Shayne’s Reviews > My Name Is Red > Status Update

Black and Shekure meet up to discuss hiring false witnesses to attest to her husband’s death so they can be married. Black secures the divorce, claiming to represent Enishte as Shekure’s guardian and makes the preparations for the wedding. The bridal procession commences and then the two are married.

Shekure returns home to discover her father’s body and the upturned home. She quickly cleans and moves the body to avoid the children discovering and once they arrive home enlists the help of Hayriye to further clean and attend to the body. The color red describes its omnipresence and how it was created in the form of paint.

Shekure receives the letters from Esther and is tormented by love for Black, and a different kind of “love” for Hasan, resigning that her husband will never return. She has Orhan deliver a letter to Black agreeing to meet him at the abandoned house. They later meet up and become romantic. They discuss marriage and the potential issues that may arise.

An illustration of death recounts the day on which he was created and the style—somewhat Venetian, laden with spikes, bathed in light, thousands of wings spanning heaven and earth—and by whom—it seems the murderer. Esther couriers letters between Black, Hasan, and Shekure, abuses a blind beggar, and has an extensive meal with one of her “daughters.”

The murderer, under the influence of evil spirits, leaves his home while working on a side commission to walk the streets. He visits an abandoned neighborhood he regularly haunts and makes his way to Enishte’s home, feeling compelled to murder Black as he is leaving and thinking about Elegant’s words about the illustrations shortly before his death.

A counterfeit gold coin recounts his journey from a Venetian mint to Stork’s purse and the people he has encountered. Enishte explains what he learned from Venetian art and his commissioning by the Sultan to make a portrait. Enishte shows Black the book he is working on for the Sultan and asks him to write words to pair with the illustrations. Black recounts this conversation distracted by thoughts of Shekure.

The murderer, during and shortly after the funeral, recounts his past with Elegant. He follows Black and Enishte to Enishte’s home while thinking about the evil inside him and its necessity to the artist.

Enishte attends the funeral procession of Elegant, meeting up with the other master miniaturists. He reasons to stop working on the book before recalling a memory of when he was compelled to visit Venice to declare the Sultan’s intention to take Cyprus and resolving the book must be completed.

Shekure argues with her father about the prospect of divorce and remarriage and reveals to the reader the secret relationship between her father and Hayriye.

Esther lets Hasan read Black’s letter to Shekure. Hasan also gives her a letter for Shekure to whom she then delivers both and is disheartened by them, saying she is waiting for her husband to return.