My Name is Red

by

Orhan Pamuk

Black is the handsome, though hapless and naïve, hero of the story. He is 36 years old at the time the novel is set. Before the novel begins, Black’s uncle Enishte had forced him to leave Istanbul because he fell in love with Enishte’s daughter Shekure. During Black’s twelve years in exile, his love for Shekure remains as strong as ever, and he returns to Istanbul at the beginning of the book determined to win her hand in marriage. Enishte charges Black with writing the story for the secret book, but Black struggles with writer’s block. When Enishte dies, Black and Shekure marry, but Shekure asks Black to find her father’s murderer and finish the book before they consummate their marriage. As a result, Black urgently searches for the murderer and ultimately succeeds in identifying him. After the main narrative ends, Black lives for 26 more years, but is never able to shake his melancholy disposition, even though he has achieved what he always wanted by marrying Shekure.

Black Quotes in My Name is Red

The My Name is Red quotes below are all either spoken by Black or refer to Black. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Storytelling, Identity, and Perspective Theme Icon
).
Chapter 20 Quotes

He was frightened because he suddenly understood––and perhaps desired––that Islamic artistry perfected and securely established by the old masters of Herat, would meet its end on account of the appeal of portraiture.
"However, it was as if I too wanted to feel extraordinary different and unique," he said. As if prodded by the Devil, he felt himself strongly drawn to what he feared, "How should I say it? It is as if this were a sin of desire, like growing arrogant before God, like considering oneself of utmost importance, like situating oneself at the center of the world."

Related Characters: Black (speaker), Enishte
Page Number: 109
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 49 Quotes

This chamber was red, tinged with the color of the velvet cloth, carpets and kilims hanging on the walls. With due reverence, I considered how the accumulation of all this wealth was the consequence of wars waged, blood spilt and cities and treasuries plundered.
"Frightened?" asked the elderly dwarf, giving voice to my feelings. "Everybody is frightened on their first visit. At night the spirits of these objects whisper to each other."

Related Characters: Black (speaker), Jemzi Agha (speaker)
Page Number: 299
Explanation and Analysis:

There was a time when Allah looked upon the world in all its uniqueness, and believing in the beauty of what he saw, bequeathed his creation to us, his servants. The duty of illustrators and of those who, loving art, gaze upon the world, is to remember the magnificence that Allah beheld and left to us. The greatest masters in each generation of painters, expending their lives and toiling until blind, strove with great effort and inspiration to attain and record the wondrous dream that Allah commanded us to see. Their work resembled Mankind recalling his own golden memories from the very beginning. Unfortunately, even the greatest masters, just like tired old men or great miniaturists gone blind from their labors, were only vaguely able to recollect random parts of that magnificent vision.

Related Characters: Black (speaker)
Page Number: 303
Explanation and Analysis:
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My Name is Red PDF

Black Quotes in My Name is Red

The My Name is Red quotes below are all either spoken by Black or refer to Black. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Storytelling, Identity, and Perspective Theme Icon
).
Chapter 20 Quotes

He was frightened because he suddenly understood––and perhaps desired––that Islamic artistry perfected and securely established by the old masters of Herat, would meet its end on account of the appeal of portraiture.
"However, it was as if I too wanted to feel extraordinary different and unique," he said. As if prodded by the Devil, he felt himself strongly drawn to what he feared, "How should I say it? It is as if this were a sin of desire, like growing arrogant before God, like considering oneself of utmost importance, like situating oneself at the center of the world."

Related Characters: Black (speaker), Enishte
Page Number: 109
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 49 Quotes

This chamber was red, tinged with the color of the velvet cloth, carpets and kilims hanging on the walls. With due reverence, I considered how the accumulation of all this wealth was the consequence of wars waged, blood spilt and cities and treasuries plundered.
"Frightened?" asked the elderly dwarf, giving voice to my feelings. "Everybody is frightened on their first visit. At night the spirits of these objects whisper to each other."

Related Characters: Black (speaker), Jemzi Agha (speaker)
Page Number: 299
Explanation and Analysis:

There was a time when Allah looked upon the world in all its uniqueness, and believing in the beauty of what he saw, bequeathed his creation to us, his servants. The duty of illustrators and of those who, loving art, gaze upon the world, is to remember the magnificence that Allah beheld and left to us. The greatest masters in each generation of painters, expending their lives and toiling until blind, strove with great effort and inspiration to attain and record the wondrous dream that Allah commanded us to see. Their work resembled Mankind recalling his own golden memories from the very beginning. Unfortunately, even the greatest masters, just like tired old men or great miniaturists gone blind from their labors, were only vaguely able to recollect random parts of that magnificent vision.

Related Characters: Black (speaker)
Page Number: 303
Explanation and Analysis: