is clear that Kemal does not love Fusun. All he wants is to get sexual satisfaction without having the obligation to marry her. Peabody stated that obsessors are
dominated by their sexual needs 2005: 54. The proof for this theory is evident
in the above quotation regarding Kemal’ s plan for the future. Another proof showing that Kemal’ s idea of love is dominated by sex can be seen as followed.
The following quotation suggests that the one thing that makes Kemal happiest is his love-making with Fusun. This is a proof that Kemal is ruled by his
libido. As she peeled off her clothes, Fusun changed from a fearful girl made sad
by helpless passion into a healthy and exuberant woman ready to give herself over to love and sexual bliss. Thus did we enter what I have called
the happiest moment of my life. p. 72
People who are involved in a healthy love relationship will most likely agree that sex is not the most important thing in it. Their happiness lies in, for
example, being able to have a quality time together, make the loved one smile, and ensure their happiness, which will in turn make them feel happy too. This is
not the case with Kemal, as described in the above quotation. He recalls that the happiest moment in his life is his love-making to Fusun.
Commonly, obsessors also have a tendency to confuse lust with love Peabody, 2005: 54. It is very possible that they do that because they have no
idea about what healthy love is and how it affects them. In the below quotation, it can be concluded that Kemal confuses lust with love.
“I know you believe you went your own way, in pursuit of something deep and meaningful. You followed your heart. You made a stand.”
“Might it be something simpler than that? The sex was so goo
d that I
became obsessed. . . That’ s what love is like.” p. 418
In the above quotation, Kemal talks to his best friend, Zaim. In the discussion, Zaim proposes an idea that Kemal dumps Sibel because he looks for a
deep and meaningful love, which he finds in Fusun. However, Kemal does not
completely agree with Zaim’ s theory. He reckons that it is the sex alone that
dives him obsessed. Kemal argues that the making love with Fusun pleases him beyond anything. He believes that only love can feel that way. Kem
al’ s statement of “that’ s what love is like” implies that for Kemal, love should be passionate,
even obsessive. Therefore, it is clear that Kemal confuses lust with love, as stated by Susan Peabody 2005: 54.
8. Controlling Techniques
As pointed out by Susan Peabody in her book, obsessors like to control their object of obsession in an attempt to keep them. They need to do this because
obsessors desperately avoid the prospect of losing their object of obsession. Obsessors try to control their relationship as well as their object of obsession
through manipulation Peabody, 2005: 55
During the first visit to Fusun’ s house, Kemal learns that Feridun works
in the film industry as a script writer. Feridun tells him that he wants to make an art film but he finds it particularly difficult with the limited budget. Kemal sees
that in order to be able to see Fusun frequently without drawing suspicion, he must have a good excuse. This is the reason behind his decision to enter film
business. And as the art film provided a plausible pretext for my visiting the Keskin
family four times a week, it served only too well to conceal the real purpose of my appearances. p. 301
This was the point I realized it would be very difficult for me to enter the Yesilcam film world purely for the sake of being close to Fusun. p. 264
Even after Fusun is not a single woman any longer, Kemal is unable to throw his obsession. He is also unable to bear the pain for not seeing her. To cope
with it, Kemal manipulates the reason behind h
is frequent visit to Fusun’ s house.
He wants Fusun and her family to think that he visits them to talk about film business, a sector in which Feridun works in and which Fusun is aspired to be in.
This way, he can have a legitimate and appropriate alibi to come often. On the
other hand, as only a distant relation of Fusun’ s family, it will be unusual and awkward for him to visit the house frequently. To specifically win Fusun’ s heart,
Kemal also promises to make her a lead actress in the film project he and Feridun will be making, as shown in the below quotation.
“Why don’ t I come and pick you up on Tuesday evening at seven?” “Fusun can come too, right?”
“Of course, if we are to make a Eupean style art film, we must have Fusun play the lead” p.252
The above quotation shows an occurrence in which Kemal offers Feridun his help to fund the art film project. He insists that Fusun has to play in it. The
quotation sees Kemal plans to act as the film producer. By holding such controlling position, Kemal has the ability to manage the situation and the
relationship of the three of them as he desires. As the film producer, Kemal needs to spend a large sum of money, which
he is reluctant to do at first, considering that his motivation is only to be at
Fusun’ s side
. Deep in his mind, Kemal does not want to let Fusun becoming an actress as he fears losing her. Therefore, as the person who is in charge of the
film production, Kemal uses his power to manipulate and postpone its progress, as seen in the following quotation.
