bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
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From the editors
Index
Dear readers,
The Interview, 3
Here is the third issue of the ITU Writing Center online student magazine prepared by the same team with a few missing writers just before the winter break in the new year.
Nejat Yavaşoğulları an architect and a musician A Closer Look at One Department, 9 Industrial Engineering
In this third issue, one of our students and one of our editors interview well-known musician and architect Nejat Yavaşoğulları. The second interview is with a member of the Industrial Engineering Department. Another student walks in the enchanting forest of domes in water and writes about the history and myths related to it, the Basilica Cistern. The reader will also find remarkable information including Computer Science Education Week, some fictional characters inspiring us and four must read novels.
A Landmark, 12 The Basilica Cistern The Case for Education, 14 Computer Science Education Week
The Case for Inspiration, 16 4 Remarkable Characters
Suggestions for this month, 19 In brief, welcoming the new year, another interesting issue is waiting for its readers.
Happy new year
4 Outstanding Novels
the cover photo by İlknur Karaman
and happy reading.
www.writing.itu.edu.tr İlknur Karaman
writing@itu.edu.tr
Meridith Paterson bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
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The Interview with Nejat Yavaşoğulları
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e met Nejat Yavaşoğulları at a nice and cozy café by the river in Beykoz. On a sunny winter day we had a warm conversation with him and learned about his successful architecture and music career.
You started to be interested in music while you were in primary school. This interest in music got even more intense once you started high school and then university, but you majored in architecture. Why was that the case? Students would receive traditional music education during their years at elementary school, which is still the case today. We bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
used to play the mandolin most of the time back then. It could have been the violin, but I think that the mandolin was preferred because playing the violin was much more difficult. Then it changed over time and students began to play the flute and then the keyboard. Nevertheless, we used to play the mandolin during my years at school. I heard students playing the mandolin when I was in third grade and I liked the sound very much. When I went back home, I told my parents that I wanted to learn how to play the mandolin. Then I tried to convince them to get me one. This is how my music life began. Once my parents bought me a mandolin, I began to attend mandolin classes, but when I noticed that I was playing the same tunes, I felt that I was getting bored a bit and then I quit. When I started secondary school, I grew more interested in music and I tried to play the mandolin as if I were holding a guitar in my hand. When I started high school, I began to be interested in playing the guitar. My parents were in the fishing business, and they wanted their kids to grow up well and receive a good education. I had always been a very bright student. They were worried that I might quit school if I excelled in playing the guitar. However, I had internalized that feeling so much that I never thought of quitting architecture. I tried to do both. In order not to be a heavy burden on my parents' shoulders, I bought a guitar with the money that I myself earned. My years at high school were the years when I discovered new music bands and the guitar. There was a band called "Kanlıca Altılısı" back at high 3
school. They hired me as the bass guitarist. I began to play with them on several occasions. Then I got admitted to university. The school and music went hand in hand. I was pretty good at architecture and a brilliant student, so I got several offers from my professors to work with them. I worked for a while during my senior year at university, but I was not able to give up music completely. My friends used to nag me about quitting music because they thought I was pretty good at architecture and they were trying to talk me into not wasting my energy telling me that I was a very talented architect. I don’t know whether it was out of sheer stubbornness or something else, but I realized that I could not live without music while I was doing my military service. I thought that my life without music would be colorless. I said to myself that I could work more to use my time more efficiently and could do both, and that was the case. I preferred to work as a freelancer because I took part in the theater and musical rehearsals. At times I had difficulty in managing the two at the same time. For instance, we planned to meet at 7 in the evening, but the boss would say that we would have to work till 9 that evening to finish the project. At that moment I thought that it was going to be a better idea for me to go it alone as a freelancer. You could have done both of them... Society was not used to the things I wanted to do in music. I wanted to sing about the features of my generation and bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
features of all the generations around the world. I wanted to compose the music and the lyrics in a more modern way. Since I had been dreaming about different ways of making music, I was afraid of an uncertain future and being broke. People might like it, but what if they didn't. I was afraid of ending up playing an instrument at weddings or proms. I thought I had my diploma in architecture, so let’s do it to be free to do whatever else I want. I mean money is needed to be independent.
