A Narrative of Controversy: Orhan Pamuk’s Snow
Öz
Nobel Prize laureate Orhan Pamuk’s novel Snow (2002), which local scholars argue that it takes its name from ‘karsu’ (snow-water), takes place in Kars[1], a city located on the north-eastern border of Turkey. As a borderline city, it stands as the nexus of distinguished civilisations, such as that of Armenians, Russians, and Ottomans; and bears the traces of several ethnic, cultural, and political characteristics of diverse identities. Snow represents modernist Turkey’s political, cultural, and religious turmoil experienced in the late twentieth century. The novel depicts the city of Kars as a witness to deep-seated conflicting political views and social values. The concepts of secularism, nationalism, and the Islamic Revival, including experiences of poverty that have been felt, unemployment, and suicide are all inscribed within the plot of this provocative novel. Hence, depicted concepts and felt experiences stir up much controversy among critics who explore Pamuk’s intention to understand the reasons why he might have thematised such problematic issues. However, Pamuk’s elaboration of a political issue in Snow seems to have been misconceived through political standpoints minimizing his artistic ability to solely a political gaze. In this respect, I will explore and discuss Pamuk’s Snow as a polyphonic novel inviting its readers to contemplate both the question of ‘the other’ and the dangers of radicalism rather than as a novel supporting a certain political group.
[1] Referring to McGaha, Bazarkaya argues that “Kars is a shortened version of the Turkish Kar-su (“Snow Water”). Pamuk originally intended to title his novel Kars but later, concerned that it might be mistaken for a guidebook or a history of the city, changed it to Kar. The later title was more appropriate anyway, because snow is the novel’s central, all-pervasive metaphor” (2015: 50)
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
-
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
M. Önder Göncüoğlu
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
20 Nisan 2018
Gönderilme Tarihi
14 Ağustos 2017
Kabul Tarihi
28 Mart 2018
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2018 Cilt: 6 Sayı: 11
Cited By
A CONVOLUTION OF EAST AND WEST: INTERTWINING MULTICULTURAL WORLDS
Studia Interkulturowe Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej
https://doi.org/10.31338/2544-3143.si.2023-16.9






