Oğuz Atay (1934–1977) was a pioneer of the modern novel in Turkey.
His first novel, Tutunamayanlar (The Disconnected), appeared 1971-72. Never
reprinted in his lifetime and controversial among critics, it has become a
best-seller since a new edition came out in 1984. He was a pioneer of the
Modernism in Turkey. He has got
different styles.
ANALYSIS
The narrator is sitting in the attic. She
talks her ghost ex-husband. She sees her parents photos and remember while she
was child, she was aware that her parents did not love each other. So she
thinks that her parents didn’t teach her real love and marriage. Her marriage
is bad because her parents’ marriage was bad. Gloomy atmosphere
is in every words of the story. She blames her past. Writer Oğuz Atay depicts
setting so perfectly that we can visualise it.
Characters:
Narrator is the protagonist of the story. She is a woman who lives with her past. She is middle aged and
has got her second marriage. She hasn’t got a name, she is nobody. Her ex-husband ghost and her new husband are
the antogonist of the story.
Conflict:
External conflicts are seen here. These are woman versus herself and,
reality versus illusion.
Woman vs. Herself: She is trying to find herself.
Reality vs. Illision: She has a day dream in the attic.
Plot Structure:
The
Forgotten is a linear plot structure. She makes internal journey in the attic.
So there isn’t any action in the story.
Setting:
Story starts and finishes in the attic. Attic is the mind of the
character. Every body has an attic.
Symbols:
Spider symbolizes bad memories. Old photos are a vision her time travel.
Attic represents psychological journey of her inner world. Old purple shoes
shows depression, stress. The light changes the memories like a shift. Dusty
attic explains us she is not happy in her real life, in her sub conscious. Latern
is a symbol of her unconscious mind.
Poin of view:
Story is first person narration and narrator point of view.
