The examination of “gender” concept in literary works has generally been shaped in terms of femininity. Folktales offer very important data about the mentality, traditions and customs, life and culture of the society in which they are formed. For this reason, folktales are important literary sources in order to understand and examine the basic dynamics and sociological structure of the society in which they are produced. They also give clues about gender in the language of narratives. In the study, the stories compiled from Âşık Şevki Halıcı are discussed in the context of gender. Considering the characteristics of the time and place told in the stories, the female figures reflected in the folktales were examined with regard to gender roles, and a gender questioning was made in terms of the language of the stories. Within the scope of this thesis, it is aimed to reveal how the gender roles of women in the society are handled in the folktales compiled from Âşık Şevki Halıcı, and to evaluate the language used in the stories in the context of gender. As a result, the prominent factor in gender studies, especially in folktales, which have an important place in traditional narrative genres, women have often been pushed into the background with their patriarchal traces in the stories. Traces of patriarchal mentality are prominent in the narratives. Women have also supported the continuation of the patriarchal order, consciously or unconsciously, mostly following the patriarchal doctrine of the society. Women’s representition as a beloved to be chased after by a male lover is a reflection of their being traited as a sexual object. The language used in the narratives also states that women are pushed into the background against men and that women are dependent on men.

Âşık Şevki Halıcı, folk story, gender, woman.