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Chapter 26
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in What the Eyes Don’t See, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism and Environmental Injustice
Truth vs. Corruption
Community Values and Collective Duty
The American Dream
Family, Tradition, and Strength
Summary
Analysis
One night, while working late, Mona heard Bebe and Elliott getting the girls ready for bed—and Nina and Layla protesting loudly against their bedtime. Rather than intervene, Mona waited and listened. Soon, she heard Bebe gently telling the girls a bedtime story: the story of Mona’s grandfather Haji and his birds.
By offering a view into a chaotic nighttime moment, Mona illustrates how her family was able to remain strong, connected, and resilient in the face of sadness and crisis by drawing strength from one another.
Themes
Haji, Bebe’s story went, lived in Baghdad when he was a young boy, in a big house surrounded by a garden of citrus trees, palms, and flowers. Haji loved the plants—but even more than that, he loved the many different kinds of birds that visited his garden each morning. Each day, Haji would feed the birds seeds and grains.
This bedtime story that Bebe tells Nina and Layla further illustrates Mona’s family’s deep investment in the stories and myths that have long served as guideposts and lessons for them all.
Themes
One afternoon, while picking dates from a palm tree, Haji fell off his ladder and broke his leg. He called out for help—and a small bird came, offering to take him to the doctor. Haji laughed, knowing the small bird couldn’t carry him. But soon, a whole flock of hundreds of birds surrounded Haji, lifted him up by the hem of his dishdasha, or tunic, and lifted him into the air to fly him through Baghdad to the hospital.
This story is significant because it illustrates several important lessons and values. First, the story teaches the power of collective action. One bird alone couldn’t lift Haji—but together, their action could make a real difference. The story also teaches the power that generosity has. Haji took care of his birds consistently and selflessly, each and every day, so when he was in need, they rushed to his aid.
Themes
The moral of the story, which Mona has always loved, is that when you treat every being with respect, you will be treated with that same respect in return. To live generously is the simplest and best way to live. Haji was always devoted to Baghdad, the city he loved, and to his family. Ten years after his death, Mona could still feel Haji and his magic lifting her and her family up to great heights.
The fact that Mona ends her book with an ode to the memory of her grandfather’s goodness and generosity shows that, for Mona, family is the most important thing. She draws her strength, her values, and her sense of self from her family, and their support is the reason she has been able to do so much and work so hard on behalf of others.
Themes
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