Delusions of Grandeur in The White Castle

             Through the interactions between the Venetian and Hoja, the reader can see that Hoja believes he is superior to everyone else. In his attempts to pursue knowledge, he displays a range of emotions that can only be demonstrated by a madman. In his desire to prove his worth and intelligence, he looks down upon everyone else believing them to be fools because they do not praise everything he does. His delusions of grandeur cause him to become irritable and overly arrogant.

            Initially, Hoja’s arrogance only affects the Venetian slave who is forced to work with him and teach him everything he knows. However despite the fact that he considers the Venetian’s knowledge valuable, Hoja makes it clear that he thinks that there isn’t a large gap of knowledge between them. Hoja reinforces the slave- master relationship to boost his ego.  As time goes on, it becomes clear that the Venetian doesn’t find Hoja’s ideas on an undiscovered planet all that important. Hoja becomes more irritable and intent on proving himself and proving that he is always correct. Then when he meets the sultan, he seems to be impressed by the child’s intellect and curiosity. After realizing that the sultan is just a child, Hoja but then later calls him a fool. Afterward Hoja considers everyone to be a fool and what makes them so stupid. He even goes so far as to question whether they have a flaw in their brain that makes them stupid and inferior.  

            As the novel progresses, Hoja becomes more and more conceited in his ideas and abilities. Believing he is more intelligent than everyone else, Hoja becomes ambitious and confident at his own risk. Once the pasha is exiled until death Hoja claims he fears no man, a dangerous thing to say. Since he fears no man, Hoja believes he is superior to all those around him.