Today I thought was a really interesting class. While the teacher was talking about the even of WWI and what was going on in different areas at this time, I kept thinking that she was going to mention the condition of the Armenians. I thought her next sentence was going to be about the relationship between the Turks and Armenians and the genocide but it never came up. She finnished the lecture and then stated that she herself had never learned about the Armenians in school. I concur, students typically do not learn about it. The discussion today was mostly about why don't we learn about it? One girl raised her hand and said "I think it's because there is no actual country called Armenia." Well I guess thats an example of a reason why people do not know about it. Because they are oblivious to what is going on in the world unless ther safety is threated. Futhermore, I enjoyed "The Bastard of Istanbul" and thought it was a great way to portray the dffferences in perception of the event. Although it takes place in modern day, the point of the novel was to examine the past. I can relate a bit to how Armanoush feels about her lack of identity. I think it is very easy to feel an absense of self when none of your family wants to talk about their historical past. A student made a comment about Armenians not being "proudful". In terms of Armenians in the US, that statement is quite the contrary. Amenians that are in the US are actually very unified with one another. One might say they play the victim however another may say they are just trying to acknowledge their troubled past.
Mainly, I think people need to view history through many different lenses.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Bastard of Istanbul
Throughout history genocide and destruction of a specific ethnicity has been a continuing theme in many backgrounds. Although genocide is a drastic action, some cultures fail to confront or acknowledge their troubled past and accept the contemporary damages. The intriguing novel titled The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak discusses the modern day psychological effects of the Armenian genocide and its influence on everyday life. It is better to know about the gloomy past than just to be forgotten. The Bastard of Istanbul also concentrates on both the Turkish and the Armenian perspectives and the way in which they internalize the past. Both cultures see things through a different lens and therefore a lot of unanswered questions. It is not really about the historical aspect of the event but rather the two different interpretations of the issue and how it corresponds to personal identity. Elif Shafak a young Turkish women was imprisoned for writing her novel The Bastard of Istanbul because the government of Turkey claimed she made fictitious comments and distorted the Turkish reputation. The charges were later dropped however the lasting rationale behind it lingers. The Ottoman Turks viewed this situation as a cultural betrayal and denied the accusations. The Bastard of Istanbul explores cultural identity issues and modern perceptions dealing with Turkey. Armanoush is a main character in the story that goes through a revelation about who she is and what her past has to do with her identity in the present. While Armanoush is visiting Turkey, she helps unravel one of the messages and long-term arguments of the Turkish and Armenian historical past. Armanoush’s step father Mustafa embodies more of an idea than a character. His refusal to confront the crime he committed represents Turkey’s prolonged denial of the Armenian genocide and their questionable past. Speaking about Mustafa and his estrangement to Istanbul, “At times Armanoush had the impression that he wanted to break away from his past, but she could not possibly tell why.“(1) Mustafa does not want to confront his passed and his secret is a metaphor of how the Turkish people react to this historical event. This also represents a lot of other Turkish peoples feelings. Another significant theme in Shafak’s novel is the use of the word genocide.” The use of this word is a political taboo in Turkey when describing the issue between the Ottoman Turks and the Armenian people. Armenians and Turks have a different sense of history and Shafak even goes as far as to state that Armenians are more past oriented and Turks are more future oriented. Basically meaning that one group is focused on what has happened to them while the other group is focusing more on what is going to happen and how does this affect them now. The past may be blurry for both ethnicities but the truths of the past event are something that should be uncovered and talked about. Elif Shafak’s book argues that it is beneficial to know more about the history of the Turks and Armenians so that people can have a better understanding of why certain things happened. It should not just be “history.“ When Armanoush asked her step-father about 1915 and what the Turks did, Mustafa replied, “I don’t know much about those things, it’s all history.“(2) Although many Turks grow up with a unawareness of their history before the new republic, their past should not be buried and forgotten. Shafak wants it to be known what happened and not have people be afraid to talk about it. The Bastard of Istanbul is about the tension between the need to examine the past and the desire to erase it. According to Shafak, a lot of people believe Turkish history begins with the start of the Republic in 1923 and anything before that is of no real interest. People have lost there connections and sense of continuity with the past. This novel helps reveal past issues and examines the modern affects. For Armanoush, there are several modern affects of the Armenian genocide that she is dealing with today. Her step-father’s family does not speak about their Turkish past and therefore leaves a lot of questions unanswered. “Because of her fragmented childhood, she had still not been able to find a sense of continuity and identity.”(3) By not confronting a big part of her cultural past, Armanoush feels as though she is incomplete, unaware of who she really is. An interesting point of view that Armanoush shares in the novel is a really significant one because it explains exactly how she feels about not really being placed in any category and therefore feels lost. “I do know how it feels to be torn between opposite sides, unable to fully belong anywhere, constsantly flucuating between two states of existence.”(4) Throughout the novel the search for identity is a common Armanoush battles with her estranged roots. Out of wedlock and abortion are also disucssed and contribute to the journey for a sense of individualism and self.