Which one is more important to you? Music or architecture? If you ask my soul, music is more important, but obviously I enjoy being an architect. If I had a totally unrelated education to my interests or character, I might not be working in that business. However, architecture is about designing and producing new things; creating something out of nothing. Thus, music and architecture have things in common. You want to do something, but you start without knowing what you will do. Moreover, you approach it through different methods until you think you have caught the right moment for you. It's common in both professions. That's why I
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couldn't stop doing either of them. Did you get any music education? Or did you learn it yourself? I can say I studied myself. Of course, I had a teacher who taught me how to play the mandolin. However, apart from that, I made my own research and studied the theory of music. So can we say that your childhood dream came true? Yes, it did. Dreams never end. I wouldn't like them to end. They never should. Realistically I am doing what I wanted to do, but it is not enough for me.
reason is authenticity perhaps. It's something I have been careful about since the beginning. I didn't write a song for everyone to like it. Still, when I write a song, I don't change anything to please anyone. However, when you are new in the business, you behave more innocently and aggressively. You don't care about anything, but nowadays while writing a song, I would make it mellower automatically because I already spent a lot of time in the music industry. I have always wanted to free myself when I am writing. That's why the lyrics and the music were different according to the previous generation. We were unsure in our early years about who would understand or enjoy our music style. We all grew up in this culture, so it was believed that we needed to make something that society would like... For example, I like the song ''strawberry fields forever'' from The Beatles, but should I have written a song that society would accept, but not my taste? I mean should I have done something totally opposite to my taste. I preferred the other way. I did what I wanted to do.
Are you writing songs influenced by your life?
Different types of people like your music, so what do you owe this career to? Yes, it is interesting to be listened to in different periods. What is that about? The bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
Most art objects are produced by the influences of lives. Performers always ask themselves what to do and how to do it and those people who are in need to write, to produce, to draw, they start becoming deeper. Some things may have temporary impacts on some people. Performers use the chance to turn those 5
temporary feelings into concrete work, and come out with something that many people use to express their feelings. Hence, they can communicate with society. This inspiration is supposed to happen, and it happens all the time. For example, how was "Sözlerimi geri alamam / I can't take my words back" written? It's actually a break up song. But people perceive it in the way they feel. With the second new generation movement of poetry, expressions look like they are uncertain, but they come out of simple things. Basically, everyone gets different feelings from the same lyrics in their own way.
supporting characters as well. On "Galileo Galilei," I wrote all the songs for Dostlar Tiyatrosu and sang the songs with Şahika Tekand. I played some bit roles in that play, too, but once we became Bulutsuzluk Özlemi, I had to put theater aside. Because with theater you need to be at the theater on time three times a week. We had our own tours as a band, so theater didn't work quite well. It was getting hard to do both of them, but I think theatre is one of the main branches of art.
You also teach in a university... Yes. I lecture in a project class once a week. My friend was the head of the architecture department there and he invited me because he knew me. With my busy schedule, I wasn't sure if I would be able to work for a day every week. Then the desire of being with the students and working in the academic projects sounded good. So I started to lecture once a week about architectural projects. How come you didn't do theater?
Have you done anything about theatre recently?
It goes back to the first couple of years of Bulutsuzluk Özlemi. There was a play called "Şahları da Vururlar" with Ferhan Şensoy at Ortaoyuncular. As an actor, I was on the stage playing and singing for a year. During the play, I was acting as
Our friendly relationships continue. I wrote the songs for Bekçi Murtaza for Semaver Kumpanya 3 or 4 years ago. All the songs turned out great. Halil Sezai was an actor there before he became famous.
