Butterfly is one of the three master miniaturists trained by Master Osman and recruited by Enishte to work on the Sultan’s secret book. Extraordinarily handsome, his personality is defined by his desire to please others and his loyalty to great masters and the traditional style of miniaturist painting. Butterfly is Master Osman’s favorite miniaturist, and there are strong hints that Osman is in love with him. Other miniaturists who are jealous of Osman’s favoritism of Butterfly start rumors that Butterfly is an Erzurumi, and Butterfly makes a habit of going to the coffeehouse in order to disprove this. Of the three miniaturists, Butterfly is the least likely suspect in the murders of Elegant and Enishte.
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Butterfly Character Timeline in My Name is Red
The timeline below shows where the character Butterfly appears in My Name is Red. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: I Am Your Beloved Uncle
...“because we fear them,” and has asked his team of illustrators, Stork, Olive, Elegant, and Butterfly, to choose their own subjects as well.
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Chapter 6: I Am Orhan
...Osman. The miniaturists still call each other by the nicknames Osman gave them as apprentices: Butterfly, Olive, and Stork.
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Chapter 11: I Am Called Black
...missing for six days, and that the Sultan has instructed other young masters—Stork, Olive, and Butterfly—to work from home.
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...the letter and asks her to tell Shekure that he has gone to visit Olive, Butterfly, and Stork.
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Chapter 12: I Am Called “Butterfly”
Black arrives at Butterfly’s door; they embrace and Black tells Butterfly that he has come in friendship, and he...
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Butterfly explains that together, the three parables explain that “style” is nothing more than imperfection, and...
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Chapter 17: I Am Your Beloved Uncle
The procession continues. Butterfly walks over and tells Enishte he knows Olive and Stork are behind Elegant’s death. They...
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Chapter 18: I Will Be Called a Murderer
...a murderer. This means that the reader has no way of knowing whether he is Butterfly, Olive, or Stork, although the murderer challenges the reader to recognize him through his style...
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Chapter 21: I Am Your Beloved Uncle
...him. Enishte shows Black the picture of Death and tells him it was painted by Butterfly, whom Master Osman has been in love with for years. Enishte says he knows that,...
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Chapter 36: I Am Called Black
...knew that one of the miniaturists murdered Elegant, and that he suspected it was either Butterfly, Olive, or Stork. He panics that the Head Treasurer will think he is a liar,...
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Chapter 41: It is I, Master Osman
...look through the book and are able to attribute particular illustrations to Olive, Stork, and Butterfly. In this way, they are able to learn the stylistic attributes of each miniaturist. Osman...
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Next Black and Osman consider Butterfly. Osman admits that he finds it unbelievable that a man could be both as handsome...
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Chapter 44: I Am Called “Butterfly”
Around the time of evening prayers, someone arrives at Butterfly’s house and announces the Sultan’s horse-drawing competition. Butterfly is happy to participate but frustrated that...
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Chapter 55: I Am Called “Butterfly”
After the Erzurumis leave, Butterfly walks into the coffeehouse and looks around the chaos left behind. There are bodies all...
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Butterfly goes into this next room, where his wife tosses her silk nightgown at him. He...
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Chapter 56: I Am Called “Stork”
Butterfly and Black arrive at Stork’s house in the middle of the night and ask who...
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Stork feels that Butterfly and Black came to his house “out of loneliness and desperation.” Stork doesn’t wish to...
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Chapter 57: I Am Called “Olive”
Olive notices the three men watching him and quickly finishes his prayers. He embraces Butterfly, asking: “What do they want from us? Why are they killing us?” Black states that...
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Chapter 58: I Will Be Called a Murderer
...responds: “But is East is east and West is west.” The murderer asks to kiss Butterfly, but just as he is about to do so Black lunges for the murderer and...
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Chapter 59: I, Shekure
...from again. Master Osman dies two years after going blind, and Stork becomes Head Illuminator. Butterfly spends the rest of his life drawing ornamental designs for fabric.
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