Reproducing Memories and Portrayal of the Concept of Virginity in Turkey through Orhan Pamuk’s The Museum of Innocence

Abstract

The Museum of Innocence (2009) delves into love and everyday objects of love to explain the country's cultural emissions and political issues due to cultural contradiction with few characters in the novel. The novel is planned as a love story but is written in a decidedly unorthodox narrative style. The narrative is focused on the lovers' connection and revolves around Kemal's alterations due to his love for Fusun. He brings the supernatural close to the material, combining them most unexpectedly. Pamuk's construction of the actual museum in the memory of Fusun was discussed. Pamuk spoke about the memories of Fusun in Kemal's story narration with the portrayal of cultural indifference in Turkey. Further, this paper brings out the clash between fundamental traditional Islam and modern secularism by portraying the westernisation lifestyle of Istanbul's bourgeois society. The research paper concentrated on women's status and depicted the concept of virginity.