The Influence of Ideology on the Subjectivization of the Kurds Concerning the Mother Tongue: Reading The Competition of Unfinished Stories

Abstract

The present study sets out to shed light on the question of mother tongue in the North of Kurdistan and the impacts of ideology on the subjectivation of the Kurdish individual facing the question. Şener Ozmen’s Pêşbaziya Ҫîrokên Negediyayî is examined in terms of the critical concepts of “ideology”, “repressive and ideological State apparatuses”, and “the subject and subjectivation” in Althusser’s critical approach. The study indicates that the physical suppression, through ideological systems, and the process of marginalizing and linguicide of the Kurdish language have been in progress simultaneously. Cooperating with the State in this process, four systems including family, school, religion, and media have been successful in constructig the oppressed subject. These subjects in sync with the ideological practice have created obstacles for the disobedient subjects through using suppression. The protagonist, as a subject of language protector, does not give in to the predominant ideology; for this, he found himself in a great hazer, which, later on, caused him to be killed by one of the dishonest subjects constructed by the fundamental religious system. Under the influence of the two systems of suppression and ideology, the obedient subjects in the text have compromised. However, the ideological system is more prominent and has been successful in the process of linguicide. Generally, the most recurrent themes in this textinclude ideology, ineffective resistance, Disillusion, and failure. Despite these, the murderer’s regret for killing the protagonist and understanding the reality of his opinion indicates the continuity of resistance.

Keywords

• kurdish language
• ideology
• repressive and ideological state apparatuses
• the subject