I enjoyed The Bellini Card, and it turned out to be the page turner I expected. I found the character of Palewski to be a very interesting contribution to intent of this novel. While Jason Goodwin accomplished avoiding Orientalism by making Yashim a near genius, he also developed a less superior character in the meantime. Palewski, or shall I say Signor Brett, is clearly devoted to Istanbul, and knows the importance of preserving a culture based on his previous experiences with Poland. One of the most powerful lines for Palewski is when he tells Yashim, "You must always try to forget what you have lost, and I must always remember" (p. 14). I feel this is foreshadowing his month-long move to Venice - he is on a quest to help Yashim and his new sultan remember what they once had, to help them preserve their culture.
The Hat is a very powerful symbol in the novel. While Palewski is a native of Poland, he is able to put on many "hats" in terms of culture, yet his favorite is tagged with a Constantinople marking. He was able to disguise himself as an American with the hat, but the tag on his disguise indicated that he was devoted to Istanbul, always labeled by the country. I thought it was interesting that the Hat was "three inches taller" (p. 22). This height, in my mind, signified his dominance over the Venetians in a global sense. Overall, the Goodwin describes the hat in a way that is superior to any he had worn in Istanbul. As the Venetians begin to question if Signore Brett is truly American, it is clear that the American "hat" Brett wore, revealed his true identity. When the perception of that hat shifted from American to possibly one from Istanbul, the attitude towards Palewski began to negatively change. I'm stuck wondering if the hat was meant to represent the downfall of somebody who tries to mask their Eastern pride?
I love thieves analogies of the hat. Yes, it seems the hat is trying to cover an identity when Ruggerio is suspicious of the tag on the inside at the beginning of the book. But yet it also serves as another purpose, to express and identity of ones belonging and duty to a country. In the novel, Palewski is said to have missed home, but was Poland or Instanbul his home? I believe Instabul is his home, because the hat shows that his loyalty to where he has lived for so long, because he could have a hat similar to that anywhere. I don't think the hat masks Eastern pride. I think it serves a purpose to show that all of these cultures and places have evolved from a constant source.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if i'd take the symbol of the hat where you went with it. Of course, its a well-remembered lesson to not hide your origins. Its even more universal a lesson not to lie. The way I see it though, the hat was more symbolic of the operation they were trying to pull off. Sure, Palewski was masking his true identity as an easterner, and yet in Istanbul he is also masking the true situation surrounding his home country of Poland. He chooses to remember Poland even when having lost it, and in losing it he resolves to aid Yashim in the preservation of Yashim's culture. That said, Palewski seems to be acting in the name of national pride, not denying it.
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