The Bastard of Istanbul

I recently read this passage that I liked and thought was superbly written. I cant fully grasp its impact until I write it down. Maybe then I can experience its brilliance once more.


Pg. 72 , from the Novel The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

Ten Years ago Auntie Zeliha had opened up a tatoo parlor, where she had started to develop a collection of original designs. In addition to the classics of the art-crimson roses, iridescent butterflies,hearts pumped with love- and the usual compilation of hairy insects, fierce wolves, and giant spiders. She had introduced her own designs inspired by one basic principle: contradiction. There were faces half masculine half feminine, bodies half animal half human, treese half blossomed , half dry... However, her designs were not popular. The customers wanted to make a statement through their tatoos.not to add another ambiguity to their already uncertain lives. their tatoos had to express a simple emotion. not an abstract thought. Learning her lesson well, Zeliha had then launched a new series, a compound collection of images, which she entitled " the management of abiding heartache."

Every tattoo in this special collection was designed to address one person only: the ex- love. the dumped and the despondent, the hurt and the irate brought a picture of the ex love they had wanted to banish from their lives forever but somehow could not stop loving. Auntie Zeliha then studied the picture and ransacked her brain until she found which particular animal that person resembled. The rest was relatively easy.She would draw that animal and then tattoo the design on the desolate customers body. The whole practice adhered to the ancient shamanistic practice of simultaneouly internalizing and externalizing ones totems. To strengthen vis-a`-vis your antagonistic you had to accept, welcome, and then transform it. The ex love was interiorized - injected into the body and yet at the same time exteriorized- left outside the skin. Once the x lover was located in this threshold between inside and outside, and deftly transformed into an animal, the power structure between the dumped and the dumper changed. Now the tatooed lover felt superior , as if the key to the ex lovers soul was in his or her hands. as soon as this stage was reached, the ex love lost his or her appeal.those suffering from abiding heartache could finally let go of their obsession, for love loves power. That is why we can suicidally fall in love with others but can rarely reciprocate the love of those suicidally in love with us.