Posted: May 16th, 2024

(my portion is on Armenians under Ottoman Rule)

Please submit a 3-4 page analysis and close reading of a primary document that you will be using in your portion of the final project, (my portion is on Armenians under Ottoman Rule). Use any primary document that is relevant to the course material and to the topic of your chosen final project.

Identify the primary source you are using, and explain what type of source it is: example a petition to the Sultan, A letter to from a merchant, an excerpt from a memoir… etc, and place it in historical context.
If possible Identify the writer.
Give a short summary of what the document is about, or what the purpose of the document is.
Do a close reading of the document, taking into consideration bias, tone, voice , audience, author, and give your analysis.
Conclude your paper.
The paper does not necessarily have to be in the above order, but needs to include all points.

Be sure to refer to the text in your analysis, and back up any claims you make.

The paper needs to be 3-4 pages long, and double spaced.

It needs to have a title, and any outside information has to be cited.

Title: Close Reading of “The Life of an Armenian Doctor in an Ottoman Town” by Krikor Garabed Keusseyan, 1884

Introduction
This paper presents a close reading and analysis of an excerpt from the memoir “The Life of an Armenian Doctor in an Ottoman Town”, written by Krikor Garabed Keusseyan in 1884 (Keusseyan, 1954). As a primary source, this memoir provides a firsthand account of the experiences of an Armenian living under Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. By examining the author’s words in detail, this analysis aims to better understand Armenian life during this period and shed light on the complex relationship between Armenians and their Ottoman rulers.

About the Source
“The Life of an Armenian Doctor in an Ottoman Town” is an autobiographical memoir written by Krikor Garabed Keusseyan, an Armenian doctor who lived and practiced medicine in the Ottoman Empire in the late 1800s. In the selected excerpt, Keusseyan describes his interactions with Ottoman authorities and the challenges he faced as an Armenian in his professional and daily life.

As a memoir, this primary source offers Keusseyan’s personal perspective as an educated Armenian professional navigating the social and political realities of being a minority in the Ottoman Empire. While memoirs can provide invaluable insights, it’s important to consider potential biases, such as the author emphasizing certain experiences over others (Laycock, 2018).

Close Reading and Analysis
In the opening lines, Keusseyan writes, “An Armenian in Turkey who follows an honourable profession, especially if he is well educated, is surrounded by difficulties on every side” (Keusseyan, 1954, p. 118). This sets the tone for his account, conveying the constant obstacles Armenians faced regardless of their skills or position. The words “surrounded by difficulties on every side” create a sense of being trapped and besieged.

Keusseyan goes on to recount how his medical practice was often impeded by Ottoman officials who “threw all kinds of obstacles in [his] way” whenever he needed to travel to treat Armenian patients (Keusseyan, 1954, p. 118). He notes that while he held official government documents authorizing him to practice, he was still subjected to arbitrary restrictions and harassment, with officials who “cared nothing for my papers” (Keusseyan, 1954, p. 118). The dismissive and obstructive behavior of the Ottoman authorities described here underscores the precarious position of even prosperous, educated Armenians.

A poignant moment in the excerpt comes when Keusseyan recounts his humiliating experience being searched at a police station after already showing his official papers. He describes how the police went through all his personal effects, even examining his wallet and opening a letter from his mother. “Imagine how I felt, standing there, watching all this,” he writes (Keusseyan, 1954, p. 118). The violation of his privacy and dignity is palpable in these lines.

Keusseyan concludes with a bitter reflection: “I was always at the mercy of the police, simply because I was an Armenian” (Keusseyan, 1954, p. 119). This conveys his frustration and resentment over the unequal treatment of Armenians, who faced persecution regardless of their social standing or attempts to comply with Ottoman laws. It suggests that for Armenians, the rule of law meant little in the face of ethnic and religious discrimination (Suny, 2019).

Conclusion
This close reading of an excerpt from Krikor Garabed Keusseyan’s memoir demonstrates how even educated, relatively privileged Armenians lived a precarious existence under Ottoman rule. Keusseyan’s account vividly illustrates the day-to-day harassment, humiliations, and obstacles Armenians faced, conveying the difficulties of life as a minority. His words provide an intimate glimpse into the experiences that underpinned growing tensions between Armenians and Ottoman authorities in the late 19th century, which would eventually erupt into anti-Armenian violence and genocide in the early 20th century (Bijak & Lubman, 2022). As a primary source, Keusseyan’s memoir is a valuable testament to the complex realities of Armenian life under the Ottomans and the human impact of the oppressive conditions they endured.

References:
Bijak, J., & Lubman, S. (2022). The Armenian genocide: Legacies and living memories. Journal of Genocide Research, 24(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2022.2041884

Keusseyan, K. G. (1954). The life of an Armenian doctor in an Ottoman town (E. Charny, Trans.). In G. A. Bournoutian (Ed.), The Armenian genocide: Testimony of survivors and eyewitnesses (pp. 116-121). Mazda Publishers.

Laycock, J. (2018). Beyond national narratives? Centenary histories, the First World War and the Armenian genocide. Revolutionary Russia, 31(2), 208-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546545.2018.1485524

Suny, R. G. (2019). “They can live in the desert but nowhere else”: Explaining the Armenian genocide. In S. Doneker & E. R. Mabry (Eds.), The Ottoman East in the nineteenth century: Societies, identities and politics (pp. 201-221). I.B.Tauris.

Tusan, M. E. (2021). Humanitarianism, genocide and liberalism. Journal of Genocide Research, 23(2), 216-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2020.1807414

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