The Bastard of Istanbul is an intriguing novel that confronts many “taboo” issues such as genocide and even abortion. Elif Shafak has enlightened many people on the subject of genocide and is not afraid to express herself. This novel touches upon the relationship between the Turks and the Armenians in a different way. The psychological affects of their historical past is being seen today and it is something that should be discussed. Historical events should not be buried in the past but uncovered to examine and confront. Although genocide is a negative act, it is not okay for people to forget about it. The past may be gloomy but it is beneficial to not make history just history. I think that The Bastard of Istanbul was a great way to explain how similar but different cultures view the same event. I understand that a massacre is something people do not want to talk about however lessons can be learned from the past. One cannot understand the future without studying the past.
1. Page 104
2. Page 104
3. Page 116
4. Page 116
Shafak,E.. The Bastard of Istanbul. Viking Penguin, 2007.
Shafak, E.. "Writing Under A Watchful Eye." 2/6/2007.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7217653 (accessed 3/13/2009).
Throughout history genocide and destruction of a specific ethnicity has been a continuing theme in many backgrounds. Although genocide is a drastic action, some cultures fail to confront or acknowledge their troubled past and accept the contemporary damages. The intriguing novel titled The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak discusses the modern day psychological effects of the Armenian genocide and its influence on everyday life. It is better to know about the gloomy past than just to be forgotten. The Bastard of Istanbul also concentrates on both the Turkish and the Armenian perspectives and the way in which they internalize the past. Both cultures see things through a different lens and therefore a lot of unanswered questions. It is not really about the historical aspect of the event but rather the two different interpretations of the issue and how it corresponds to personal identity. Elif Shafak a young Turkish women was imprisoned for writing her novel The Bastard of Istanbul because the government of Turkey claimed she made fictitious comments and distorted the Turkish reputation. The charges were later dropped however the lasting rationale behind it lingers. The Ottoman Turks viewed this situation as a cultural betrayal and denied the accusations. The Bastard of Istanbul explores cultural identity issues and modern perceptions dealing with Turkey. Armanoush is a main character in the story that goes through a revelation about who she is and what her past has to do with her identity in the present. While Armanoush is visiting Turkey, she helps unravel one of the messages and long-term arguments of the Turkish and Armenian historical past. Armanoush’s step father Mustafa embodies more of an idea than a character. His refusal to confront the crime he committed represents Turkey’s prolonged denial of the Armenian genocide and their questionable past. Speaking about Mustafa and his estrangement to Istanbul, “At times Armanoush had the impression that he wanted to break away from his past, but she could not possibly tell why.“(1) Mustafa does not want to confront his passed and his secret is a metaphor of how the Turkish people react to this historical event. This also represents a lot of other Turkish peoples feelings. Another significant theme in Shafak’s novel is the use of the word genocide.” The use of this word is a political taboo in Turkey when describing the issue between the Ottoman Turks and the Armenian people. Armenians and Turks have a different sense of history and Shafak even goes as far as to state that Armenians are more past oriented and Turks are more future oriented. Basically meaning that one group is focused on what has happened to them while the other group is focusing more on what is going to happen and how does this affect them now. The past may be blurry for both ethnicities but the truths of the past event are something that should be uncovered and talked about. Elif Shafak’s book argues that it is beneficial to know more about the history of the Turks and Armenians so that people can have a better understanding of why certain things happened. It should not just be “history.“ When Armanoush asked her step-father about 1915 and what the Turks did, Mustafa replied, “I don’t know much about those things, it’s all history.