Vahan’s Top Three Influences Vahan Kenderian, the protagonist of the story had a trifling journey from Bitlis to Constantinople running away from the gendarmes to fight for his own freedom. As the story progresses Vahan’s Character also develops and Vahan changes from an arrogant naive child to someone of substantial character. Vahan encounters many people along his journey who influence him and are the reason why he changed in the end. Therefore, Vahan’s Father, Sarkis Kenderian, Ara Sarkisian the coppersmith, and Selim Bey, known as the Horseshoer of Bashkale are the three people who influenced Vahan the most. Sarkis Kenderian, Vahan’s Father, is one of the characters that influenced Vahan the most because throughout the story Sarkis Kenderian
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Firstly, Selim Bey gives Vahan the life advice he believed in. Selim Bey states, “There is no such thing as a country or a flag or a right or wrong cause. There is only yourself ... all they will see is a beggar, an unsuccessful animal.” This quote showed Vahan that he is by himself and that no one would help him regardless of what or who he was. Selim Bey taught Vahan that you can do whatever action in order to survive, that there is no right or wrong. Vahan used this advice and convinced the group of Turkish that he was deaf and blind so he could join the Turkish group without them knowing he was Armenian. Secondly, Selim Bey shows Vahan how cruel reality is. As Vahan reacts towards Selim Bey’s answer, “I looked at him [Selim Bey] then as I might have looked at my father if he had struck me.” (137). This quote was about how Vahan was shocked that Selim Bey didn’t do anything when he had told him about what the gendarmes had done to Seranoush. This event showed Vahan how cruel reality was when he had expected Selim Bey to hang the men responsible but instead got nothing. It showed Vahan that life doesn’t go the way you always plan it to be. Another example of Vahan facing reality was after Tavel and Diran had been shot. Vahan stated that “I was no longer in our house or even inside myself.” (28) This quote represented Vahan facing how cruel reality is and how his life changed in an unexpected way. Vahan had planned that he’d become the strongest man in Bitlis however the gendarmes made Vahan realize that life isn’t always so perfect. In closing, Selim Bey is the second of the three people who influenced Vahan the most during his
Firstly, Selim Bey gives Vahan the life advice he believed in. Selim Bey states, “There is no such thing as a country or a flag or a right or wrong cause. There is only yourself ... all they will see is a beggar, an unsuccessful animal.” This quote showed Vahan that he is by himself and that no one would help him regardless of what or who he was. Selim Bey taught Vahan that you can do whatever action in order to survive, that there is no right or wrong. Vahan used this advice and convinced the group of Turkish that he was deaf and blind so he could join the Turkish group without them knowing he was Armenian. Secondly, Selim Bey shows Vahan how cruel reality is. As Vahan reacts towards Selim Bey’s answer, “I looked at him [Selim Bey] then as I might have looked at my father if he had struck me.” (137). This quote was about how Vahan was shocked that Selim Bey didn’t do anything when he had told him about what the gendarmes had done to Seranoush. This event showed Vahan how cruel reality was when he had expected Selim Bey to hang the men responsible but instead got nothing. It showed Vahan that life doesn’t go the way you always plan it to be. Another example of Vahan facing reality was after Tavel and Diran had been shot. Vahan stated that “I was no longer in our house or even inside myself.” (28) This quote represented Vahan facing how cruel reality is and how his life changed in an unexpected way. Vahan had planned that he’d become the strongest man in Bitlis however the gendarmes made Vahan realize that life isn’t always so perfect. In closing, Selim Bey is the second of the three people who influenced Vahan the most during his