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Sezai was playing the guitar. There are some good theatre plays nowadays. I was very busy during the shooting of Entelköy Efeköy’e Karşı. I was supposed to get a bigger part on the movie, but the actors had to stay there for a month. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time, but I enjoyed it anyway. Cinema is good, too. I gained a little bit of experience there. If something else comes up, I believe I can do a better job.
that. Directors would know where to find the money or the good camera. If you ask me, I'll list you the guitar players. Nothing is as easy as it seems. However, I just wanted to mention that I would have loved to be a movie director. Being an architect takes a lot of my time, and I can't quit that. I have my schedule there and my employees. If I stop working, I would have a hard time paying their salaries. You don't have a lot of time for yourself in this business. If I had not had this job, I would have had other hobbies. Perhaps I would be more productive. Did anyone guide you when you started to make music? Of course, I've always been in art communities. That includes film makers, theatre players, and writers who are older than me with more experience. They always supported me like "you're doing great. Good job" Have you ever quit? Had thoughts about not doing it again?
Are there any movie projects coming up? Nothing yet, but I'll consider it if I get invited (laughs). I would have loved to be a director, a movie director. I would have loved to shoot a movie. But you need to work hard for everything. You can't say I've made a decision; I'll be an artist tomorrow. You need to climb up the stairs. Well, actually as art performers, till some point we go in the same direction. You have the friends, you watch the movies and all, but still, it's more than bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
No. Music is a strong passion that makes you continue no matter what. Teoman said he quit music, but he couldn't resist it much. I don't think he was faking it. I am sure he felt that way. When he quit, he realized that something was missing in his life and that's why he came back. What is the motto of your life? To be conscious that life is a short period of time which will pass quickly explains a lot of things. 7
What are the things that you will never give up? Music. What are your favorite book, poet, and movie? It is a hard question. I was in middle school, and I found a book with a torn cover. It was the Spanish Gardener by Cronin. That really made me excited and emotional. Nazım Hikmet, Orhan Veli, Cemal Süreya, and Atilla İlhan are my favorite poets. My favorite movies are Spartacus which I watched years ago, and Blow Up. Night Train to Lisbon was also an interesting movie. What is your advice for future architects? Architectural education will teach a lot about life, too because human beings are in it. You are not producing a machine. Building a machine may be about humans, too, but in architecture it's directly all about human lives and designing the structure depending on people. It comes with the social relationships. That's why you learn a lot because you have to be creative as well. You need to create something in your way while other people would create in different ways. That's why it is a good education.
to make music as they wish. What is your general advice for all students? University is a period when you are more efficient and your senses are more open and you have time for things despite your lessons. At least you don't need to worry about money yet. That's why they can find time for art which is good for them. That's for the majority who are into arts anyway. The students who are into music during their time at university may not have time for it after they graduate because their lives get harder; they need to work and make money. The years through university are so valuable to follow art and to improve their personalities. That's the way to enjoy their lives and professions.
Aylin Adsalan İlknur Karaman Photography by İlknur Karaman
What is your advice for the people who'd like to be a musician? They should learn wisely whatever they are taught in conservatory and the need bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
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A Closer Look at One Department
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his month Bee Writer magazine visited Dr. Bülent Cerit from the Industrial Engineering Department at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) as a part of the series of articles introducing new ITU students to the different departments. Dr. Bülent gave us his take on this popular field of study.
How would you describe Industrial Engineering? Firstly, let me give you the book description. Industrial Engineering is a discipline which consists of understanding humans, machines and materials in order to design, improve and coordinate production systems to get the best performance.
human resources management, finance, and strategic planning of manufacturing companies with the changes going on in the world. Of course, from the year I graduated to nowadays, there have been a lot of changes.
What features engineers have?
should
industrial
These characteristics are not only limited to industrial engineers. All engineers must have a very good analytical mindset, so they can have the best numerical side. Secondly, the ability to improve ourselves has to be very good. We shouldn’t limit ourselves to the information from our university years because such information wears out immediately due to the speed of technology changing. Such knowledge isn’t sufficient in one or two years. Therefore, we should modernize ourselves, keep up with research, read a lot, accumulate the intellectual information of our own field and in our career follow areas of opportunity.
