The Bastard Of Istanbul is, at heart, a story about coming to terms with one's identity. Almost all of the characters in this book face an identity crisis of some sort. This can be specifically followed by exploring the connection between the idea of the character's identity and their actual, concrete name. Some characters hide behind pseudonyms, while others have multiple names. The theme of names as a reflection of a character's identity is prevalent throughout the book.
Characters in both the cybercafe and the physical cafe are only ever known by their pseudonyms. In both examples, the names give clues to the character's personality, but by no means tell the whole story. In the cybercafe, we learn that Armanoush goes by “Madame My-Exiled-Soul. She had chosen this name as a tribute to Zabel Yessaian... Zabel was a fascinating personality... She had enjoyed a tumultuous life... ”(Shafak, 113). This certainly offers some idea of what Armanoush sees herself as – a rebel, an intellectual, but also looking to have fun. However, this isn't everything, simply the picture she gives to the world of the cybercafe. We see the same thing in the character of the Dipsomaniac Cartoonist. The initial impression is only reinforced by the name; he is an alcoholic who draws cartoons for a living. Later, however, we find there is significantly more to the character beyond what we see here. He truly cares for Asya, and is willing to change himself for her. “You are my one and only incentive in this life to become a better person”(Shafak, 322).
Many of the characters in the story go by multiple names. Armanoush's internal conflict over her cultural identity is reflected by the names she goes by, Armanoush for her father's family, Amy for her moth...
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...er sisters.
The attempts of the characters to resolve their identity problems are a key theme in The Bastard of Istanbul, and can be followed by the multiple names characters assign themselves to represent different aspects of their personality. This is a device used by the author to highlight the different aspects of a character's personality – by naming them, they are made more real for the reader. In a sense, we think of them as distinctly different characters in conflict with each other, a very effective way to communicate the internal conflicts in a way the reader can easily understand. A full analysis of the characters in this story needs to treat each aspect of the varied characters' personalities as a complete character in itself. Only by understanding each motivation behind the actions can we get a complete picture of why the characters act the way they do.
Central to our understanding of “My name is Asher Lev” by Chaim Potok, is the dynamics of Asher’s relationship with different minor characters involved. Each minor character such as Yudel Krinsky, Uncle Yitzchok, the Rebbe, and Jacob Kahn each help Asher in a different way allowing the reader to interpret the text more thoroughly. Their guidance to the antagonist creates a vivid image inside the reader’s mind of the type of character and their importance to our understanding of the text. Each minor character listed has a deep impact on the resolution of Asher Lev
In an Amazon.co.uk interview titled “Magic, Mystery and Mayhem: An Interview with J.K. Rowling,” when asked about the way she came up with the names of characters in her books, she replied, “I invented some of the names in the Harry books, but I also collect strange names. I've gotten them from medieval saints, maps, dictionaries, plants, war memorials, and people I've met!” J.K. Rowling chose these names for a reason based on the deeper meanings behind every character's name and the way they relate to their roles and personalities. In Octavia E. Butler's short story “Speech Sounds”, Rye and Obsidian were the names she chose for her characters. Rye, the name of the main protagonist which symbolizes home and earth yearns to reconnect with her family and to rebuild a family of her own while Obsidian, the supporting character, is named after a type of lava stone, which is believed to contain magical properties that “absorbs and destroys negative energy such as anger, criticism, and fear” (Zagata). The names of the characters have two purposes: to describe the character's role and personality, and to give them an identity.
These characters, however different they lie on the morality scale, all share the sinful trait of greed. They all ask, and take too much, ruining what the good that they had in their lives. Understanding their mistakes offers its useful readers a lesson, not to demand too much of the things we are offered. The characters struggle with their desires, each of them succombing to their passions.
As I said before, the story basically presents one character, of whom we don’t know the name but he is also the narrator, we are also provided with a referenced character named Rans...
Hosseini use of characters to show greater issues than what are directly present in the novel allows individuals to be representations of different people, which when united together in a family, depict an entire culture and a hope for its future.
Firstly, one’s identity is largely influenced by the dynamics of one’s relationship with their father throughout their childhood. These dynamics are often established through the various experiences that one shares with a father while growing up. In The Glass Castle and The Kite Runner, Jeannette and Amir have very different relationships with their fathers as children. However the experiences they share with these men undou...
At the outset, an insightful reader needs to draft the general boundaries of allegory and symbolism in the story. To put it most simple, the problem of distinguishing between good and evil undergoes a discussion. It is not difficult to notice that the Grandmother stands for good and the Misfit for evil. But such a division would be a sweeping and superficial generalisation, for both the characters epitomize good and evil traits. Moral evaluation is a very complex process and it is not the human who is to decide on that. There are rather various degrees of goodness and evil, both interwoven, also in their religiousness. Th...
works of literature have tremendous amounts of similarity especially in the characters. Each character is usually unique and symbolizes the quality of a person in the real world. But in both stories, each character was alike, they represented honor, loyalty, chivalry, strength and wisdom. Each character is faced with a difficult decision as well as a journey in which they have to determine how to save their own lives. Both these pieces of literatures are exquisite and extremely interesting in their own ways.
“Choosing My Name” by Puanani Burgress is a poem that reflects Burgess idea of her identity and how it is related with her different names. Despite having three different names Chirstabella , Yoshie and Puanani, she particularly likes identifying herself as Puanani although it is not her “official name”. Strange as it sounds, I aslo have three different names: Basanta, Kancho, Xxxxxx. My third name Xxxxxx is my cultural name that I cannot disclose thus I have decided to write it Xxxxxx as it is made up of six letters. Xxxxxx is my favorite and preferred name because it connects me to my family, my culture and my land.
The main character and protagonist in this story is a boy named Colonel Sartoris. In this story, Sarty is faced with the decision of either going along with the views and actions of his morally challenged father or asserting his own morality and individuality by running away and leaving his family and his pain behind.
is the understanding of this "rich" character. In this study I will try to analyze some of his traits (invisibility-lack of indentity , blindness) and his journey from idealism to a grim realism about the racism that confronts him in the story.
The composer has aimed this text for general reading by all people over the age of ten. However as this publication is the young reader’s edition, it is targeted at young readers. People who may wish to read the book may be able to attain it through mediums such as book stores and libraries etc. Although this publication of the novel is the young reader’s edition, there is a publication aimed at adults.
Stylistically, the book is arranged in rotating chapters. Every fourth chapter is devoted to each individual character and their continuation alo...
The characters in this novel entertain conflicting notions of morality and pride. Sometimes, these characteristics are at odds with one another, creating the immoral and "evil" characters. Other times, they cooperate to create realism in these people. The moral characters are good, but still have enough pride to be dignified, yet not arrogant. Sometimes, when the evil twins (or other halves) run amuck, things get out of hand and troubles abound. Though most of the time these troubles spring from the discrepancy between pride and morality, at other points, dignity and morality work hand in hand to create reliable and realistic characters.
Throughout history, the middle east has often been the focus of news reporters. A middle eastern country that has not been exempt from this, is Turkey. Turkey has not only been a focus, but it also has had a very long, complicated history.