Childish Ways of Leaders

After realizing how Pamuk was constructing this novel, I became drawn to the characterization of the Sultan as they relate directly to those of the pasha. Obviously, the Sultan is expected to act as a child, yet his endearing curiosity for the science Hoja presents offers depth to his character. "He handled the instruments as if they were his toys" (p40). While he displayed these childlike actions, Pamuk continues on to say that "the child began to ask Hoja questions" - signs of a deep thinking beyond his years.

Pasha, on the contrary, was merely concerned with exposing the child to science with the intent that he will have a realization it exists. Why did Pamuk create these two character, of different ages, to represent a child-like empire? Hoja even begins to act like a child when the narrator asks him to question who he is a person. He rips up apart of his story, and does not reflect on his history courageously. This only fuels the ideas of Orientalism - that rulers only need knowledge to defeat, and broken souls need the counsel of educated Europeans. I question the role of the narrator in all of this. Are these characters being viewed only through a closed Euro-lense? I wonder is my observations would be different had the story been told through the view of Pasha, or Hoja.

I feel as though the narrator is pitying Hoja based on his subjective observations that other members of the empire disregard science. There is little explanation of the line where schools care more about "angels than in stars" (p 47). I am curious as to why Pamuk did not elaborate on the reaction of the child who cried about hell residing beyond the sky. Muslims, in the first half of White Castle, seem to be irrational beings, only concerned  with weaponry, while disregarding any new intellectual discoveries made by scientists. I look forward to seeing how these characters develop and how the view on Istanbul leaders in the story change.