Hi all!
It's time to start thinking about the CULTURAL ALLUSIONS that Shafak uses all throughout her novel. Your job is to do a little preliminary research on five of them and offer a quick introductory explanation of who/what they are. You can also offer some brief thoughts about why Shafak might have alluded to each in the first place...as in, why THIS novel? Why THIS song?
By cultural allusions, I mean artists/paintings, authors/books, singers/songs, philosophers, etc that Shafak refers to in the novel. If there's a link you can post inside your response (or a youtube video), all the better!
Please make sure to look at the responses that have appeared already so that you don't overlap too much or at all.
Have fun!
Learn something!
(And here's something to get you started...)
• On page 53, Barsam Tchakhmakhchian moves his eyes to a huge reproduction of Martios Saryan’s Still Life with Masks. It is a still life painting, which utilized the technique “tempura”. It was painted on a canvas and finished in 1915. Its style was expressionism and Naïve Art (primitivism). I think Shafak may have mentioned this painting to represent how critical all of Armanoush’s family is. Whenever anyone says something everyone else turns and stares, judging their every word. http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/martiros-saryan/big-eastern-still-life-1915
ReplyDelete• On page 67, Shafak describes how Auntie Banu loves the soap opera The Malediction of the Ivy of infatuation. Then again, on page 194, the soap opera is mentioned again as “the longest running soap opera in Turkish history”. The fact that Shafak mentions the soap opera twice proves that it’s important. While I can’t find any evidence that the opera really exists, I get the feeling that Shafak invented it to represent Auntie Banu’s flaws, such as resentfulness.
• On page 96, Armanoush arrives home and dumps out the books se bought at the bookstore. One of her favorites is The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Milan Kundera, who is also the person the Café Asya visits often is named after, wrote it. Since Armanoush has never been there, Milan Kundera seves as a bridge between Asya and Armanoush. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Laughter_and_Forgetting
• Another cultural reference Shafak makes is the painting titled The Blind Whore. On page 109, Armanoush’s painting is titled The Blind Whore, and her date’s dish is titled Untitled. While there names may seem arbitrary, Shafak may be trying to underscore the characters’ importance trough their dishes’ names. Armanoush’s date isn’t really important to the book, so he is “untitled”. Armanoush may be the blind whore because she is very pretty without even knowing it.
• A final reference I found was on page 110. After her date with Matt, Armanoush spots one of her favorite books in a bookstore window. A Tomb for Boris Davidovich is a collection of seven short stories by Danilo Kiš written in 1976 . The stories are based on historical events and deal with themes of political deception, betrayal, and murder in Eastern Europe during the first half of the 20th century. I think Shafak mentioned this as Armanoush’s favorite book to show the reader her interest in history, and foreshadow her visit to Turkey.
1. The cafe that Asya visits is called Kundera. Coincidentally, he happens to be Armanoush's favorite author. Milan Kundera is both french and czech, which might serve as a connection to Armanoush who sees herself as both Armenian and American. As well, Asya is Turkish, which can be identified as both European and Asian. Additionally, his books are banned from his home country of czech, which is highly censored by its communist government. That concept of being alienated or rejected from home can also be applied to both Asya and Armanoush who, at present literary time, feel alone, misunderstand, and disconnected from their families.
ReplyDelete2. On her date with Matt, Armanoush "did not even hesitate to jab her spoon into the shaky velvety custard representing Jackson Pollock's Shimmering Substance"(109). This painting, as well as Jackson Pollock's style is described as "whatever fell on the painting became part of it, be it cigarette butts, paint tube tops, pebbles, nails, buttons, tacks, coins or matches, because, as far as Pollock was concerned, there were no accidents. Pollock’s paintings were as spontaneous as a lightning bolt." His technique which seems arbitrary, according to him, actually holds so much meaning. Armanoush, at this point in the novel, finds herself lost; missing a piece of herself. This painting might serve to represent the confusion and incompletion she is currently feeling; as well as the sense of meaning she is attempting to find on her journey to Istanbul.
3. The online cafe that Armanoush visits is entitled "Cafe Constantinopolis." She describes it as "the only safe haven she could escape into at times like this." The city of Constantinople was destroyed in 1453, by the Ottomon Turks under Sultan Mehmed II. Later, this magnificent city was reestablished as Istanbul. Shafak may have used this name to allude to the feeling of safety and sense of belonging Armanoush may experience when she actually visits and experiences the city.
