Prisoner of The Infidels Homework

 Owen Siegel

Mr. Roddy

IHSS

10/21/21

Prisoner of the Infidels

Pick a section to note the style of his writing.  How would you characterize it?

Page 72 - Osman’s writing in this section was an adventurous narrative. Osman writes, “That night, I had no thought for sleep, only for escape” (72). He describes that once his slave master and the others fell asleep, they passed into the world of dreams, and he readied himself to escape. The way Osman characterizes his escape and the people around him makes his narrative feel like a grand adventure, a journey to escape captivity and find a better life with religious freedom. 

What role does his religion play in his thinking?  Give an example.

Religion influences Osman to escape from his slave master and find religious freedom in a territory where Muslims were widely accepted. Osman writes, “And once he took me to Vienna, perhaps he would force me to worship according to his faith.” (71). Osman continues to write that he plans to kill his master when departing from Ivanic. From this part of the reading it was made clear that religion was extremely important to Osman because even though he had been stuck with his Master for the whole story and much longer, he doesn’t bring up the idea of violence until freedom to follow religion is on the line.

What is a decision that he had to make?  Do you think it was a good one? Why or why not?

Osman decided to trade his clothes with the blacksmith's son, in order to seek freedom from his master. Osman writes, “Trusting in his words, I asked how I might keep my master from finding me. Then the blacksmith said: ‘Leave quietly tonight at one o’clock and come to our house. We’ll hide you there for one or two days. Your master will look for you, and when he doesn’t find you he’ll leave, then we’ll get you changed and go.’ ‘I agreed’ ” (72). Osman had to risk everything by escaping his master, giving his clothing away, and putting his trust into a family of blacksmiths. I think that it was a good decision at the time as it was his best chance to find another Muslim who could lead him to Muslim territory, but his actions lead to him being captured once again at the end of the chapter.

How does Osman's experience help us understand history?  Why is his experience important?

Osman’s writing helps us to understand an Ottoman Turkish prisoner's firsthand experience, which not only gives us specific insight into his life but also helps us and historians to understand what the post-Ottoman-Hasburg war was like as a whole. By reading just one chapter of Prisoner of the Infidels, I was able to gain a much better understanding of culture and life in the Hasburg Empire at the time. It’s important for us to have primary documents like Osman’s writing because we can truly understand what life was like from the perspective of someone who lived through a historical experience, and Osman’s experiences are no exception. 

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