Could you give us some information about Industrial Engineering generally? Where do these engineers work? How do they find a job?
What are the advantages of being an industrial engineering student as Istanbul Technical University?
Industrial engineers used to serve the manufacturing non-financial sector which manufactured and created products of better value but nowadays industrial engineers serve in the service sector, energy sector, communication sector, and telecommunication sector. They especially support management functions like
Firstly, we must look at the description of Istanbul Technical University. ITU plays in the champions’ league which is a fact that everyone knows throughout Turkey, so industrial engineers use this advantage. Secondly, I think, ITU educates more practical industrial engineers because the ITU Industrial Engineering department
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consists of teachers who have a mentality that knows the importance between the sector life and market. How do I know this? We sometimes meet ITU graduates in our consulting outside on projects. Managers give positive feedback to us about our industrial engineering graduates.
Do you think that ITU has any differences from other Industrial Engineering departments? Industrial Engineering departments of various universities have small differences according to their universities’ characteristics. In the technical sense, we see that our university is more managerial and puts more emphasis on understanding the system than other universities. Some universities have operations research, modeling, and decision-making, while others have more of a machine and manufacturing emphasis. In my opinion, the ITU Industrial Engineering department is different, and these differences aren’t a weak point. We have a pathway and this pathway is correct and successful.
What can candidates of Industrial Engineering do to improve themselves? Frankly, I don’t recommend that candidates of Industrial Engineering do a Master's degree immediately, and I don’t find it correct that they study for their Master's at the same university. Why? Because, we should pay attention to different systems. I think improving bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
ourselves in only one area is not beneficial. If someone wants to do a Master's at his own school, he should move to another concentration area such as manufacturing engineering or computer engineering. However, again this should not be done immediately. In addition, we should read plenty, research, participate in the congress, go to symposiums, attend workshops and seminars, and pay attention to personal development training and technical training. We have to be a well-rounded person.
What do you think about doing a DMP (double major program) with Management Engineering? I find it highly redundant. I think if someone wants to do the DMP, he should do it with another department because it is so hard and it should be worth the work.
What do you think about ERASMUS? Which country can candidates of Industrial Engineering find beneficial? I think ERASMUS is beneficial. I can’t say which country, in particular, is beneficial, but there are benefits in going to a country rooted in technology and science such as England, Spain, France or Germany. I think they would do very well with both lessons and traveling. They should travel to obtain a different world view, identify more with different life perspectives and learn new social systems of the destinations.
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Do you recommend a DMP or ERASMUS? I think these are two different things. They can be done together. As a result of my experience, I say ERASMUS is more useful, but if a student insists on a DMP, it can’t be only about getting an extra diploma. If a student wants to learn about computers, but goes to industrial engineering, he can do a DMP. It is about passion.
What do you think about the Industrial Engineering Club (IEC)? Are their activities efficient and beneficial? I think the club is excellent. Their activities are highly beneficial and never inefficient. I think the IEC changes our students’ visions. The IEC is an institutional club in structure. They have serious activities, and they show extraordinary success, but the IEC isn't limited to this. They should do active studies about political issues and social issues. Hopefully, the club can be long-lasting.
Begüm Yıldıran
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still water to drink. As an old building, the Basilica Cistern has undergone several restorations. One of the major restorations of the Basilica was started by Istanbul Municipality in 1985 and it was opened to visitors after cleaning away 50.000 tons of mud in addition to building a walking platform which was completed on September 9, 1987.
It is a very authentic place and a must see in Istanbul. When you are about to reach Sultanahmet Square, on the right bank you will see the Basilica Cistern. What you see outside is a small and normal-looking building, but when you walk down the stairs, you meet an enchanting and mystic cistern.
