The further I get in My Name Is Red the more am I struck by the multilayered nature of the relationship between Black and Shekure. To me, Black’s feelings aren’t love – rather, they’re indicative of powerful obsession. Since the start of the novel, Black’s words and actions concerning Shekure always kind of creeped me out, to be frank. He leaves for years and still cannot forget her, and when he comes back, he will stop at nothing to marry her. Their meeting in The Hanged Jew also shows that he cannot control his desire for her. Yes, Shekure too wants the marriage to happen, but to me it seems to be more out of fear of Hasan and want for protection for herself and children. I don’t feel that Pamuk is necessarily glorifying Black’s behavior – Shekure’s caution and discomfort with some of Black’s actions show that he isn’t – but the fact that it is viewed and portrayed as love is interesting.
In romance stories, obsession and love are often conflated. Movies and books like The Notebook, Fifty Shades of Grey, etc. all cross the line and portray unhealthy obsession disguised as healthy love. Again, I feel that Pamuk’s work is different, as it isn’t glorifying anything, but it is worthwhile to interrogate how we view Black and Shekure’s relationship.
