Gender, apart from biologic differences, involves the distinctions attributed to individuals by the society. Gender roles include roles attributed to women and men. (Zeybekoğlu 4)

Gender, apart from biologic differences, involves the distinctions attributed to individuals by the society. Gender roles include roles attributed to women and men (Zeybekoğlu 4). Fatih Erdogan crams the concept of gender, gender roles and inequality of women and men merging due to these roles in the text Annem Bıyık Bıraktı (Mum Grows Moustache) by short stories without moving away from classical nuclear family structure consisting of mother, father, a boy and a girl. Narrator elaborates on working women’s becoming of secondary importance in business life, challenges they may face at public transportation in her daily life and classic reactions given to these kind of situations by every single individual in society, a woman’s traditional roles in the house and how can a moustache sweeps these roles and inequalities as well.

Details are narrated through Merve, Burak and their daughter Buket and their son Volkan. Merve, realises the moustache over her lips one day when she gets up and goes to bathroom, then she shows it to her husband Burak. Burak says that everyone has some hairs on their skin and that it is totally okay. But Merve locks on this moustache issue and every day in the morning same dialogues circulates at home. Merve comments on this issue by saying “Then let me change my name to Murtaza[*].” which is an expected reaction among the society. However, she becomes very obsessed with this issue. One day when getting on the shuttle, Merve realises that a friend of hers is laughing at so she replies her friend by saying “My moustache appears, I will need to remove them.” and then her friend approves by showing the parts where moustache is abundant. Merve gets angrier. What is narrated by her friend’s reaction is that women got adapted to the sense of beauty imposed by the society and that women do not find this strange and even themselves use this to criticise other women. A woman’s growing moustache is not approved by the other women in terms of the sense of beauty and it is believed that moustache should be removed.

The sense that only men should grow moustache both enables men to be superior and challenges the ones who do not grow moustache both in business and social life. Mr. Mustafa, one of the supporting characters in text for example is promoted only because he has a moustache, according to Mrs. Merve. No matter how hard Merve tried throughout all these years to be promoted to that position, Mr. Mustafa takes the spot just because he has a moustache. Her husband Burak says however, that this may be a result of Mr. Mustafa’s work experience, education status or his social circle.                                                                                                     

Merve keeps stating that her boss is right and men are more successful than women at higher positions, despite all different points of view presented to her. Merve, already upset about a man’s being promoted instead of her, expresses her thoughts aloud in front of her colleagues unconsciously by saying Mr. Mustafa was promoted just because he has a moustache and she is sure that he would fail this job, upon her boss’ request for “editing the files for Mr. Mustafa” and then she gets fired. When she was on her way to home, the man next to him pressures her. When she reacts the man, she is objected by sayings like “Minibus is crowded.” All passengers complain that minibus is crowded and therefore his action is understandable, and suggest her to take a taxi if she is uncomfortable. There is a woman agreeing others, who sits at the back row.

Society, both its men and women, has already acknowledged the superiority of men in both business and social life and despite reactions raised, individuals regard women-men inequality as normal. A man’s being promoted just because he is a man and the belief that they are more successful than women in administrative positions are among the beliefs took a place in society. What Merve faces in minibus can be called as harassment and reactions by the others in the minibus basically represent reactions given in daily life only because woman is woman. People do not raise voice against the roles attributed to women and treatment against them is because these gender roles are learned and adopted. Individuals do not realise these taught roles and regard them as normal. (Zeybekoğlu 4) Women, who are perceived as weak by the society, are exposed to unpleasant treatment by “the moustached”. Narrator tries to raise awareness by pointing these reflections of society in children’s text in the easiest way to understand.

After facing injustices due to moustache, Merve makes a moustache by using her children’s play doughs and puts it on her lips at night however this fake moustache turns to be permanent. Merve wakes up with a permanent abundant moustache on her face in the morning and shows this to her husband Burak. At first Burak thinks that Merve is joking but then he realises that it is real, so they shave the moustache and see doctor. The doctor thinks that this couple is insane. When they are back to house Merve does daily chores with her shaved moustache. She prepares meal, vacuums the house, tidies beds, does laundry, prepares fruit salad and takes care of children. In this part of the text, roles are pointed explicitly in details. After shaving the moustache and being fired she turns to a housewife who is responsible for these chores. Next morning moustache grows again but Merve does not shave it this time. She calls all her friends and makes moustache from play dough for them as well. Dough causes other women to grow moustache, too. Husbands of Merve’s friends call her and complain. Women gather on streets and they claim equality after growing moustache. Due to police intervention, everyone goes back to their houses but women has already claimed equality since they also have moustache and there is no difference anymore. Merve and other women’s growing moustache takes its effect by men’s giving them a hand with daily chores. Burak starts cooking, Merve starts watching series just as Burak does, Volkan and Buket also help their mother. The permanent moustache, by the way, vanishes in time.

By emphasizing that the only difference between men and women is moustache, it is accepted as a tool in order to raise an awareness on abolishing gender roles. After women grew moustache, the inequality between men and women was abolished and gender roles were distributed equally.

Bibliography

Aydoğan, Fatih. Annem Bıyık Bıraktı. İstanbul: Mavibulut Yayıncılık, 2015.

Zeybekoğlu, Özge. “Toplumsal Cinsiyet Rolleri Bağlamında Türk Toplumunun Erkeklik Algısı”. ETHOS: Felsefe ve

Toplumsal Bilimlerde Diyaloglar 3 (Ocak 2010): 1-14.