The cistern has a very big chamber which is 132m long and 65m wide. There are 336 marble columns that rise out of the water and look countless in the cistern. Adorned with carvings and tears one column among all of them is remarkable. According to a rumor, the shapes of tears on the column refer to the death of hundreds of slaves working on the construction of the Cistern.
The Basilica Cistern The Enchanting Forest of Domes in Water here is an old structure located in Sultanahmet Square next to the tram line, at Ayasofya’s southwest end: the Basilica Cistern, otherwise known as Yerebatan Sarnıcı or Yerebatan Sarayı in Turkish.
The Cistern inspires all who enter the chamber. Edmando De Amicis, an Italian author, describes the Cistern: The Basilica Cistern, which is in the middle of the historical peninsula, was built to supply water to the Great Palace by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianus I (527-565) in 542 A.D. The Ottomans used it after the conquest of Istanbul, but they used this water to irrigate gardens because of their preference for flowing water instead of bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
“I remember another day which was filled with secrets and ghosts. I am entering a pool belonging to a Muslim house. I descend in torchlight as far as the last step of a dark, damp staircase and find myself under the domes of the Yerebatan Sarayi, the great imperial cistern of Constantine, whose dimensions are not known, or so the people of Istanbul say. The greenish 12
waters were lost under the dark domes, but a bluish light illuminated spot after spot and increased the atmosphere of dread, to which the darkness added. The torch painted the nearby arches red, and made the walls where water seeped shine. On every side, at once distinct and vague, were unending rows of columns which stretched before one's eyes like the trunks of trees in a forest which had been plastered over.”*
Two medusa heads that are used as a base under two columns in the northwest corner of the cistern are one of the masterpieces of sculpture from the Roman era. There are a lot of legends based on the mythology about Medusa. According to a myth, Medusa is one of 3 Gorgons that are underground female monsters. Among these three sisters, only snakeheaded Medusa is mortal and has the power to turn onlookers to stone. At that time, in order to protect large buildings and special places from evil, pictures and sculptures of Gorgons’ heads were placed in clearly visible places. Thus, believing in this power, the head of Medusa was also placed here. According to another myth, Medusa was a girl that boasted about her long hair and bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
beautiful body. She loved Perseus, Zeus’s son, for a long time. In the meantime, Athena also loved Perseus and was jealous of Medusa. Hence, Athena transformed Medusa’s hair to terrible snakes. Then, when Medusa looked at somebody, that person was turned into stone. Perseus saw her, and cut off her head excitedly thinking Medusa was under a spell. He won a lot of wars using her head as a weapon. Thus, her head is upside down and tilted now. Seeing it as an unforgettable part of trip programs in Istanbul, a lot of famous and important people like former U.S. president Bill Clinton, Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok, Italian former Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini, Former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson and Former Prime Minister of Austria Thomas Klestil were guests in this mysterious place which was also the setting for the end of Inferno by Dan Brown. Yerebatan Sarnıcı, which is run by Kültür A.Ş. from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, hosts many national and international activities as well as being a museum. It is open from 9.00 to 17.00 everyday. You can watch the Basilica Cistern virtual tour on this website: http://www.3dmekanlar.com/tr/yerebatansarnici.html
Burcu Canavar References: *http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-basilicacistern-is-in-danger.aspx?pageID=438&n=the-basilicacistern-is-in-danger-1998-03-29 http://www.yerebatan.com www.letsgoistanbul.com
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Computer Science Education Week (December 9-15)
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omputer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is an annual program organized to show people of all ages and all professions the necessity of computer science education. This organization is made each year by the Computing in the Core coalition and Code.org. CSEdWeek starts on the 9th of December in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906). As Barrack Obama said: ''Don't just buy a new video game, make one. Don't just download the latest app, help design it. Don't just play on your phone, program it. No one is born as a computer scientist, but with a little hard work and some math and science just about anyone can become one''.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XvmhE1J9PY
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Organizers made a one-hour introduction to computer programming, designed to demystify code and show that anyone can learn. This introduction's name was the Hour of Code. You can take an Hour of Code lesson only during Computer Science Education Week from existing computer science teachers. If you think you don't know anything about computer science, don't be frustrated; they will provide selfguided tutorials, and, if your internet is slow, they can send offline tutorials that anybody can do. Thus, participants don't need experience. Even if you live outside the US, there are some tutorials which will be translated into other languages.
