Funny In Farsi

Kazem returns to center stage, this time to discuss his love of ham. Dumas provides background information on the state of Iran during her youth and reveals how it became influenced to a small degree by the West. This was in large part because of the oil industry. She speaks about the Shah and his wife and mentions that her parents were among his supporters. She also mentions how the British Petroleum Company exerted a negative influence in Iran through its attempts to control oil production. She finally returns to her own story, mentioning that when she was a young girl, she went with her dad when he surreptitiously bought ham. She then learned at school that eating ham was not allowed within the practice of Islam. She became fearful for her father’s soul until he assured her that eating ham did not mean he was a bad person, and he would not be doomed for eternity.

Firoozeh discusses her father’s penchant for movies, his favorite being Treasure Island. She discusses how his own treasure was found in applying for and receiving a Fulbright scholarship. This reward enabled him to move to America to pursue his educational and professional goals. Dumas discusses some of her father’s experiences during his first year in college at Texas A&M. On one particularly memorable holiday, he joined some professors for a trip to Princeton in New Jersey, where he met and chatted with Albert Einstein.

Dumas describes the linguistic difference between English and Persian as they relate to naming relatives. She discusses her relationship with her Aunt Sedigeh, whom she refers to as her ameh. Sedigeh does not have a daughter and tends to view Firoozeh as such. Also, Sedigeh is Kazem’s sister, and Kazem holds her in the highest esteem. He believes her to be the smartest of all his siblings. She was not allowed to pursue a technical career because of cultural expectations of women, an injustice that bothers Kazem tremendously. Dumas also introduces Uncle Abdullah, her shohar ameh. Adbullah is well-read and into books, a trait that influences Firoozeh. She also introduces Muhammad, Kazem’s doctor brother. Kazem’s siblings are very close, and they appreciate each other. Firoozeh likewise values the relationships she has with her extended family.

Dumas mentions that her family members are secular Muslims; therefore, they do not celebrate Christmas. She mentions that when she was a youth in Iran, Christians and Jews were allowed to practice their religion in peace. She also discusses Nowruz, the biggest holiday in Iran. This celebration of the new year coincides with the spring equinox, so the exact date and time are different every year. Dumas draws comparisons between the Iranian celebration of Nowruz and the American celebration of Christmas. The chapter concludes with a description of her family’s tradition of spending their Christmas days watching Bob Hope on television. For her, he was “way bigger than Santa Claus” (109).