’s body ached all over and was drenched in sweat. Every two steps she stopped and jerked her mouth up gaspingly like a bird drinking water. Her eyes had disappeared in their sockets and straggling strands of hennaed hair plastered her face and neck that were parched like a sun-cured hide” (Kemal, 1969:74).
As well, Homer’s and Kemal’s attitudes toward old age are divergent. Homer does not ridicule, scorn, or criticise the inconveniences of old age, nor does Kemal attempt to ridicule or criticize the nuisances of being old. However, Meryemce and Old Halil have great affliction walking to Çukurova, whereas the old men in the Iliad do not show illness or debility. All have responsibilities and act with power in order to fulfil their aims. Nestor, as the most energetic of the poem’s aged characters, participates in every decision during the war. Other elders in the poem, Priam, Phoenix, and Chryses are not in impoverished health, rather they are dynamic despite their old age. Moreover, Nestor and Phoenix even join the battle although they are not obliged to do so.
An advanced age is conventionally equated with death. However, in the Iliad, this affinity does not exist. Despite the loss of his strength, Nestor never seems to think about approaching death. These old warriors do not link death with old age; for them death customarily comes on the battleground. Priam does not believe he will die of old age, but presumes that he will die of grief over the death of his son, Hector. To clarify, Homer does not correlate old age with death, nor does he reveal a convenient affinity between the two. Death does not enter their minds unless they are on the battlefield.
2. CONNECTION OF OLD AGE AND DEATH
In addition, in Kemal’s work, the characters do not die due to old age or its asperities. Kemal differs greatly from Homer in that his characters encounter death under divergent circumstances. In the Iliad, the elderly Nestor and Priam meet death on account of the ongoing war. In The Wind from the Plain, Meryemce and Old Halil face death owing to the excruciating surroundings of their expedition to Çukurova. However, unlike the characters in the Iliad, Old Halil and Meryemce face death as their old masses. On many occasions, Kemal describes Old Halil and Meryemce on the verge of death as they cannot endure the rougher phases of their journey. Meryemce consistently gets lost and feels threatened by death:
“Then all her strength ebbed away and she rolled to the ground, her body shaken with convulsions. Darkness encompassed her. She saw death and emptiness closing in on her. Clawing at the ground, she dragged herself up in a desperate effort to break free from its darkness, this nothingness, and wheeled about this way and that” (Kemal, 1969:148).
As much as Kemal recounts impending death due to old age, neither Old Halil nor Meryemce die at the end of the novel. Kemal makes the reader see the close relationship between old age and death. Long Ali reminds us of the possibility of death even at the beginning of the novel: “I can’t help pitying him with all my heart. How will the poor man ever walk all that long road. He might die on the way” (Kemal, 1969:14).
In both the Iliad and The Wind from the Plain, the elderly are thrown into situations which they struggle to surmount. They are shown as suppliants who require assistance from others to clarify their complications or simply to remain alive. In the preface of the Iliad, Chryses tries to get his daughter, Chryseis, back from Agamemnon. Chryses begs the Achaeans to accept a ransom for the safe return of his daughter. As a priest of Apollo, Chryses is unable to protect his daughter from these men and is also unable to get her back on his own. Desperately, he begs Apollo to get his daughter back and punish those who humiliated such an old man. Chryses cannot recover his daughter without the support of an agent or even a god. Homer clearly illustrates here the impotence of an old man to provide safety for his family.
Priam, the last king of Troy, is one of the most piteous characters of the poem, and like Chryses he also plays the suppliant. His suffering is doubled by the death of his son and the future destruction of his great city in his old age. After the death of his son Hector, Priam becomes a total suppliant. He needs assistance in taking his son’s corpse from Achilles. Only after Iris tells Priam to go to Achilles and deliver the ransom to him personally, does he come to life after such grief. However, to reach his son, he has to travel in the dark without eating or sleeping, regardless of his old age. This journey is a verification of his ineptitude against the onerous requirements of life. He rides alone in the dark with no one but Hermes to take him to Achilles’ tent. Upon entering Achilles’ tent, Priam has to depend on Achilles to return his son’s corpse and, as an act of complete supplication, he kisses Achilles’ hands. Although he should rightly seek revenge, he instead begs Achilles to return his son so that he may be properly buried, and his soul can rest. As he is not a distinguished man with the endurance and energy of youth, he has to surrender and beg for what he asks. Homer depicts Priam in one of the most degrading moments of his life being as both a father and a king.
