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.
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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).