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Chapter 15
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Frankenstein in Baghdad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Truth, Lies, and Storytelling
Good vs. Evil
Power, Authority, and Social Divisions
Family, Friendship, and Home
Superstition and Religion
Summary
Analysis
The next day, Sultan drives Saidi’s mother and sisters to Amman, where Saidi is waiting for them. However, the car never makes it to its destination. Apparently, armed gangs are killing people on the road because of their religion. Although Saidi calls many times, he remains able to reach Sultan by telephone.
The tragic disappearance—and probable murder—of Saidi’s family highlights the horrific circumstances in which these characters are living. Political power does not shield Saidi from the senseless sectarian conflict affecting the entire population.
Themes
The day before, Abu Anmar left Baghdad permanently, after 23 years of living there. He bought a new truck with the money he received from selling the Orouba Hotel to Faraj. On his way out, felt glad to leave a city that had become so chaotically violent.
After the mention of the tragedy afflicting Saidi’s family, Abu Anmar’s decision to leave Baghdad appears entirely understandable: chaos and horror have now reached new heights, affecting all aspects of people’s lives, and one simple solution is to flee violence as best one can.
Themes
Faraj, in the meantime, is ecstatic about the hotel deal. He trusts that he will be able to bring the hotel to life again, because he is successful at taking advantage of difficult situations. Although Faraj has never killed anyone, some people consider him the leader of a criminal gang focused on appropriating the properties of people fleeing the violence in different parts of the city. As Faraj is watching workers remove all the furniture from Abu Anmar’s hotel, a violent explosion—the largest one so far in Bataween—cuts these activities short.
Although Faraj is known to take advantage of the armed conflict in the city to expand his own business, on this occasion he becomes the victim of this violence. This episode demonstrates that, regardless of one’s business savvy or one’s capacity to turn catastrophes into positive events, the ability to survive ultimately depends largely on luck: for example, avoiding being hit by one of the many explosions taking place in the city every day.
Themes
One week earlier, Faraj had struck a deal with Elishva to buy her house. The old lady agreed to do so because Daniel had returned. Although the old woman’s neighbors had spent the last months trying to see the man Elishva call her son, one day Daniel truly appeared on her doorstep. Followed by the deacon, Nader Shamouni, the 20-year-old boy walked timidly toward Elishva’s door, unsure of his surroundings. People immediately wondered if the old lady had, in fact, been telling the truth all this time. So many people had returned from war in strange circumstances, they argued, that it was possible for Daniel Tadros Moshe to come home after so long.
Given Elishva’s reluctance to leave her home in Baghdad, as well as her contempt for Faraj, her decision to sell her house is shocking. It reflects not only a possibly surreal event—the return of Elishva’s lost son, Daniel—but also the unbearable heights that violence has reached in the city. Nader’s reappearance in Elishva’s life, despite the fact that neither character expected to see each other again, suggests that life is full of surprises and, more specifically, that humans are not very good at anticipating future events.
Themes
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When Elishva opened her door, she recognized the same face and smile as those of the boy—her son Daniel—in the picture in her living room. She realized that Saint George the Martyr’s promise had finally come true. She noticed some neighbors looking in and wanted everyone to celebrate with her that a miracle had taken place. After Elishva hugged the boy with surprising strength, Nader confirmed to her that this was Daniel. Umm Salim touched Daniel to check that the boy was not a ghost.
This moment of joy and gratitude brings a sense of relief to the story: Elishva can finally access the alternative reality—the return of her son, Daniel—she has dreamed of for so long. This episode also blurs the distinction between fiction and reality, superstition and facts: given that it is impossible for Daniel to return from war as a 20-year-old boy, this person’s presence is interpreted as a miracle by all those present.
Themes
Daniel greeted Elishva in Assyrian, and Elishva tenderly took him inside. When Nader entered the old lady’s home, he told her that her daughters, Matilda and Hilda, were currently in Ankawa. He added that Daniel was Hilda’s son—and, therefore, Elishva’s grandson. The family’s goal was to take the old lady to Melbourne. Matilda and Father Josiah had planned this event carefully. They had decided to use the resemblance between Elishva’s son and grandson as an emotional mechanism, in order to convince the old lady to follow them to Melbourne.
Elishva’s daughters’ presence in Ankawa, an Assyrian suburb near the airport in northern Iraq, shows that they have indeed returned to take their mother to Melbourne, as they threatened to do many times on the phone. At the same time, their use of Elishva’s grandson in this stratagem also shows that, instead of convincing Elishva that her son is dead, they have taken the old lady’s belief seriously. Knowing how important it is for Elishva to see her son again, they decided to satisfy their mother’s yearning, even if it means tricking her for a brief moment.
