Rebellion In Youth

The many ways that children rebel against their parents and other forms of authority are presented in the novel. The most obvious example lies in the character of Irem, who goes against her parents' wishes and spends unchaperoned time with the American boy Dylan. Though Irem's initial interactions with Dylan are innocent, she feels guilty from the start because she is hiding it from her parents. As time goes on, she becomes more brave in her actions and the relationship becomes mildly physical. Irem justifies her actions by reasoning that her parents do not love her as much as her brother or that they are "backward" in their thinking. It is not until she loses her virginity that she realizes that in many ways, her parents were right to have her best interest at heart because the relationship is no longer innocent.

There are other subtle...