The best part of this program is that no computers are needed for every participant! You don't need a computer for computer science education. Organizers made the programs for PC's, smart phones and tablets, so really you can join wherever you are and with whatever you have. If you have more than one device, you can share your devices with the other participants to encourage them. Moreover, if you have devices, but don't have an Internet connection, you can still participate. Organizers say, ''Computer Science is all about problem solving, logic and design, so you can start with pencil and paper (like some of the 14
best professional programmers) using 'unplugged' tutorials.''
If you already teach computer science or coding you can join the CSEdWeek teachers, use one of the existing tutorials or develop your own tutorial for your students. Even better, with your new reputation, you can organize large-scale computer science activities at your school. They give some ideas for teaching like organizing a code-in or an Hour of Code activity, getting sponsors, recruiting and training volunteers or publicizing your event on campus. Therefore, if you are good at computer science, but don't know how you can recruit or train volunteers, organizers explain the way to do it. You can gather your volunteers and run through tutorials or every volunteer can also take the tutorial at home.
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Finally, what is the purpose of these organizations? Why is it important for all people to learn computer science? According to the organizers ''Computer science is a foundational field for every 21st century career or field of study. Learning the basics of computer science prepares students for a world that is increasingly dominated by technology. Research shows that students who study computer science also perform better at math. Besides, computer science is where the jobs are. More than 50% of all jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) are computing jobs.''. Be a part of it and do not stay behind your era!
Umut Ekerdiker
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4 Inspirational Characters
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or centuries people have read novels and watched movies for so many different reasons. Some read or watch for joy or to make their life beautiful by losing themselves in other lives. When we watch a movie or read a book we forget about the world outside. We forget about our troubles, our debts to other people, and the way other people think about us. On the other hand, even if some authorities say that it is not a necessity to watch movies, the fact is the opposite. We can be lost in a book when we are reading it., Sometimes we become one of the characters from that movie or book and imagine what we would do if we were him/her. Thus, writers try so hard to impress people with the characters they have created. These characters are like babies who are given birth by creative minds of writers, and they are also a path for writers to transfer their thoughts to the readers or audience. Sometimes we are hooked on to these characters so much. We start dressing like them, acting like them and even thinking like them. It is a sign of the success of the writer. Even though it changes from person to person, here are some characters that affected our minds and lives. Don Vito Corleone from The Godfaher: Vito Corleone is a capo-mafioso in New York City. He runs a large mob which is doing some gambling jobs and running an olive oil business. The Vito Corleone character is based largely on Frank Costello and Carlo Gambino. He has politicians and judges on his payroll, he is bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
against the drug business and he is very cunning. The thing about Vito Corleone that affects people is that even though he is the head of mafia and encourages crime, he still is a good man. He is actually a novel character written by Mario Puzo, but in the movie the Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola he is portrayed by Marlon Brando.
Quotes from Don Vito Corleone: “Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” “I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.” “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” “I spent my whole life trying not to be careless. Women and children can afford to be careless, but not men.” Tyler Durden from Fight Club: Tyler Durden is a man with some thoughts which we may find strange. He is actually not a real man; he is an imaginary man that’s why we don’t really know about his 16
life. We can probably say that he is the thought himself. He is a character written by Chuck Palahniuk. In the movie Fight Club by David Fincher he is portrayed by Brad Pitt. He believes that there will be no resurrection or evolution without hitting rock bottom. We can understand him correctly only by his own words, "All the ways you wish you could be, that's me. I look like you wanna look, I f**k like you wanna f**k, I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I am free in all the ways that you are not."
“Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think everything you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity, you will become a statistic. You have been warnedTyler” “We're a generation of men raised by women. I'm wondering if another woman is really the answer we need.”
Quotes from Tyler Durden: “You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the caryou drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f**king khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing cr*p of the world.” “Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing. Like the first monkey shot into space.” “F**k what you know. You need to forget about what you know, that's your problem. Forget about what you think you know about life, about friendship, and especially about you and me.”
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The Joker from Batman: The Joker is a villain actually. He fought Batman in the early comics from DC. He became more popular when he was portrayed by the late Heath Ledger in the movie Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan. Even though he is a villain, he is actually loved and embraced by people because of the funny personality he has. And the phrase “Why so serious” has become a kind of motto to some people. 17
Alex de Large from A Clockwork Orange: Alex is a young man in future Britain who is involved in crime and violence. Also, he is not the only one who enjoys violence. All in all he gets caught and becomes a volunteer in a government project. The government uses an unusual method to “cure” him. However, it actually makes Alex’s life miserable. Alex is a symbol of our violent instinct. It taught us that we shouldn’t destroy our violent side. Instead we should learn how to live with it since it is a part of us that makes us who we are. Alex de Large is a character written by Anthony Burgess also portrayed by Malcolm McDowell in the film A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick.
blurp blurp in between as it might be a filthy old orchestra in his stinking, rotten guts. I could never stand to see anyone like that, whatever his age might be, but more especially when he was real old like this one was.” “It's funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.” “I was cured, all right!” To sum up, these characters do affect our lives, our minds and the way we live even if we aren't aware of it. There are tons of them, millions of them. They’re fake people. We know them, embrace them and learn from them, and since we have closed our books and stopped watching movies, we have killed them. But in fact, just like other people, we let them live in our minds. The most successful writer is the one who can create a character that we can never really kill in our minds. All in all, characters will live in our minds, no matter what we want, and we will embrace them.
Quotes from Alex de Large: Look deep inside; who do you hide there? “There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar trying to make up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening. The Korova milkbar sold milkplus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom, which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence.” “One thing I could never stand was to see a filthy, dirty old drunkie, howling away at the filthy songs of his fathers and going bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
Yasin Baktır
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The Novel Suggestions of This Month
prefer favour. I am one of those who choose the evil”, Alex thinks the devil is a choice, and in a world where adults fight with each other, it is impossible for teenagers to be patriotic, mannerly and good. Guilt and responsibility belong to adults, so the young are not guilty. One day, the gang breaks into a house whose owner has written a novel whose name is a clockwork orange. They damage the house, and rape the author’s wife. At another time, Alex is jailed for murder.
Author: Anthony Burgess Country: United Kingdom Language: English Genre: Science-Fiction, Novella, Satire, Dystopian Fiction Published: 1962
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE- ANTHONY BURGESS Alex, who is 15 years old, is a leader of a teenage gang, and he and his gang of friends commit acts of violence. They rob, extort money, rape and beat helpless people. The gang members speak to each other in a private language that the gang generates, which was Russian in origin.
There is a new treatment, called Ludevico, which is organized by the government, and Alex is used as a guinea pig. While Alex watches violent movies, he feels pain. He can’t think of evil any more. Worst of all, he starts to suffer because of the violent movies which he is forced to watch as soon as he hears Beethoven’s music, which Alex adores. Now, Alex, whose personality is changed, becomes a puppet. However, he is set free. This time, the government cures Alex to get rid of Ludevico’s adverse effects in order to win the election. Now, Alex is free to make his own choices. Is an evil which is chosen by one’s own free will more humanistic than a favour which is insisted upon by other people? The author searches for the answer to this question in this book.
