Zülfü Livanelis novel Serenad – A modern Turkish Ring Parable the attempt of Confirmation of Enlightenment Under the Vision of Lessings Drama “Nathan the Wise”

Zülfü livanelis novel serend provides an inner structure that reminds its readers of the tendencies in the european era of enlightenment (18th century). this structure offers an analytic way of understanding through its main characters who have different backgrounds and various cultural ideals. due to this, serenad offers a perspective which is quite similar to the ideology of lessings drama nathan the wise, which has its peak in the so called ring parable. lessing shows all monotheistic religions in a similar light; even they try to depreciate themselves. livaneli on the other side integrates two ring parables in his novel and proves through them an ethnic equality of turkish societies with different backgrounds. first of all, for a deeper understanding, this paper will focus on the historical relations between the ethnic groups in turkey. nathan the wise defines the ring parable in lessings drama. in livanelis novel the figure of professor maximillian wagner, an initiator in the novel, introduces the problem to livanelis readers with a quotation of e. said “war to ignorance” (e. said, quot. in livanel 2013:37). this paper reviews and verifies the hypothesis of kaminski (2013) that livenalis novel can be understood as a modern, turkish ring parable.