Themes
In line with this plan, Daniel told Elishva that she should sell her house and go live with him. The two of them talked for hours. Although Elishva knew that this boy was not her son, she was still moved by the physical contact with her grandson, which reminded her of the boy she lost. She resolved to protect their family bond at all costs and concluded that she would abide by his demands. As a celebration of this happy event, she brought Daniel in front of the picture of Saint George. However, the saint did not give any answer to the woman’s heartfelt words of gratitude.
Elishva’s ability to understand that this boy is not her son shows that she is more lucid—and more capable of facing the concrete details of reality—than many people give her credit for. Her decision to nurture this special relationship reveals her ability to adapt to changing circumstances: she accepts to give up her dream of seeing her son again in order to take care of something that exists in the present. This shift in mentality underlines the power of family bonds and the role of love in giving people such as Elishva a sense of community and stability.
Themes
Following Daniel’s advice, Elishva accepted to sell her house. In these circumstances, she could only revert to Faraj. Faraj did not know what exactly had happened to Elishva’s son, and why he had returned, but he was confused by the fact that the boy was 20 years too young for the story to make sense. When one of Faraj’s children suggested that Daniel might have been kept in a freezer for 20 years, Faraj slapped him, surprising everyone.
Faraj’s violent reaction toward his son underscores the realtor’s tendency toward violence, a tendency that he also reveals in his business activities. At the same time, it could also signal a certain vulnerability on his part: he might actually be moved by the apparently miraculous return of Elishva’s son. In this sense, his reaction to his son’s imaginative—but completely unrealistic—answer could reflect the fact that, to Faraj, this is a serious issue, indicative of the deep effects on recent history on Iraqis’ lives.
Themes
At the same time as Faraj examined Elishva’s house, Hadi learned that the old lady wanted to sell him her furniture. Although he did not understand why Elishva was being so kind to him after hating him for so long, he decided that he would borrow money from his friends to buy all the furniture at once, because this was a priceless opportunity for him. Elishva asked that he remove the furniture only once she had left, so that she could preserve an intact memory of her home.
Elishva’s commercial interactions with her neighbors suggests that proximity can foster economic exchange and feelings of solidarity. Elishva turns to Faraj and Hadi because they are close to her house. In so doing, she chooses what is most convenient for her but also contributes to the economic well-being of the neighborhood. Her desire to keep her memory of her home intact underscores the important role that memories play in her life, as they preserve a possibly idealized past.
Themes
The night before moving out, Elishva talked to Saint George, who did not respond to her. She concluded that the saint had fulfilled his promise and no longer had anything to say. Instead of carrying the heavy picture with her, Elishva removed the picture from its frame and cut the Saint’s face in a circle, keeping it with her. When she observed the faceless picture left in the house, she now saw the image with emotional distance, realizing that it was no longer familiar to her.
Although Elishva is able to observe the picture of Saint George with some emotional distance, she also seeks to preserve an image of the saint—and, perhaps, of his power. It is unclear whether Elishva plans to keep it as a mere souvenir, or whether she believes the saint’s face will be sufficient to bring about new miracles. Either way, she seems to have accepted the end of this relationship, perhaps coming to terms with the fact that meeting her grandson Daniel is the closest she will ever get to seeing her son again.
Themes
The next day, Umm Salim and other neighbors wept in a performative manner to honor Elishva’s move. On her way out, Elishva called Nabu, but the cat ran away, looking her with what Elishva understood as a defiant look, confirming that the cat was intent on staying even if its owner cowardly left. Umm Salim made a prediction that Elishva’s departure would bring bad luck to the neighborhood. In the meantime, Hadi spent the entire day removing the old lady’s furniture and selling half of it to locals, thus earning a good amount of money.
Elishva’s interpretation of the cat’s look could reveal a sense of guilt on her part: she knows that she is leaving a dangerous city for relatively selfish reasons: to protect her life and spend time with her family. The cat’s reaction mirrors Father Josiah’s belief: that people should stay in Baghdad for the well-being of their community. At the same time, Elishva does indirectly contribute to this goal by providing Hadi with a lucrative business activity.
Themes
At the end of the day, a creature jumped onto Elishva’s roof and walked around the empty apartment. The creature was sad because Elishva had played a crucial part in giving him his identity as her son, Daniel. The Whatsitsname reflected that he, in turn, had played a role in preserving Elishva’s son’s memory. As a result, her departure made him doubt the purpose of his existence. Ultimately, the creature called Nabu, sat down, and stayed sitting with the cat the entire night.
Despite the Whatsitsname’s cruel deeds, this episode highlights his humanity: namely, his attachment to social bonds of affection and belonging. His sadness at seeing the old lady leave highlights the creature’s isolation, suggesting that he suffers from not being part of a community. This suggests that, despite the Whatsitsname’s apparent callousness, he might actually have more feelings than he usually expresses.
Themes
