Published in 1985, Orhan Pamuk’s novel The White Castle explores the social and cultural structure of the 17th-century Ottoman Empire through a symbolic and intellectually rich narrative centered on the concepts of identity and otherness. The novel examines the contrast between East and West through a personal story, blending historical reality with fiction.

Content and Theme

The novel centers on a Venetian slave captured by the Ottomans and imprisoned in Istanbul, who forms a close relationship with an Ottoman scholar who closely resembles him in appearance. The identity transformation process that unfolds between these two characters indirectly conveys the individual’s struggle to understand both the self and the other.

Key themes include identity, otherness, East–West relations, the relationship between knowledge and power, as well as freedom and destiny. The narrative offers a conceptual framework for understanding the individual's process of existential inquiry.

Narrative and Style

The White Castle features a fluid narrative structure that moves between historical context and fiction. The language is simple and fluent, yet enriched with symbolic elements and dense philosophical content. The novel's language is carefully crafted to reflect the atmosphere of the 17th-century Ottoman Empire. Interior monologues, dialogues, and vivid descriptions support the formal structure of the narrative.

Characters

• The Venetian Slave (Narrator): A European with scientific knowledge. The novel’s discourse on identity is primarily carried through this character.
• The Dark Scholar: An Ottoman intellectual whose resemblance to the narrator highlights the themes of identity and otherness.
• Supporting Characters: Figures from the court, scholars, and other social characters provide insights into the structural features of the era.

Intellectual Context

The White Castle examines the individual’s journey of questioning their identity within the context of historical and cultural interactions. The relationship between Eastern and Western societies is conveyed through a personal narrative. Concepts such as knowledge, power, selfhood, and otherness are explored in various contexts throughout the novel.