Talking back, or responding to one in an argumentative way, is often considered childish and rude. However, talking back can be used as a tool for the little guy or the underrepresented individual to express his/her often unheard opinion. Writers have adopted the tool of talking back, and “write back” to describe their plight and feelings. “Writing back” is used by the Turkish German authors Dikmen, Zaimoglu, and Pirincci to share the internal conflicts over cultural identity that second-generation Turks in Germany face. In “The Father Story”, Feridun Zaimoglu tells a narrative which illustrates the cognitive dissonance experienced by second generation Turkish immigrants in Germany. These individuals struggle with deciding if they should act
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Through his response to the question, he shines light on the cultural identity crisis faced by the children of Turkish migrants. In his narrative, Pirincci ponders cultural identity and whether or not it has any meaning. He writes, “whether they see me as a Turk or a German doesn’t really matter to me; my culture consists of those things that I do” (389). Pirincci illustrates that one can call someone whatever they want, but this cultural title is essentially meaningless as the only thing that defines someone is one’s actions. Additionally, Pirincci does not identify himself as a second-generation Turk and does not write or talk about it. He does this because he feels he has nothing new to say and because he thinks “All cultures are alike… The only important things [are] fucking and money and nothing else” (389). This quote, showing Pirincci’s indifference towards culture, can be applied to many offspring of Turkish immigrants. These individuals are neither able to identify with the German nor the Turkish culture and therefore abandon and dismiss the concept of defining themselves by culture. Ultimately, through his “writing back”, Pirincci illustrates the struggle second-generation migrants have in finding value in culture. This depiction of migrants’ cultural psyche can be used to provide insight into why individuals in this cohort may become isolated from
Through his response to the question, he shines light on the cultural identity crisis faced by the children of Turkish migrants. In his narrative, Pirincci ponders cultural identity and whether or not it has any meaning. He writes, “whether they see me as a Turk or a German doesn’t really matter to me; my culture consists of those things that I do” (389). Pirincci illustrates that one can call someone whatever they want, but this cultural title is essentially meaningless as the only thing that defines someone is one’s actions. Additionally, Pirincci does not identify himself as a second-generation Turk and does not write or talk about it. He does this because he feels he has nothing new to say and because he thinks “All cultures are alike… The only important things [are] fucking and money and nothing else” (389). This quote, showing Pirincci’s indifference towards culture, can be applied to many offspring of Turkish immigrants. These individuals are neither able to identify with the German nor the Turkish culture and therefore abandon and dismiss the concept of defining themselves by culture. Ultimately, through his “writing back”, Pirincci illustrates the struggle second-generation migrants have in finding value in culture. This depiction of migrants’ cultural psyche can be used to provide insight into why individuals in this cohort may become isolated from