Another aged character in The Iliad is Phoenix, who faces the fear of being sent home after visiting Achilles in an attempt to persuade him to reconcile with Agamemnon and rejoin the battle. The envoy selected to woo Achilles consists of supplicants, with Phoenix at their center as he is the one who will be most affected by Achilles’ decision. After Achilles rejects their plea, Phoenix childishly bursts into tears. Although Achilles claims that he will not force Phoenix to go back to Phthia with him, he fears that the father-son relationship between them is in peril. Phoenix tries to remind Achilles of their close bond by recounting the ancient story of how Peleus sent Achilles to Phthia in order to make him a great warrior. However, at the same time, he uses his long history with Achilles to induce Achilles to pity his tears. Phoenix desperately begs and beseeches in an attempt to affect Achilles by touching his senses and emotions, so that Odysseus Tsagarakis considers Phoenix’s appeal “the most emotional of the embassy’s speeches” by far (1979, 227). He emphasises how dependent he is on Achilles and expects kindness to accept what he offers for the sake of the Achaeans. Similarly, both Meryemce and Old Halil are supplicants. Old Halil is introduced to readers as an old man in a desperate situation. As the time to gather cotton in the valley of Çukurova draws nearer, Old Halil realises that, due to his age and physical condition, he is incapable of enduring the several-day-long journey to Çukurova.. He is not able to walk one-day long distance, let alone many days. However, he has no options; he should either go to Çukurova plain or die alone in the village:
Look Ali, I’ve thought of staying here in the village all alone but people would think I’d gone crazy, and anyway I’d die of hunger. How can a man live all by himself in a deserted village? It’s not just five days or ten days. Two whole months! A man may be attacked by the wolves. Even ants can make a feast of him and pick his eyes hollow” (Kemal, 1969:12).
As he does not want to die alone in the village, he is required to find a way get down to the Çukurova plain with the rest of the villagers. As he is too old and feeble to walk, me decides to ask villagers with horses if he might travel with them. He visits four such families and tries to evoke their pity by stressing his old age and weakness, and his need to travel by horse down to the Çukurova plain. Assuredly, he is distraught with what old age has brought him:
“Fie, you fickle world! May your wheel be broken, Fortune, you have reduced Old Halil to begging from door to door just for a short ride to the Cukurova! Go your way you harlot world! Let those who enjoy your bounties sing your praise. Oh, my dear, my head is swimming! And my back! Oh dear, oh dear, my back is breaking!” (Kemal, 1969:13).
Only Long Ali, the son of Old Halil’s close friend, feels pity for him. Ali wants to help Old Halil by allowing to ride his old horse down to the plain, but Ali’s mother is also aged and needs help descending from the village. Meryemce strongly opposes the idea of travelling to the plain with Old Halil as their horse is too old to carry two riders. This horse is her only way to get to the plain as well, and she is reluctant to share with Old Halil as she does not want her horse to die on the way. Although Long Ali does not initially allow Old Halil to travel with them, he changes his mind after witnessing Old Halil’s miserable situation. When Old Halil mounts the horse, Meryemce grumbles constantly to make Old Halil dismount. Old Halil tries to ignore what Meryemce says to him, he attempts to tolerate her nasty words despite his wounded pride: “Meryemce, I would walk if only I could. I wouldn’t listen to your foul words. If you love Allah and your religion, stop it Meryemce! Hush, sister!” (Kemal, 1969:50).
