The Deepest Kind of Love

The Deepest Kind of Love

            Throughout the novel, I found myself extremely intrigued by Shekure’s character and the reasons behind her actions.  Every time we come to a chapter from Shekure’s perspective, her mind has changed about her future marriage: she likes Black; she believes she is in love with Hasan; she is suspicious of Black as a murderer; she wants to wait for her husband.  As a result of this constant changing, I found it hard to grasp what Shekure’s true motives were for her marriage.  By piecing together clues from the other characters’ perspectives, I have come to believe that Shekure is acting with her children’s interests put before her own.

            The perspective that served best to clear my confusion when it came to Shekure was Esther.  When Shekure flees her home with Black to cower back under the cover of Hasan, Esther comes to the realization that Shekure’s, “problem wasn’t finding a husband she could love, her challenge was to find a father who would love these boys” (345).  At first I thought nothing of this epiphany because Shekure had admitted to having a growing love for Hasan and a growing distaste for Black.  Therefore, I thought that Shekure fleeing to her former home was just a method to get closer to Hasan.  However, I began to rethink this when Shekure explained her actions and said, “It’s all because of Shevket…. My children had been separated! What kind of mother could remain apart from her child?” (344).  If Esther’s conclusion was correct, this would explain why Shekure changed her mind between Hasan and Black so frequently; it was not Shekure’s love deciding her actions but what emotions she observed from her children.  If Black were to make a mistake with Shevket, she would remember how he loved Hasan and vice versa.  This caused me to reevaluate Shekure’s actions throughout the novel.

From the very beginning of the novel, Black makes constant references to Shekure’s children and that through his marriage, he would become a father to them.  He understands that in order to marry Shekure, he must first win the approval of her children.  For example, when Shekure asks Black to explain his actions with Shevket, he states, “To boast, and to impress a child whose mother I love” (150).  Shekure tests Black as he visits his Enishte to develop an idea of what kind of father Black would be to Shevket and Orhan.  She sends her children in to serve the men coffee so that she, “could observe the man who might soon become their father” (115).  Shekure does not test Black to see what kind of husband he would be to her, but rather if he could get along well with her children.  Furthermore, when Black and Shekure are arranging their marriage, she does not ask if he loves her, but if he loves her children.  Shekure is not satisfied with a simple yes, but inquires further asking, “Tell me, what is it about them that you love?” (151).  By asking this question, Shekure wants Black to give details and prove his answer is genuine.

When Shekure agreed to marry Black, I was under the impression it was because she realized she had a deep love for him.  However, after taking a second look at her actions throughout the novel, I realized that Shekure’s interests were the last thing on her mind.  Shekure even admits this herself when Black confronts her about her lack of love.  To this she replies, “I had to marry you.  If I could love you, I would’ve loved you when I was a child” (294).  The reason that Shekure changes her mind so frequently is because she makes her decisions based on the safety and well-being of her children, not because of her emotions.