The Emotional Map of Literature (Book)

The Emotional Map of Literature is a research and critical study by Esra Dicle that examines the concept of emotion in literature through an interdisciplinary perspective. Published in November 2022 by Dergâh Yayınları as part of its Turkish Literature – Studies series, the book spans 372 pages.

The book analyzes the relationships between emotional studies and fields such as philosophy, sociology, anthropology, history, ecology, gender, and economics, using literary texts as its primary material. It presents a broad selection ranging from early Ottoman literature to contemporary works. In chapters covering genres such as mesnevi, theater, the novel, poetry, short story, and autobiography, the interactions between emotions and political discourses, ecological thought, self-formation, and gender norms are explored.

• The Collective Dimension of Emotion: The book questions how emotions are produced and circulated within historical and cultural contexts beyond individual experience.
• Emotion and Social Structure: The role of emotions in processes of modernity, capitalism, and collective identity formation is examined.
• Literature and Emotional Language: The ways in which emotional expressions in texts guide and politicize readers are detailed and analyzed.
• Interdisciplinary Reading: The metaphorical and conceptual functions of emotion in fields such as ecology, gender, politics, and individual-society relations are highlighted.

Dicle employs clearly structured sections in her academically rigorous writing. Her analyses, supported by theoretical references, carefully select illustrative examples from literary texts. The language is crafted with clarity to facilitate both intellectual and emotional engagement with the subject matter.