Mustafa Karadeniz Dilenci

THE PHENOMENON OF BEGGARY IN THE SOCIETY AND TYPES OF BEGGARS

The beggar represents a certain stereotype with his role, attire, behavior and character. In this role, whether or not the beggar is really needy is of lesser importance. Of more importance is the image he gives by using such means the attire, words, acts and the dexterity in playing his role with success. Reşat Nuri Güntekin, a famous Turkish novelist, looks at begging with a different eye in his work named “Miskinler Tekkesi”. He presents an array of subjects from how the beggar is perceived in society to the various tricks of begging based on a careful observation. The author shows how those who openly beg money from ordinary people in society might be more innocent than others who beg covertly in a number of ways vis-à-vis their superiors and power holders in order to obtain wealth, status and official rank. The chief character of the novel learns o lot of new thing at places to which he has gone for begging. These places include both official institutions known by everybody such as the administration of justice and the groups to which almost no one pays attention such as a crowd taking away a corpse for burial. Thus, the author, while giving much information about the contents of all the more intricate relations in the social structure, of which he has become a part in the appearance of a beggar, at the same time he conveys the conditions and ways in which begging takes place manifestly. In this representation and personification, primary attention is drawn to the existence of those who do begging through their intentions, purposes and inner worlds rather than to people who beg openly with their outward forms, behavior and acts.