An analysis of the White Castle novel in the framework of Hegel's master-slave dialectic

The aim of this study is to examine Orhan Pamuk's novel "The White Castle" within the framework of Hegel's Master-Slave Dialectic. "The White Castle" is Orhan Pamuk's first novel that employs postmodern techniques. Within the novel, a compelling psychological relationship is portrayed between two characters who, despite their physical resemblance akin to twins, belong to disparate Eastern and Western cultures. In the final chapter of the book, Orhan Pamuk states that the relationship between the characters resembles Hegel's master-slave relationship. The author, drawing inspiration from the philosophical foundation, articulates on the literary plane how individuals from different cultures can confront their shadow aspects and undergo transformation as a result of psychological conflicts they experience. Thus, the author prompts the reader to reconsider concepts such as self-identity, existence, mastery-slavery, and historical phenomena. The study comprises two primary sections. The first section presents explanations on Hegel's biography, philosophy, and dialectical methodology, the dialectic of master-slave has been endeavored to be expounded. The second section of the study entails providing information about Orhan Pamu's life and literary persona, followed by an analysis of the novel "The White Castle" in relation to its technical and material components, accompanied by relevant excerpts from the text. Following that, the novel is analyzed in light of the quoted examples, using the framework of the Master-Slave Dialectic explicated in the first section. Keywords: Hegel, Master-Slave Dialectic, Orhan Pamuk, Self-Consciousness, The White Castle