At these meals I would listen respectfully to her husband holding forth on his dream, on Yesilcam films and Turkish audiences, keeping my doubts
to myself; it was, after all, not my aim to offer the Turkish filmgoer “the
gift of an art film in the
Western sense of the term,” and so I would
discreetly create difficulties; for example, asking to see the finished screenplay, only to express my excitement about another story before the
first script came to hand. p. 255
The above quotation shows Kema
l’ s manipulation trick. He knows that if
he wants Fusun and Feridun see him as a prospective film producer, he needs to show an interest in Turkish film. Therefore, every time Feridun talks about how
their movie should be, Kemal pretends to share the same aspiration. At the same time, he sabotages the film project by deliberately creates difficulty in order to
halt the filming. There are two reasons as to why Kemal secretly tries to delay the film production. The first reason is because it may cost too much, while the
second one is due to his reluctance to see Fusun becoming an actress, as shown in the following quotation.
My confidence on this project was never more than a pose, but after reading these scenes I was even more resolutely and angrily opposed than
Tarik Bey would have been. But realizing that I had to keep the project alive for awhile longer, I lavishly praised the script to both Fusun and her
husband, going so far as to tell them that “as the producer” I was now
ready to begin tryouts for actors and technicians, a zealousness for which I gently mocked myself, in the interest of making it more credible. p.
302
In the above quotation, Kemal reads the final script Feridun has just given him. Upon reading it, Kemal discovers that as the lead star, Fusun will have three
scenes in which she has to appear nude. It angers Kemal and unsurprisingly, he disapproves the script. However, remembering that he has promised Fusun that
the filming is guaranteed, he knows that he must pretend that the filming will begin soon.
In her book, Susan Peabody states that obsessors use some controlling ways to make sure that they get closer to their object of obsession, and equally
not to lose them. However, obsessors learn that a direct control may be too risky because no one likes to be controlled and restricted openly. Out of such
consideration, obsessors may try the more subtle way to control their object of obsession, which is by trying to control them manipulatively, as shown in below
quotation. But that I coul
d not buy my way out of every anxiety attending Fusun’ s
entry into the film world around this time did worry me deeply. One evening when I went to the house in Cukurkuma, Aunt Nesibe told me,
most apologetically, that Fusun had gone out with Feridun to Beyoglu. I kept a natural expression, hiding my misery as I sat down with Tarik Bey
and Aunt Nesibe to watch television. Two weeks later, when the same thing happened again, I invited Feridun to lunch, to warn him that if
Fusun became too involved with this drunken film crowd, it could undermine the integrity of our art film. He should use my visits, I advised,
as a way of obliging her evenings at home. A lengthy explanation ensued as to why I thought this would be for the good of both the family and our
film. p. 315
In the above quotation, Kemal feels dejected knowing that Fusun and
Feridun aren’ t at home during his visit. As Kemal is already anxious about Fusun
entering the film word and befriends with many film makers in a bar, Kemal uses his position as the film producer to manipulate the situation for his own
advantage. He tricks Feridun into believing that as a future actress, Fusun is an integral part of their film project. Therefore, Feridun must prohibit Fusun
hanging out in a bar especially durin
g Kemal’ s visit. The quotation proves that Kemal tries to control Fusun’ s behavior with a pretext of maintaining their art
film’ s credibility, when in truth his real intention is to keep Fusun for himself.
Therefore, it is proven that obsessors often use manipulation to keep their object of obsession Peabody, 2005: 55.
9. Unhealthy Preoccupation
In her book titled Obsessive Love; When It Hurts Too Much to Let Go, Susan Forward states that obsessors see their object of obsession as the one
magic person. Obsessors are certain that their one magic person is the only one who will make their life meaningful and happiest like never before. The below
quotation shows that Kemal even considers Fusun is all and everything that matters.
“Each time I saw her smile, h
ope and joy rose up inside me with the force of blooming sunflowers. I was reminded by her beauty, and by her
gestures, which were so dear to me, and by her luminous skin, that the center of the world, the center to which I must travel, was at her side. All
other people, places, and pastimes were nothing but “vulgar distraction.”p. 238
In the above quotation, Kemal assumes that Fusun is the center of the world, ironically reminded so by only her beauty and attractiveness. This
assumption is a proof of an
unhealthy preoccupation because obsessors’ world
tends to get narrow as they invest more in their object of obsession Forward, 2005: 9. Kemal feels that just as the earth revolves around the sun, his life too,
has to circle around Fusun. By stating that Fusun is the center of the world,
Kemal wants to justify his need to be at Fusun’ s side, considering her importance
in his life. The last line of the quotation also suggests that no other person in the world matters for him. They are all just distraction, so he should only put little to
no importance in others. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