“(2) Although many Turks grow up with a unawareness of their history before the new republic, their past should not be buried and forgotten. Shafak wants it to be known what happened and not have people be afraid to talk about it. The Bastard of Istanbul is about the tension between the need to examine the past and the desire to erase it. According to Shafak, a lot of people believe Turkish history begins with the start of the Republic in 1923 and anything before that is of no real interest. People have lost there connections and sense of continuity with the past. This novel helps reveal past issues and examines the modern affects. For Armanoush, there are several modern affects of the Armenian genocide that she is dealing with today. Her step-father’s family does not speak about their Turkish past and therefore leaves a lot of questions unanswered. “Because of her fragmented childhood, she had still not been able to find a sense of continuity and identity.”(3) By not confronting a big part of her cultural past, Armanoush feels as though she is incomplete, unaware of who she really is. An interesting point of view that Armanoush shares in the novel is a really significant one because it explains exactly how she feels about not really being placed in any category and therefore feels lost. “I do know how it feels to be torn between opposite sides, unable to fully belong anywhere, constsantly flucuating between two states of existence.”(4) Throughout the novel the search for identity is a common Armanoush battles with her estranged roots. Out of wedlock and abortion are also disucssed and contribute to the journey for a sense of individualism and self.
The Bastard of Istanbul is an intriguing novel that confronts many “taboo” issues such as genocide and even abortion. Elif Shafak has enlightened many people on the subject of genocide and is not afraid to express herself. This novel touches upon the relationship between the Turks and the Armenians in a different way. The psychological affects of their historical past is being seen today and it is something that should be discussed. Historical events should not be buried in the past but uncovered to examine and confront. Although genocide is a negative act, it is not okay for people to forget about it. The past may be gloomy but it is beneficial to not make history just history. I think that The Bastard of Istanbul was a great way to explain how similar but different cultures view the same event. I understand that a massacre is something people do not want to talk about however lessons can be learned from the past. One cannot understand the future without studying the past.
1. Page 104
2. Page 104
3. Page 116
4. Page 116
Shafak,E.. The Bastard of Istanbul. Viking Penguin, 2007.
Shafak, E.. "Writing Under A Watchful Eye." 2/6/2007.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7217653 (accessed 3/13/2009).
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Blog #7???
I thought we were only up to 6 blogs but I guess I miscounted or something. Anyways, I will be starting "Bastard of Istanbul" tonight and reading it over break. I look forward to a better novel this time around but I am cautious because I seem to struggle with this historical fiction stuff. I liked hearing a little introduction about the novel in class and it has kind of engaged me a little bit more. I am a bit more excited to start reading the book as it might pertain to my Armenian heritage. My fathers family was part of the massacre as I have a small family on that side. Maybe I will learn some interesting things aout the Massacre.
HBO Film and Snow Day
This week we had Monday off due to snow storm so we had an assignment to do. The HBO film regarding the Isareli/Palestinian issue was really interesting and entertaining. I honestly have never really watched a documentry like this before. It was a little hard to watch at times because I was angry at the fact that these mothers are both missing something. Although the suicide bomber killed the other teenage girl beause of purpose she thought she should believe in, her mother felt differently and did not agree with her suicide bomber daughter. Although one a killer and one a victim, both girls can be looked at as victims. Victims of their own misconceptions. I think when looking at this Middle Eastern issue it is crucial to understand what this conflict is really about. Today in class we discussed how this conflict is a political issue, not a religious fight as alot of people assume it is. I also found it interesting that alot of students confuse this rather modern conflict with something that has been "going on for thousands of years." I think alot of students make this mistake and it is most likely because of the way the United States teaches and portrays Middle Eastern history. Whenever we learned about the region in middle school it would be like a blur of issues and some how it all rounded in "A fight over the Holy Land and Religion." Todays class cleared some of this confusion up for me and it was helpful to really state what the issue is. I am glad we are learning about more modern Ottoman Empire and other civilizations bcause it seems like it will all relate to something I may be more familiar with. I am excited to start reading "Bastard of Istanbul" over the break, maybe I will read about some of my Armenian heritage or something.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)