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Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marginalization and Belonging
Time, Memory, and Transition
Gender and Power
Tradition and Change
Religion, Political Conflict, and Identity
Summary
Analysis
Returning from his walk around the neighborhood, Mr. Chaplin sees Hollywood Humeyra opening Leila’s door and happily darts inside the flat. As Humeyra sorts through Leila’s things, she’s reminded of her own past. In her youth, she sang in nightclubs across Istanbul and acted in several Turkish films, even one that was X-rated. Over time, her body has grown heavy, and her asthma has worsened after years of inhaling secondhand smoke. She also struggles with depression, for which she’s been medicated a long time. Leila helped her engage more with the community, but oftentimes, Humeyra barely saw a reason to keep going. Glimpsing Leila’s favorite fuchsia dress on a chair, she begins to sob.
Humeyra’s reflection on her own adventurous but troubled past as she sifts through Leila’s belongings illustrates how the lives of these women are intertwined with both hardship and resilience. Without Leila’s crucial support, Humeyra’s depression may have gotten the best of her—a reminder of the healing power of friendship, especially in dark times.
Themes