Old Halil must tolerate Meryemce, so he continues sharing the weak old horse with her. After a little time, the horse cannot stand the weight of two people, the harsh weather, and the hard roads, and dies. Upon the horse’s
death, Old Halil leaves the position of suppliant to Meryemce, since she is now dependent on her son, Long Ali. From that point on, Meryemce depends on Ali to carry her to the Çukurova plain. She is incapable of making it on her own due to her physical condition resulting from old age. Severe travelling conditions such as hot weather during the days and cold weather during the nights, heavy rain, and uphill roads contribute to the deprivations of old age.
Meryemce feels despondent and hopeless when she is required to depend on someone, as does Old Halil. She constantly repeats the same things throughout their journey: “Did you have to come to this Meryemce? To be carried on other people’s backs? Her mind churned on relentlessly. Only death is fitting for you now” (Kemal,1969:77). Although she is delicate, she remains proud, and strangely, her mood changes constantly. At one point, she allows her son to carry her on his back, then becomes angry and obstinate in order to prove her ‘strength’: “Praise Allah, I won’t be needing anyone’s help. I can walk on my two legs. Don’t let anyone fear he’ll have to carry Meryemce on his back” (Kemal,1969:77). She revolts against her own weakness, and old age, when she is left by the family during their journey. Long Ali, his wife Elif, and their children walk together, but Meryemce cannot keep up with them. So, Ali leaves her behind promising to return for her. At these times, her revolt against old age turns into rage against the people around her, chiefly Ali since he caused her horse’s death by allowing Old Halil to ride it. She yells to Elif: “That husband of yours need have no fear. I can walk down to the Cukurova better than he can, indeed like a horse at the jeered games. How many times haven’t I trodden these same paths. Why, if you look carefully, you’ll see my footprints on this very road” (Kemal, 1969:103). Despite her revolt, she feels weary after walking, and she has to accept her son’s aid in this journey in order to reach to the plain in time for the harvest: “Meryemce had no choice. She had been expecting this for some time with a mixture of resignation and hope” (Kemal,1969:34). After her enraged speeches, her mood changes and she feels affection for her son. With this change of mood, she lets Ali carry her again.
In both the Iliad and The Wind from the Plain, the main characters are suppliants, yet they constantly emphasize that they were different in their youth. Their attempts to be respected by society include describing their youth and how successful they had been in the past. In the Iliad, “Nestor repeatedly grounds his authority in his youthful achievement”, while Old Halil praises himself when he was a young and energetic horse thief in The Wind from the Plain (Falkner, 1989:31). Both Nestor and Old Halil boast of their successes, but society reacts quite differently to each of them. Nestor “cuts a great figure in the Iliad” in his position as wise old man (Posner, 1995:32). In Greek society, as in many others in the world, wisdom is associated with old age. Nestor is a good example in this respect since he fills the gap whenever people need his experience and wisdom. However, not every old man deserves the label of ‘wise old man’. An elder should have a heroic past and should be free from the physical and moral deficiencies brought about by old age. Nestor holds firmly to the heroic ethic with the deeds he practiced in his youth. Apart from the deficiencies of old age, Nestor has all the positive effects of old age, which makes him one of the most influential Greek counsellors. Homer constantly praises him, stressing his wise and rational speeches: “The son of Atreus smouldered, glaring across at him, but Nestor rose between them, the man of winning words, the clear speaker of Pylos... Sweeter than honey from his tongue the voice flowed on and on” (Homer, 1990:1.289-92). As mentioned above, Nestor constantly reminds the audience of his past victories, stressing his reputation. On many occasions, Nestor speaks at considerable length. These extended speeches delve into his past, describe his strength and abilities, and tell of his defeat of the great and strong Ereuthalion. At first glance, Nestor’s speech does not seem relevant to the narrative framework since he tends to praise himself in the middle of a confusion or crisis. However, he prolongs his speech in order to persuade and encourage these young men on the battlefield. He makes critical decisions over the course of the war and influences the whole Achaean army in the guise of the wise counsellor. Despite providing proper advice on many occasions, Nestor also makes some wrong decisions. For example, he advises Patroclus to take Achilles’ shield and disguise himself, which results in Patroclus’ death. Although this decision costs Patroclus’ his life and makes Achilles lose his temper, people do not blame Nestor since he is a wise counsellor, and his advice has previously saved the Achaean.
