The idea of hoarding and collecting as a shameful act that becomes public and appreciated in the form of a museum is addressed particularly in the last chapters.įemale identity and Turkish culture

The book, along with its accompanying museum, continuously refers to museums and collections. This novel continuously references the influence of the West (Europe and America) on Istanbul's culture, through both the idea of museums and the film industry, which becomes a large part of the novel. Pamuk's work often deals with clash of culture between East and West, which was cited as part of the reason for him being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He decides to convert Füsun’s house into a museum of innocence, including all these objects and also other memorabilia related to the period. Kemal regards each object related to Füsun and their love, collected over the years, as portraying some discrete moment of happiness and bliss in the passage of those nine years. Füsun and Kemal are to be married after a trip around Europe together, but fate has something else in store and they become separated forever after a night of intense love-making. Finally after her father’s death, circumstances lead Füsun to divorce her husband. For the next eight years Kemal keeps visiting the family for supper and expressing his love for Füsun in various ways, while finding consolation in various objects related to her that he carries away from the house. Füsun has got married, living with her husband and parents and pretends to meet Kemal just as a distant relation, with undercurrents of anger. His engagement to Sibel breaks off and finally Füsun responds to his letter and agrees to meet him. He goes through a very painful period for about a year, unable to meet Füsun and deriving consolation from objects and places related to his beloved and their lovemaking.

Now he has to come to terms with his deep attachment and love for Füsun.

His reverie is broken when Füsun disappears just after attending his engagement. Though it is clear that he has also fallen completely for Füsun, Kemal keeps denying this to himself, believing that his marriage with Sibel and secret relationship could continue forever. Kemal's happiest moment of life comes while making love the day Füsun confesses her deep love for him. What follows in the next month and a half is an intense and secretive physical and emotional relationship between them. Kemal has been engaged to a pretty girl named Sibel for two months when he meets a shop girl, Füsun, while buying a handbag for his fiancee. The building that houses the Museum of Innocence

The museum of innocence museum