Orhan pamuks the white castle as a text on secular discourse
The impact of religious thought and practice on literature and culture was very evident till the latter part of the nineteenth century. But with the publication of Darwins Origin of Species, voices of dissent were heard from the scientific and literary world. Writers strongly felt that the objective of literature was not to be dogmatic, but to provide the necessary ingredients that would contribute to a healthy and secular society. The emergence of postmodernism saw religion once again taking center stage. This paper seeks to understand what secularism is, and the evolution in meaning this term has undergone over the ages. In this process, the theories and ideas of religious and political thinkers are examined to understand the essence of the term secularism. In an era when religious fundamentalism is on the rise and literature is censured on religious or cultural grounds, the paper analyzes Orhan Pamuks The White Castle and concludes with the contention that the text can definitely be a source of secular discourse (which indeed is the essence of religious texts) that nations can emulate, contrary to the idea of narrow secular nationalism currently being propagated by States. IUP Publications. All rights reserved.
IUP Journal of English Studies, Vol-15, No. 4, pp. 103-115.
Sharmila N., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Hosur Road, Bengaluru Karnataka, 560029, India