THE PROTAGONIST OF SAATLERİ AYARLAMA ENSTİTÜSÜ: HAYRİ İRDAL

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar’s Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü is a work, describing the process of transition from traditional to modernity. The novel consists of four parts: “Büyük Ümitler”, “Küçük Hakikatler”, “Sabaha Doğru”, “Her Mevsimin Bir Sonu Vardır”. Each of these sections represents certain periods. The first part, “Büyük Ümitler” deals with the period of I. Meşrutiyet; “Küçük Hakikatler” and “Sabaha Doğru” deal with the period of II. Meşrutiyet; and the last part, “Her Mevsimin Bir Sonu Vardır” deals with the beginning of Cumhuriyet. The novel has some characters who are symbolizing tradition and Turkısh modernization. Positive character, representing the tradition is Muvakkit Nuri Efendi and also the mainly negative representative of the tradition is Seyit Lütfullah. And the character, representing the Turkısh modernization is Halit Ayarcı. Hayri İrdal is both narrator and the first character of the novel. İrdal is represent Turkey. Exactly, İrdal was not advocate of tradition and he couldn’t be innovation. He is an occasional character. In this direction, he is different from the other characters in the novel.