Memed, My Hawk, a translation of the first part of nce Memed (which means “Slim” or “Thin” Memed), is important as one of the few Turkish novels to attract attention in Europe and the United States. In this folktale, Yashar Kemal depicts a lowborn man with compassion and respect. His protagonist, Memed, a larger-than-life folk hero, has been likened to Robin Hood because he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Like a majestic hawk, Memed swoops down on the cruel aghas (lords), frustrating their greed. He is able to evade capture because he has the support of the village people. Unlike the other brigands, who rob and humiliate indiscriminately, Memed punishes selectively, never forgetting his roots in the village.

Kemal’s novel often reads like a courtesy book for brigands. Through example and contrast, and sometimes even dialogue, the reader is shown the proper way to resist institutionalized corruption and oppression. One should not follow the example of the brigand Durdu, who terrorizes not only government officials and powerful landowners but also farmers, women, and children. He robs his victims of their honor as well as their purses, sending men home naked to their families and kidnapping and raping village women. Kalayji, another brigand, sells himself as a hired gun to a wealthy agha, in effect becoming an instrument of oppression. Memed, in contrast, engages in moral terrorism, never robbing for fun or mere profit, always championing the rights of the poor.

The close association between the people and the land is an important theme in Memed, My Hawk. Most of the characters are tenant farmers whose survival depends on the fickle weather, the quality of the land, and the caprices of the landowners. The farmers are slaves to the aghas who own the land. Only by owning the land can the farmers free themselves. Freedom, then, is integrally related to property. Early in the novel, the author proclaims that people, like trees, require rich soil in which to grow strong and tall. The Taurus Mountains consist of dry, rocky soil, covered with thistles, and yield only stunted trees with gnarled branches. The same can be said of Memed, whose growth has been stunted by his meager diet, the constant toil of plowing, and the agha’s physical abuse. Only in rebellion against Abdi Agha does he grow “as tall as a poplar.” The harsh terrain of the Taurus Mountains symbolizes the agha’s oppressive rule over the villagers. It is significant that when the agha dies, the villagers take his property and burn the thistles to make the land more suitable for cultivation.

Western readers may have difficulty understanding the behaviors and motivations of the characters in Memed, My Hawk , who are products of a different culture. In many Western societies, premarital sex is less uncommon than it is in Turkish society, particularly Turkish rural communities. When Hatche runs away with Memed and yields to him sexually in the woods, her behavior is atypical and extremely courageous, indicating that she must love Memed very much. The concepts of honor and hospitality are also different in Turkey. By forcing his male victims to give him their underpants and sending them home naked, Durdu is not merely embarrassing them but also impinging upon their honor. It is for this reason that the nomad leader, Kerimoghlu, refuses to strip in front of his family, although he knows that Durdu may kill him. Throughout the novel, Memed encounters strangers who welcome him as if he were a family member. They offer him food and a place to...