Culture, politics, aesthetics as turmoil and quest in pamuk’s works

Abstract

The paper is an investigation of eastern and western influence on culture, politics and aesthetics in Pamuk’s selected works. The works generate a deconstruction of the persistent class, alternative cultural hierarchy. The works have epistemological perspective. The larger question in the novels are battle between individual self and cultural self, which is influenced by the regional fusion of two continents and influence of two alternative cultures on Turkey for generations. Pamuk inculcates postmodern techniques of West and the Eastern allusions/parables from Islamic literature in his novels, which adds to the universal acceptance or celebrations of his themes and works. The paper is a study of political, cultural and aesthetic turmoil giving birth to varied nature of quests. Pamuk’s protagonists hear a call and it is the onset of their individual nature of quest where they face multiple dilemmas affecting various aspects of their lives. They seek resolution and this journey of dilemmas and individual or collective efforts of the protagonists to find solace is vividly by the author. The objective of the paper is the study of the discourse of identity crisis of the heroes and the factors influencing the construction of their dilemmas and resolution offered. It shall study the journey of the heroes on quest in the pursuit of love, knowledge or self.