Introduction
A child’s perspective in a story can be used to portray serious, life-changing events from the viewpoint of innocence and naivety. In his short story, “To Look Out the Window,” Orhan Pamuk employs this approach to recall some aspects of his childhood while exploring themes that recur in his other works. The work is narrated by Ali, a young boy who lives with his mother, father, and older brother in Istanbul. Throughout the story, the protagonist goes through a few days during which the father leaves the family, presumably to live with another woman in Europe. “To Look Out the Window” presents this situation through the child’s eyes, revolving around themes of innocence, truth, and secrets, as well as the connections between the East and West.
Istanbul Life Through Windows
The story employs a framing device of windows, radios, television, and collectibles to portray the lives of children and adults in Istanbul. Here, the Westernization of the country is apparent – the popularity of television and movies is high, although they come to the households late. The children buy chewing gum to collect cards with famous figures, such as Einstein and “the founder of Mambo Chewing Gum-Candied Fruit Company” (Pamuk 397). However, local culture also plays a significant role in their lives, as the cards feature Atatürk and Fevzi Çakmak (Pamuk 389). The window ideology may be a theme that reflects on one’s thoughts and looks into the lives of others.
Emotional Reactions to Events
The second theme present in the short story is the child’s interpretation of emotions and events. Pamuk’s main character is not an adult reflecting on what happened to him many years ago. He is a young boy experiencing the events right now, and his emotional intelligence and understanding of the situation are those of a child. That is why the narrative about a family breaking down is described with less feeling than the boy’s loss of collectible cards.
Watching the father leave, Ali protests his leaving but does not show strong emotion, “I watched him from the window… I waved back, and he took off” (Pamuk 388). Then, the boy uses the little money his father has just given him to purchase chewing gum – a source of the collectible cards that Ali cherishes. Here, one can see the innocent focus of children on their interests and the ease with which they may handle difficult situations.
In contrast, Ali’s reaction to losing cards in a game with his brother is full of emotion. The boy agrees to the harsh and unfair rules his brother sets so that he can continue playing. He thinks to himself several times, “I was never playing Tops or Bottoms with my brother again,” only to plead for another game (Pamuk 397).
He also holds his tears when losing and responds angrily by throwing the cards at his brother. This reaction to a game may seem out of proportion to an adult, while a lack of response to his parents’ separation appears absent. This behavior reflects how children perceive the world and what they deem more important at the moment – the game and collectibles are precious to the boy, while the situation with his parents may not be as vital.
Truth vs. Lie
Another theme that permeates the story is how the characters handle truth, lies, and secrets. Here, Pamuk presents several situations in which characters conceal information or decide whether to share it or not. The father takes Ali and his brother to a game but does not allow them to stay for the second half; instead, he asks them to stay in the car while he disappears into a shop. Presumably, he is buying a ticket to leave the family as his children wait for him to return.
The father does not want anybody to know – he tells Aki that he is “going far away” only when he sees Ali coming home early (Pamuk 388). He asks the boy to keep it a secret and tells him that he will “tell her [himself] later” (Pamuk 388). However, it becomes apparent that the mother never hears from her husband again.
In contrast, Ali himself also has a secret, but his behavior ultimately differs. Scared of an immunization, Ali asks his father to write a note excusing him from the shot. This event is what leads Ali to learn about his father’s departure and allows him to know more than anyone else in the family. In the end, he does not keep his father’s secret and tells the truth, as far as he knows, to his mother, “Daddy went to Paris” (Pamuk 392). Later, he tells his brother about skipping his vaccination, although he later denies it. Here, again, the theme of innocence arises – the truth about vaccinations is more difficult for Ali to share than that about his father’s destination.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Pamuk’s “To Look Out the Window” offers a captivating glimpse into the lives of children in Turkey during the 1950s. The cultural shift and Westernization, on the one hand, are interspersed with the elements of local culture on the other. The innocent perception of a child forms the foundation of this story, illustrating how a young boy navigates various emotional situations, from witnessing his father’s departure from the family to losing his cherished collectible cards. The author also presents the treatment of the truth and secrets through the contrasting behavior of the father and son.
Work Cited
Pamuk, Orhan. Other Colors: Essays and a Story. Translated by Maureen Freely, Faber and Faber, 2015.