ReplyDelete4. On page 135 of the novel, when discussing Armanoush's visit, Auntie Cevriye says that Americans are "misled into believing that Turkey is the country of the Midnight Express." The Midnight Express is a movie, based off of a book, that tells the story of a young American man/tourist who was mistreated and abused by the Turkish justice and imprisonment system that "displays all Turkish people as monsters." Auntie Cevriye is using this novel to prove how much the Armenians and Greeks have distorted American view of Turkey.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg-Vi6UCvV8
5. The song that plays towards the end of Asya's time with the Dipsomaniac Cartoonist is "It Ain't me, Babe," by Bob Dylan. This song seems to be from a man who feels as if he is unable to be sufficient enough for the girl he loves. The man in the song loves the woman so much, yet he realizes he will never fulfill her needs. We haven't been given much inside into their relationship, and hopefully there is much more in the book to come. So far we know that the Cartoonist has professed his love for Asya. She however afterwards, "sprints down five flight of stairs and ran as fast as she could from every torment chasing her soul."I predict that he might at some point realize he will never be enough for her, or vise versa.
1. On page 5, Shafak chooses to include a reference to Madonna's "Like a Virgin" which came out in 1984. This allusion gives the reader a frame of reference as to when the book takes place. Also, the song contrasts the conservative nature of Istanbul in general.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHW5RVvg2v4
2.On page 96, Shafak mentions Milan Kundera's "Life is Elsewhere" as one of Armanoush's favorite books. This book is about a boy named Jaromil who is a poet and who lives his life dealing with being an unwanted result of a loveless marriage for his father. While his mother spoils him because she can't find love in anyone other than her son. This book's plot seems similar to Armonoush's life story. Armonoush's mother seems to be selfish and only cares about her own interests while her father and his family dote on her and make her their most important priority. Also, the author Kundera is the author which cafe Kundera is named after. That is the cafe at which Asya spends time with her friends. I'm sure that ends up being a connection point between the two girls as the story progresses.
http://www.worldliteratureforum.com/forum/showthread.php/21003-Milan-Kundera-Life-Is-Elsewhere
3. On page 153, Asya and her family watch the Turkish version of "The Apprentice" on television. The fact that this family in Istanbul is watching an a show thats idea originated in America with a "Turkish Donald Trump" shows how culturally advanced Istanbul is. This allusion shows the reader that Istanbul is an example of a globalized city- one that appreciates the culture and even the television of other countries. Yet, this is said right before Armonoush tells Asya about her family history, and none of the women in Asya's family were about to understand the affects of their own country on the world surrounding them or the impact of their own countries actions. They separate themselves from their own immediate past and yet they are able to fully accept the culture of different countries as their own.
4. On page 62, Asya admits to trying to commit suicide before her 18th birthday. Right after her failed attempt to commit suicide, she began to become obsessed with Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash had many hardships in his life had gone through man struggles so maybe she identified with him. She also tried to commit suicide by taking pills and Johnny Cash did a lot of drugs so maybe she was interested in that kind of connection between them.
5. On Page 53, Barsam is being lectured by his family to not let Armonoush be raised by a Turk. "'What can I do?' lamented Barsam Tchakhmakhchian, turning to his uncle. He moved his eyes to a huge reproduction of Martiros Saryan's 'Still Life with Masks' on the wall, as if the answer he needed was hidden somewhere on the painting."(53) The painting is made up of may different faces and each has a different expression and color, yet they each are looking in the same direction. Each of these masks in the painting seem to represent the different voices of each family member who is criticizing Barsam's parenting. They each have different roles in his life, and are in all different walks of life and yet they all have the same goal. Just like the masks, they are all looking at Barsam to deal with this difficult cultural issue they are having with Rose's new boyfriend.
http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/martiros-saryan/big-eastern-still-life-1915
1. After we are introduced to Rose and her recent divorce and resentment for her ex-husbands family she plays a song in the car called Primitive Love by Gloria Estefan. Part of the reason for Shafak including this song was to set the era and how Rose was feeling. However, if we recall the fact that she just gave her Armenian daughter the American name Amy we can see that this song is a symbol for Armanoush separating from her Armenian identity. Gloria Estefan was born in Cuba and moved to America when she was young. She started her music career producing spanish music. In 1986 her album Primitive Love was the first crossover from spanish to english. Estefan's first crossover is a symbol for Armanoush becoming more American under her mothers influence.
