When the Subaltern Speaks in Pamuk’s The Red-Haired Woman

Abstract

Popular myths of human civilisation are written as allegories of grave warning for all mankind, cautioning them, ultimately, of the probable consequences of particular actions that are socially forbidden. Surprisingly, in almost all these cautionary mythical narratives, female characters, exalted or lowly, are presented with relatively substantial roles to play compared to their male counterparts. However,  their characters are often portrayed as inactive and submissive; they carry malevolent power that indirectly brings disaster and misfortune for the heroes in myths. The popular myths of Sohrab and Rostam, as well as Oedipus, equally portray women as significantly responsible for the tragedies of their respective male protagonists. The very presence of female characters in such myths indirectly hints at the possible hardship the protagonists are destined to face. Such narratives categorically create and normalise the negative images of women. Surprisingly, almost all the female characters in such popular myths are not allowed to speak for themselves or defend themselves. Orhan Pamuk's The Red-Haired Woman, in its spectacular amalgamation of popular Eastern and Western myths, gives an ironic twist to the technique and perception about women in popular mythical narratives when the diabolical female character, the red-haired woman, speaks for herself, defending herself as a lover, wife, and mother. She represents the modern Jocasta from the tragedy of Oedipus and the modern Tahmina from the story of Sohrab and Rostam, and she speaks for both. The novel thus criticises and ridicules the biased male attitude, in both Eastern and Western myths, toward women.