Should We Be Afraid of New Life? Fear and Moral Dilemmas in 21st-CenteryGeorgian and Turkish Drama

Abstract

The present paper investigates the socio-psychological aspects of society raised in contemporary drama. Specifically, attention is focused on the phenomenon where fear dictates the "rules of the game," turning morality and the instinct for self-preservation into a destructive force. The research is based on a comparative analysis of two significant plays of the 21st century: The Little Giant (Tsitskna Goliati) by Georgian playwright Irakli Samsonadze and Avalanche (Çığ) by Turkish playwright Tuncer Cücenoğlu. In these plays, it is evident that both cultures await tomorrow not as survival, but as a verdict.

The main objective of the research is to demonstrate how fear transforms the birth of a child — traditionally a symbol of hope — into a death sentence. The paper attempts to answer the question: why has silence become the only means of survival, and why is the "new generation" perceived as a threat rather than a continuation of life?

In Cücenoğlu's Avalanche, the community is forced to maintain silence to avert catastrophe, where an infant's cry is equated with destruction. Similarly, in Samsonadze's The Little Giant, parents fear that their child's existence will betray their hiding place. The analysis reveals that in both narratives, paranoia compels parents to view their child not as an heir, but as a "prosecutor" who threatens their safety and comfort.

The research concludes that when society is ruled by fear, moral degradation is inevitable. Parents are willing to sacrifice the child — the symbol of the future — to maintain a "safe" and "silent" present. This reflects a modern tragedy where an instinct for physical survival suppresses moral humanity.