Alienation in Many Novels, There

Alienation

In many novels, there are different themes which are examined to highlight the underlying challenges impacting the characters. The Silent House is one such example. Set in July 1980, it takes place one month before a military coup which occurs on September 12th in Turkey. One of the central themes is the underlying amounts of alienation which are felt among the different individuals. To fully understand what is occurring requires focusing on these ideas and how it is impacting the plot. Together, these elements will highlight the way this is affecting everyone and why it is one of the primary themes inside the book.

Alienation in the Silent House

The novel takes place in a small town near Istanbul (called Gebze). It is set in an old house and discusses the way the various family members are impacted by different aspects of alienation. This is occurring at several points to include: through Fatma Hanim, the grandchildren and the contrasting situations they encounter. These elements are used to illustrate potential challenges and the way they are showing a sense of alienation.

In the case of Fatma Hanim, she feels a sense of isolation. This is because she is an elderly woman who is depressed and lonely. The only companionship that she enjoys is from Recep. He is responsible for feeding, washing and talking with her due to an illness she is experiencing. This has made her immobile and unable to perform a number of tasks (which most people will take for granted). During this time, Recep is preparing the house for the arrival of her grandchildren in a week and a half.

These different elements are showing how Fatma is feeling a form of alienation. The way this is occurring is through her not having the ability to have any kind of companionship other than her caregiver. He is able to offer her with a way of connecting with the outside world. After he leaves, is when Fatma will feel lonely and alienated, from a family who does not want to spend time with her. As she is becoming older, is the point that these feelings will become worse with her wanting some kind of companionship. Yet, she is only able to receive it at select times. This is illustrating a sense of alienation that she is experiencing by not having anyone to connect with or provide her with a sense of closeness she is craving.

The grandchildren have their own forms of alienation based upon the activities they become involved in and how they chose to deal with the challenges they are facing. For example, Faruk is a historian, Nilgun is a revolutionary and Metin is a high school student (who has dreams of becoming wealthy). Each one of them is using these realities as a form of escape from their challenges and to have a sense of companionship. Faruk uses this as a way to study the town and connect with its past. Whereas Nilgun, utilizes her close relationship with Marxists to help escape the sense of isolation she is feeling. While Metin, begins to seek out female companionship and wants something more.

As novel progress, each one of the characters is used to show how these areas are defining who they are and the different ways they seeking out a sense of closeness. For instance, Nilgun is utilizing her leftist leaning views to alienate anyone around her (who is not of the same political percussion). On one of her return trips from the beech, she is met by a right wing extremist who likes her. During a conversation, he is looking out for her safety and tells her of a plot to harm her. She immediately calls him a fascist and is subsequently beaten by this person. The next morning, she does not feel well and decides to lie down. She becomes worse and dies from a cerebral hemorrhage. Her brothers do not know what to do and are in shock about these events. They subsequently disappear and cannot be seen by Fatma.

These elements are showing how there is a sense of alienation among all of the grandchildren. This occurs from the beginning with each one using different activities as a form of escape. While the novel progress, the situations they encounter are contributing to even greater amounts of isolation. This takes place in the way they react to numerous events and the lasting harm their actions are causing to others. When this happens, each person feels more isolated from not having the ability to connect with someone or feel the sense of closeness they are seeking.