Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Name is Red, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Storytelling, Identity, and Perspective
Creation vs. Representation
Life, Death, and Consciousness
Virtue vs. Sin
Love, Desire, and Greed
Summary
Analysis
Esther enjoys the experience of being among the crowd at Enishte’s funeral. At Enishte’s house, she asks Hayrire to pour her a glass of water and mentions that there is a rumor that Enishte was dead before Shekure’s wedding. Shekure arrives and confesses that she is anxious that she made the wrong decision. She claims that she and the boys will not be at peace until Enishte’s murderer is captured. Esther goes to visit Kabilye, the widow of Elegant, who has not visited Shekure to express condolences in the wake of Enishte’s death. Kabilye disapproved of Elegant’s work on the book and believes that he was murdered as a result of his involvement with it. Esther points out that she and Shekure are united in grief and that Elegant and Enishte were likely murdered by the same person. Kabilye gives Esther a piece of paper which contains several rough sketches of horses, explaining it was found on Elegant’s person when his body was discovered. She points out that Elegant was a gilder, not an illustrator, and that if Shekure wants to see the horses she must come in person.
Like Elegant, Kabilye is stubborn and suspicious about the book and all those who are involved with it. This prejudice prevents her from seeing the reality that Elegant and Enishte were murdered by the same person, and that it would therefore probably be wise to unite with Shekure in an attempt to discover the murderer’s identity. Kabilye’s distrust of Shekure could originate in resentment of her beauty or belief that her marriage to Black is illegitimate. In this sense, Kabilye represents the side of Istanbul society that is more fervently religious and suspicious of art (and the miniaturists in particular). This is shown by the fact that she insistently points out that Elegant was a gilder, not an illustrator.
Themes
