ABSTRACT. Elif Shafak, a best-selling novelist of Turkish origin, once self-declared bisexual, is controversial today in her motherland, as she questions the patriarchal culture and all its traditions. In her latest novel, Shafak speaks about migration and relocation, and chooses to include two homosexual characters facing the intolerance of the islanders from the two communities in Cyprus’ divided capital ‒ Nicosia. The two male characters are not only in a love affair, but they also belong to politically opposing nationalities: Greek and Turkish. Shafak’s talent makes the story to be very meaningful for our complex existences and the next generations to come.

Keywords: Turkish-English literature; gender identity; political conflict; brother enemies; personal trauma

How to cite: Ionescu, A. (2024). “Patriarchal Intolerance in Elif Shafak’s The Island of Miss- ing Trees,” Journal of Research in Gender Studies 14(1): 78–85. doi: 10.22381/JRGS14120245.

Received 24 August 2022 • Received in revised form 26 August 2023
Accepted 29 August 2023 • Available online 30 September 2023

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*The University of Bucharest, Bucharest, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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