On Orhan Pamuk's The Museum of Innocence

 

Orhan Pamuk’s novel The Museum of  Innocence portrays the obsessive love of Kemal Bey towards Fusun, a sales girl intent on turning into a film star.  He breaks his engagement with Sibel to who he has been engaged . He falls into depression but comes out of it and becomes a regular visitor to the house of Fusun. Her father Tarik Bey and mother  Aunt Nesibe are cordial towards him as they perceive his  attachment towards their daughter. Fusun’s marriage with Feridun who dreams of becoming  a director does not deter Kemal to pursue his love  relentlessly. He collects the memorabilia belonging to Fusun and their intimacy with each other . The museum of innocence is  a monument to  deathless love .  Pamuk’s style of  putting down even the minutes observations stand testimony to  his eloquent style. Istanbul , the times characterised by violence, coups , military rule,  the clash between the old and the new , the beauty of the landscape , the social and cultural life are brought out vividly.     The Turkish society has been caught in between the Oriental cultural norms and Occidental strivings to develop one’s individuality. The disobeying sons like Kemal Bey . Independent and cigarette smoking young girls like Sibel and Fusun , the once principled but now nonchalant    fathers like Tarik Bey , the loving and calculated mothers like Aunt Nesibe , the obeying drivers like Cetin, the career hunting and casual minded artists in Cafes, the actresses intent on raining like Papatya, the ambitious but insensitive Ferudin all pass on the stage meant for conflictual cultural norms .

The novel also shows the difficulty love faces in a society constrained by traditional  values including family status and lack of chances for free expression. The feelings are acknowledged slyly but never given full expression   quickly. They need a lot of buffeting. Mutation and transformation. The traditional society understands the indisputable romantic love between the young  people   but hardly gives a green signal . it has pass through the test of times and pay the necessary price.