ReplyDelete2. On page 63 Asya mentions the song "Thirteen" by her favorite artist Johnny Cash. One of the lines in his song is "I've broken reach from here to hell bad luck been blowing at my back I pray you don't look at me, I pray I don't look back." Asya is a girl with a troubled past and she refuses to acknoledge it. She also believes that she was just born unfortunate, being a bastard. She doesn't want anyone to see her for her past and she won't look back.
3. The ring tone for Armanoush's cell phone is "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky. This composition is from act two of the ballet "The Nutcracker", an international classic due to its choreography and music. Shafak uses this as Armanoush's ring tone to express a contradiction between her and Asya. Asya dreads ballet class as noted : "No one noticed that she had snorted the word ballet as if it were some sputum she had to spit out but was simultaneously disgusted at not being able to control the urge to do so." (75) It is also a contradiction because Tchaikovsky is one of Petite-ma's favorite composers, revealing the similarities and differences between the Kazanci and Tchakhmakhchian family.
4. Petite-ma expresses that when she attended formal occasions for government officials she liked to play composition by Richard Wagner. Wagner was a German composer, theatre director and polemicist. His work was seen as controversal due to expressing antisemitism in his pieces which was later asociated with Nazism. Petite-ma might have chosen Wagner to show her subtle opposition to the types of people who attended the government official events. There is also a controversy between the "new Turkish female" and the wives of the officials which can be represented in the controversy of his music. This also tells us that Petite-ma goes along with the crowd but never identifies with them. She appears conventional, but secretly she has other pieces she plays on her own and uses Wagner as a facade.
5. Asya stops to appreciate a song called "it aint me babe" by Bob Dylan when she is in the cartoonists apartment. This song is about how a woman needs someone who will love her and take care of her. Realizing the amount of responsibility it will take, Dylan admits to her that he isn't the one she wants. He roles solo and can't follow through on taking care of her. Asya relates to this song because she knows that she will disapoint the cartoonist, never loving him as much as he loves her. She doesn't want anything serious with him and is still handling the responsibility of her own life.
On page 147 of the novel, when Asya is in the Cartoonists' house, she moves over to be closer to a "hand-carved wood sculpture of Don Quixote bent over a book." She becomes intrigued, but to her dismay there is nothing written down on the book. Don Quixote is a character in the spanish novel, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. His main goal throughout the novel, in simplest terms, was to save the world.
ReplyDeleteHe stands out from the novel and is ultimately ported as absurd and isolated, "whose strength and wisdom failed him." Asya's wisdom, as well as Armanoush's, seems far beyond their days. As well, both at this point in their life feel isolated from the people and clashing cultures around them.
On page 144 “Hurt” by Jonny Cash plays in the cartoonists house that happens to be one of her favorites. This is a song that Johnny Cash covered before his death. It involves pain, self-harm, loneliness, and sadness. It signifies the love Asya holds for music, as it expresses her internal feelings into words. Further to her alienation from her culture, her passion for music again puts her “in the cracks”, as they do not idolize music very much in Istanbul. Johnny Cash is American so the culture clash with music is presented as it travels across the world successfully and meaningfully. Here is a link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ahHWROn8M0
One cultural allusion that Shafak references to a lot is Asya's love for American singer Johnny Cash. I agree with Dalia that this could be because they both have faced hardships in their lives, however I also think that she might love him so much because he was known for his music being generally somber. I think that Asya could identify with this type of music, as well as use it as a form of redemption: another common theme of his lyrics.
ReplyDeleteWhen Armanoush admits that she is Armenian-American, Asya asks her: "is it true that System of a Down hates [Turks]"(158). Armanoush has never heard of this band, even though they share the same culture as her. However, Asya really likes them even though they are from another country as well as a different heritage. I believe that this means that Asya feels so disconnected from the culture that she grew up in that she makes a huge effort to try to fit in somewhere else in a different type of society. These are some System of a Down songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRiB2UVINgM
In chapter eight, Shafak keeps talking about a Turkish version of the American TV show "The Apprentice." She refers to the host as "the Turkish Donald Trump." I think that this is important because it shows how much Turkey is trying to model after the United States and have a show where entrepreneurs try to be lucrative just like on "The Apprentice." I also think that because they only refer to the host as "The Turkish Donald Trump" and not as his own name, it shows how prominent American culture is in Turkey. Here is a video of the opening of the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfL-RAy4fK4
When Rose is in the supermarket, she is scanning the isles and comes across "sweets and toffees- Sweet 'N Low Sugar Free Butter Toffee, Starburst Fruit Chews, black licorice twists"(37). It is clear that Rose eats for comfort after her divorce, however she despises the Armenian food her ex-husbands family always wanted to have. It is important that she finds comfort in American candy because it says a lot about who Rose is. She is very shallow minded and not open to liking much outside of the culture she is accustomed to.