Saying “If bums do evil, it is their choice. Hence, while they prefer evil, good people bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
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learns a number of skills such as lockpicking, self-defense and pick-pocketing. One day he meets Clare, who says that she knows him. Then Henry starts to travel to Clare’s timeline. Overtime they develop a close relationship, and they decide to marry.
Author: Audrey Niffenegger Country: United States Language: English Genre: Science Fiction, Romance Published: 2003
THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE- AUDREY NIFFENEGGER
After they marry, Clare has many miscarriages because of Henry’s anomaly. Henry feels so sad about that and he has a vasectomy. However, Henry from the past visits Clare one night and she becomes pregnant. Henry travels to the future and sees his daughter Alba. He learns the year of his death from her and thinks that there are things to do in the past. He gets frostbite and his feet are cut off. He is sure that he will die within his next travels because of what happens to his feet. On New Year’s Eve Henry time travels into the woods and Clare’s brother shoots him accidentally. Henry returns to the present and dies in his house. After his death Clare finds a letter from him. He asks her not to wait for him, but it shows that there is a date for them in the future.
The Time Traveler’s Wife is an extraordinary romance novel. The novel, which is written by Audrey Niffeneger, reflects the idea of time traveling romantically using alternate first person perspectives to make it easy to understand. Henry has a genetic disorder which enables him to time travel. He cannot take anything with him. He comes back to the present naked and with no money, so he
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Nilüfer, who is Ferit’s sister, sometimes get together, and Nilüfer talks to Ferit about her own trouble.
Author: Peyami Safa
One day, Ferit becomes more depressed and his fears and doubts increase because Nilüfer falls ill, and other problems occur. Ferit, who inherits some money from his dead aunt, moves to Mademoiselle Noraliya’s house on the Big Island. Ferit’s disease goes on there. Over the course of time, he starts to think that a fool’s paradise gives peace to him. He notices that when he sits on Mademoiselle’s armchair, he falls into a spiritual beauty and his mood changes positively. Furthermore, he decides spruce his life up.
Country: Turkey Languages: Turkish Genre: Psychological Published: 1949
MADEMOISELLE NORALIA’S ARMCHAIR – PEYAMI SAFA The protagonist of this book is Ferit. Some events which Ferit experiences make him depressed. He always dreams like he is having a hallucination. After he experiences some problems with his aunt, he moves to a hostel. Moreover, his disease gets worse. Nearly all the people in this hostel have psychological problems. Some events which Ferit faces make his introversion more complicated. Only Yahya Aziz, who is Ferit’s high school teacher, helps Ferit.
Author: Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Country: Turkey Language: Turkish Published: 1961
Ferit argues with his girl friend, and he separates from her. Besides, Ferit and bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
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THE TIME REGULATION INSTITUTEAHMET HAMDI TANPINAR The Time Regulation Institute examines the differences between east and west. Tanpınar’s peculiar symbolist narrative is seen easily. This novel underlines that people value popularity and money, and they change suddenly.
to come back to the real life. He stops living in dreams.
Hava Nur Yavaş
Hayri Irdal starts to work as an apprentice with a watchmaker. His master is a philosophical artist. Hayri admires him. He works patiently. He is recruited when World War I starts. He gets married with Abdülselam Efendi’s daughter, Zehra. His wife dies after a few years. After that he joins a club which is called the İspiritizmacılar Club. He gets to know different people. One of those people is Pakize. He marries her, but his mind is always full of watches. He lives far away from the truth of life, and he lives like he is in a dream. One day he meets a new person who is stuck on watches too. This person’s name is Halit. This meeting causes some changes in Hayri. Hayri and Halit become best friends. They create “the Time Regulation Institute”. Finally, Hayri finds real happiness. The Institute becomes popular in a short time. However, Hayri’s happiness does not last long because some experts come from America. They examine the institute, and they claim that the institute is unnecessary. They try to close the institute, but Halit prevents this. After a while Halit dies, and Hayri feels bad about his death. This death helps him bee writer ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
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