A semiotic observation of narrative trajectories in Madonna in a Fur Coat by canonical narrative schemas

This study combines semiotic theory with Turkish literature in implementation on one of Sabahattin Ali’s well-known novels, Madonna in a Fur Coat. From the ideas of C. S. Peirce and Ferdinand de Saussure have many semiotic branches derived, one of which is the so-called literary or narrative semiotics that deals with the unfolding of narrative structures and the signification of literary works under the leadership of A. J. Greimas. Literary semiotics postulates the idea that a narrative should be analyzed in three meaning layers: discursive, narrative, and deep-abstract levels. Accordingly, the primary purpose of this study is to reveal the narrative organization of Sabahattin Ali’s novel, Madonna in a Fur Coat, employing canonical narrative schema, which is one of the analysis tools of literary semiotics. These actors are the unnamed narrator, Raif Efendi, Maria Puder, Raif Efendi’s father and husbands of his sisters, all of whom have their own goals. Besides, unfolding the narrative trajectories of these actors will help formulate narrative level analysis on a literary work in a semiotic perspective. The study is composed of three parts. In the introduction part, the aims, method and scope of the study will be presented. In the second part, the narrative level analysis of the novel takes place considering the actors’ trajectories. Lastly, in the conclusion part, the study results have been discussed under the titles of ‘the temporal hierarchy and relationship between trajectories’, ‘cognitive senders’, ‘the trajectories ending with success vs failure’, ‘the key events that bridges the trajectories’. It is believed that this study will help readers gain insight into three aspects: Sabahattin Ali’s authorship skills in creating fiction, the structural status of Madonna in a Fur Coat, and one possible application of the literary semiotic approach.