The Analysis of the Relationship Between East and West in Orhan Pamuk’s Whıte Castle Through Lévi-Strauss’s Method of Binary Oppositions

Abstract

Binary opposition is a major concept in structuralism, which posits that distinctions form the basis of all language and thought. French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss classifies the human mind using binary opposition, which refers to the distinctions between two opposing concepts that define society in terms of good and evil. This structuralist theory indicates that our understanding of certain words depends on the difference between the word and its opposite rather than the meaning they contain. Orhan Pamuk's most famous novel, White Castle, uses binary oppositions as world balancers. White Castle, considered a post-modern tale, is rich in binary opposition. The novel focuses on the east-west binary, cultural identity, and differences. The author addresses universal and historical issues, particularly the synthesis of east and west, which conveys two similar characters from opposite cultures, as well as other oppositions between these characters. This study aims to interpret east and west in terms of binary oppositions. Throughout the novel, the two contrasting characters attempt to understand each other's identities by focusing on binaries such as 'me' and 'other', 'east-west', and 'master-slave'. This article aims to explain how Pamuk examines the differences and similarities of these binaries in White Castle, in line with Levi Strauss' method of binary oppositions.