In a literary work, “leitmotif”, a word, situation or behavior of a character that is frequently repeated consciously by the author, is the compass for readers to reach the subtext. Leitmotifs that have an indicative function both to provide concrete information about the author’s ideology and attract the readers’ attention, enabling them to become active participants during the interpretation. The aim of this study is to analyze the leitmotifs in Erendiz Atasü’s short stories in Kadınlar da Vardır (2011), in which she criticizes the male oppression on women. The systematic structure of the signs in Atasü’s stories was examined within the framework of “sign”, “signifier” and “signified” in Ferdinand de Saussure’s semantic analysis scheme. As a result of this semiotic analysis, it was concluded that the leitmotifs, in the form of signs, in Atasü’s selected stories have two functions: conveying the feelings and thoughts of the characters and adding aesthetic atmosphere to the narration.
Leitmotif, Erendiz Atasü, Ferdinand de Saussure, semiological analysis.