Nasreddin Hodja As A Trickster Figure in Turkish Literature and Xiyoujı's (西游记) Sunwukong（孙悟空）in Chinese Literature: A Comparative Analysis

This article sets out to analyse Nasreddin Hodja as a Turkish literary character, along with the Chinese trickster figure Sunwukong, from a comparative aspect. It argues that Nasreddin Hodja, a prominent figure in Turkish oral and written literature, is a unique trickster figure with an ethical character, who shares a number of common characteristics with the Chinese trickster figure Sunwukong. In the article, first a definition of what a trickster figure means is made, and examples are given from World Literature to demonstrate the general characteristics of trickster figures. Then a discussion follows about whether Nasreddin Hodja fits the definition of a trickster archetype, and a critique is made of previous researches on the subject matter. Furthermore, comparisons are made between Sunwukong as he is depicted in Xiyouji, one of the four novels of classical Chinese literature, and whether the two characters went through a character transformation is analysed. * Arş. Gör., Leeds Metropolitan Üniversitesi. El-mek: o.f.sener@leedsmet.ac.uk