Finally, I found out that the word "odar" that Shafak uses when Rose's ex-husband's family is describing her means non-Armenian. I think that Shafak made the choice not to translate this word in her book for added affect. I think that it is stronger for readers to see this word because we do not even know what it means, which further alienates Rose.
Mad at the scenarist’s girl friend for being so talkative and nosy, Asya’s eyes travel to the painting of this Red Lagoon in Bolivia on page 85. It is beautiful and original as its red with the color changing through the day. Millions of pink flamingos live in it and its quiet mysterious. This beauty ironically presents the beauty Asya lacks yet desires on the inside. This is why she doesn’t talk, or approach the painting, but simply examines it as her eyes fall upon it. Here is a picture of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/70604772@N00/2739617453/
ReplyDeleteMad at the scenarist’s girl friend for being so talkative and nosy, Asya’s eyes travel to the painting of this Red Lagoon in Bolivia on page 85. It is beautiful and original as its red with the color changing through the day. Millions of pink flamingos live in it and its quiet mysterious. This beauty ironically presents the beauty Asya lacks yet desires on the inside. This is why she doesn’t talk, or approach the painting, but simply examines it as her eyes fall upon it. Here is a picture of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/70604772@N00/2739617453/
On page 114, in a self-scoring test measuring the “degree of one’s “Armenianness”, one was “If you have a picture of Mount Ararat hanging in your house, garage, or office. This is important to the Armenian culture and nationalism as it appears on the coat of arms of Armenia. Yet, it is physically located in Turkey. This shared monument brings the two cultures together although they seem worlds apart with their historical difficulties. This picture shows that Armenians in fact carry a piece of Turkey with them and the culture class is significant in hopefully making peace and unification between the two groups of people. Here is a picture of the mountain: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100428-noahs-ark-found-in-turkey-science-religion-culture/
ReplyDelete1. While going to her grandmother’s home in San Francisco, Armanoush thinks of Borges’s Labyrinths which is a series of short writings. She talks about the “other I” which refers to Borges’s piece titled “Borge and I.” This writing explores the concept of knowing oneself and is written as though Borge is two different people. I think that this connects to Armanoush as she is still finding her identity being trapped between Turkish and Armenian cultures.
ReplyDelete2. When talking about Petite-Ma’s past with the piano, Shafak mentions that Borodin was one of her favorites. Alexander Borodin was a Russian composer and chemist who advocated women’s rights. Borodin was an illegitimate son and was registered as the son of a serf. He was raised in a family where he did not have both of his biological parents with him for most of the time. This family configuration ultimately affected his life drastically. I think Asya and Armanoush reflect him because of their ‘imperfect’ families that shape them to be who they are.
3. Another of Petite-Ma’s favorite composers was Tchaikovsky. He was also a Russian composer of the Romantic Era, and as mentioned earlier in the novel, he wrote “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” which Armanoush has set as her ring tone. Petite-Ma is Turkish and grew up in Turkish culture. Armanoush grew up with her dad’s side of the family being extremely Armenian. Although they are supposed to be ‘enemies,’ it is interesting to note that they have many things in common, including this example. This connection between the two shows could foreshadow the relationship between Asya and Armanoush. Despite being from two different cultures, they will find connections and develop a strong bond.
4. As Armanoush describes the Armenian genocide to the Kazanci family, she mentions “The legendary musician Komitas went mad as a result of what he saw” (161) during the deportations. Komitas was an Armenian priest, composer, choir leader, and singer. His works saved much of the cultural heritage of Armenia. Mentioning a real person who witnessed the genocide takes the reader out of the fictitious novel and reminds them that these events actually happened.
5. Also during Armanoush’s date with Matt, Shafak mentions April Blues Bring May Yellows by Peter Kitchell. A quote from Peter Kitchell is, "Colour is like music. One colour is meaningless by itself, it takes its meaning from its relationship to other colours, from the rhythm of its structure." Armanoush is like a color that is alone and by itself. Like Hannah said, Armanoush is lost and is trying to look for connections. This foreshadows her meeting with her stepfather’s family and the relationship she builds with them.
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