A Wedding Under a Comet

A Marriage Under the Comet is a novel written by Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar and first published in 1912. The work holds a significant place among the author’s novels with strong social criticism. The novel centers on a love story unfolding against the backdrop of panic in Istanbul caused by widespread fears that Halley’s Comet would collide with Earth in 1910. In this work, Hüseyin Rahmi satirizes the superstitions ignorance and excessive belief in folklore prevalent in Istanbul of his time. Another notable aspect of the novel is the presentation of a positivist and materialist worldview alongside the love narrative. A Marriage Under the Comet is not merely a love story but is also regarded as a literary text that critiques the sociocultural structure of its era.

The novel opens with the atmosphere of fear in Istanbul fueled by widespread rumors that Halley’s Comet would strike Earth in 1910. During this period, as Tanpınar also noted, the people of Istanbul were highly susceptible to folklore and rumors. At the heart of the story is a romance between İrfan Galip, a young writer who believes in scientific thought and reason, and Feriha, a character who embodies traditional views. İrfan Galip is a young writer with a positivist outlook who dismisses superstitions. Feriha, by contrast, is influenced by her family environment and inclined to believe in folklore. Throughout the novel, İrfan Galip attempts to educate Feriha and teach her to think scientifically. As the approach of the comet intensifies public panic, the novel reveals how superstitions and irrational beliefs spread among the populace. Set against the backdrop of a marriage story, the novel examines society’s belief systems educational levels and the problems created by ignorance.

The novel primarily treats ignorance and the struggle against superstition as its central theme. Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar uses the Halley’s Comet event to satirize the public’s distance from science and their tendency toward folklore. At the same time the novel brings to the foreground concepts such as positivism materialism and individual enlightenment. The ideas defended through the character of İrfan Galip aim not only at individual development but also at social progress. The novel also argues that love and the institution of marriage are not merely emotional matters but require intellectual and cultural alignment. The relationship between İrfan Galip and Feriha is thus not simply a personal romantic connection but a clash and eventual reconciliation of two worldviews. Consequently the work highlights the importance of individual education and rational thought in the process of social modernization.

• İrfan Galip: A young writer who advocates positivist materialist and rational thinking. He is the protagonist of the novel and the events unfold through his perspective. İrfan Galip can be seen as a reflection of Hüseyin Rahmi’s own intellectual world.
• Feriha: A young woman shaped by traditional family structures and inclined to believe in folklore and rumors. Her dialogues with İrfan Galip highlight the novel’s didactic dimension.
• Feriha’s Family and Environment: Figures who represent society’s attachment to folklore. Their modes of thought are targeted by the novel’s critique.

In A Marriage Under the Comet Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar does not merely tell a story but also transforms Istanbul of his time into an object of sociological inquiry. Gürpınar constructs a didactic narrative aimed at educating the public. The author’s use of humor enhances the novel’s literary value while making its social critiques more effective. His critical stance against ignorance and superstition aligns with the tradition of the Tanzimat and Servet-i Fünun periods of Turkish literature.

Since its publication the novel has been recognized as one of the most important works in Turkish literature defending positivist thought. Its structure which seeks to raise awareness against popular superstitions has assumed not only a literary but also a pedagogical mission. With the modernization movements of the Republican era Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar’s novel has frequently been examined as a significant example of efforts to guide the public toward science and reason.