Likewise, in The Wind from the Plain, Old Halil continuously recounts his glory days in an attempt to remind the audience of his powerful youth. He praises himself even at the most irrelevant times. When the villagers gather to have a meeting about revolting against Muhtar Sefer, Old Halil tries to draw attention to himself and begins his long speech about his past. He attempts to honour himself and make people respect him as in old days:
cotton fields of the Cukurova are as white as if it had snowed and the cotton owners are looking out for the arrival of the laborers” (Kemal,1969:25).
Nevertheless, he cannot succeed in drawing their attention and gaining their respect since the villagers do not see his prediction of ripened cotton in the Çukurova plain as unusual or extraordinary. Instead, he is humiliated by one of the villagers who is fed up with his constant praise of himself: Lone Duran says: “Uncle Halil, for heaven’s sake cut it short and let us talk in peace. We’ve come here to discuss vital business and there you go prattling on” (Kemal, 1969:26).
3. CONCLUSION
To conclude, both Homer and Kemal describe how the elderly are treated in their respective societies; however, society’s response to these elderly characters differs in each work. Although Nestor has a reputable position in community, and is still consulted by many when there are problems, Old Halil is no longer heeded among his people because of his old age, whereas in his youth people used to gather around to listen to his adventures with Ibrahim. With their advanced age, these elders seem a burden to their society, and Meryemce herself expresses society’s idea: “These vicious old drivellers! Spoiling everybody’s peace and quiet, the pests! The world won’t thrive with them around. But they will cling to it for dear life, as though people had any use of them” (Kemal:1969:42). Even Long Ali, son of Meryemce, sees his mother as a burden that keeps him from arriving in the plain on time and starting the cotton harvest with the other villagers. In the beginning of the journey, he willingly decides to carry his mother on his back: “Mother dear, why did you walk at all? It’s not necessary. You’ll see how I’ll carry like wind now” (Kemal: 1969:78). However, as time passes, Meryemce’s constant grumbling and caprices make the journey more difficult, and Long Ali becomes frustrated. When Meryemce hinders their arrival to the Çukurova plains on time, he momentarily contemplates killing his mother: “If anything has happened to my children, I’ll strangle the life out of her” (Kemal, 1969:155). The Iliad and The Wind from the Plain have common aspects regarding their attitude toward old age and the elderly, although society’s reaction and treatment of old people changes in Homer’s and Kemal’s narratives. In the Iliad, the elderly are respected by the younger components of their society and are seen as counsellors to whom appeals may be made, whereas in The Wind from the Plain, Meryemce and Old Halil are not respected: despite their old age, people disregard or humiliate them. Homer refrains from direct descriptions of old age’s deficiencies, while Kemal stresses the physical appearance and insufficiencies of the elders. However, in both works, the elderly are in suppliant positions and rely on others to succeed or overcome an inextricable situation. Their reciprocity derives from exogenous factors, which require extra physical strength, the battlefield in the Iliad, and a rough journey in The Wind from the Plain. The adversities these settings bring to older people make them dependent on others who are physically stronger than themselves. After all, with old age, people lose their capabilities and stability, and this loss of authority is perceived diversely in these two societies.
REFERENCES
Falkner, Thomas M. (1989). “Homeric Heroism, Old Age and the End of the Odyssey.” Old Age in Greek and Latin Literature. (Eds. Thomas M. Falkner, and Judith de Luce). New York: State University of New York Press.
Homer. The Iliad. (1990). Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin.
Kemal, Y. (1969). The Wind from the Plain. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. Posner, Richard A. (1995). Aging and Old Age. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Tharaud, B. (2012). “Yaşar Kemal, Son of Homer.” Texas Studies in Literature ang Language, Austin, (54):563-90.
Tharaud, B. (2007). “The Titles of Yaşar Kemal’s Wind from the Plain Trilogy.” Translation Review, (73):14-19.
Tsagarakis, Odysseus. (1979). “Phoenix's Social Status and the Achaean Embassy.” Mnemosyne (32), 221-42.
