Marguerite Yourcenar’ ın Cehennem Adlı Eserindeki Bir Soylu Konutunun İç Dekorundaki Simgeler

The purpose of this paper is to examine emblems and emblematic discourse in The Abyss by Marguerite Yourcenar. A brief overview of the use of emblems in The Abyss is followed by an analysis of the chapter: “A Noble Abode”. A close reading of this chapter is conducted through the model of the emblematic structure and it is proposed that the emblems that reside in the ornaments and the objects of art in “A Noble Abode” constitute an interaction that takes place between image and text. Of all the objects that constitute the interior decor of this sumptuous home, the tapestries are ofspecial importance to this study. The silent content of these tapestries are used to illustrate the cruelty and hypocrisy that reign in this home. Finally by focusing on the central character of Martha Ligre the interaction between this major figure and the objects that decorate her home are explored. Yourcenar leads the reader to the inevitable conclusion of discord between that which is depicted in the emblems and the lives of the inhabitants of “A Noble Abode”.