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
In her house, Elishva reflects on the day’s events. After Faraj slapped the worker in front of her house, Umm Salim told the old lady that Faraj was capable of anything to put his hands on this house. She offered for Elishva to move in with her, suggesting they could rent out rooms in the old lady’s house. This would bring Elishva some money and would give all of those who want to possess her house the impression that she is protected. However, Elishva is suspicious of Umm Salim’s intentions. She wonders if, like Faraj, the woman simply wants to take control of her house. As Elishva concludes that she will never sell her house, she sees Daniel’s ghost in the doorway.
Elishva’s lack of trust in her neighbor Umm Salim’s intentions reveals that the problems throughout the city have perverted people’s relationships. In the midst of such stark divisions and instability, it is now difficult to believe in people’s selfless generosity and solidarity. It becomes unclear whether doubting people’s intentions leads to an unfair understanding of their character or, on the contrary, effectively allows one to defend oneself against external manipulation.
Themes
In the meantime, in Hadi’s house, where the junk dealer is agonizing, powerful arms carry him from the floor to his bed. The anonymous helper tells Hadi that he will not die, but that he deserved this beating. Shortly after, Hadi is blinded by flashlights and believes his interrogators have returned. However, these are friendly faces: after Abu Salim saw officers leave Hadi’s house with stolen objects, he called people in the neighborhood to help the drunk dealer. The men buy disinfectant and bandages to cover Hadi’s wounds. They ask the man many questions, but Hadi turns aggressive, saying he cannot undergo two interrogations in a single day.
Although Hadi initially believed his trust in American movies’ superheroes, he actually does benefit from the help of a mysterious superhero: the Whatsitsname. In addition, Hadi realizes that his neighbors are superheroes of sorts: good people willing to stand up for him and protect each other from external harm. Abu Salim’s kind actions show that some people are still moved by noble intentions in this difficult context: the desire to help a neighbor in a context of unjust brutality.
Themes
After accepting medicine from Abu Salim, Hadi lies in bed, wondering if the officers will return. He also wonders who gave them information about his whereabouts. Overall, though, this terrifying event has a positive effect on him: it encourages him to work hard to change his life. He makes plans to modify his appearance, to shave and dress elegantly, and to rent a room in Faraj’s houses. He wants to buy a shop to sell and repair objects and, later, to find a wife. He plans on doing all of this if he is able to wake up alive the next day.
Hadi’s ordeal emphasizes the seriousness of Mahmoud’s negligence with regard to his witness: by not protecting Hadi’s privacy, he exposed the junk dealer to severe consequences, which could have gotten him killed. In this sense, Mahmoud appears in a more negative light: he’s focused on profiting from the stories Hadi has told him, without realizing that he should reciprocate the junk dealer’s trust by protecting him from harm.
Themes
Earlier, after entering Hadi’s house and seeing the junk dealer’s state, the Whatsitsname reflected that Hadi had been justly punished for his depraved life. He carried the wounded man onto his bed and quickly left the house when he heard Abu Salim and his helpers approach. Then, he climbed to Elishva’s house. The old woman welcomed him with perfect calm. The Whatsitsname reflects that he now only has Hadi and Elishva left in the world. Although he considers taking revenge on the officers responsible for Hadi’s beating, he realizes that Hadi would be accused of this crime, and that the best way for him to help the junk dealer is to stay away from him.
This is one of the few instances in which the Whatsitsname shows empathy for a human being. In the same way he had killed Abu Zaidoun to take revenge on someone who had harmed Elishva, he now considers punishing those who harmed Hadi. His realization that this would only cause the junk dealer more problems shows great lucidity on his part: he realizes that, however noble his intentions might be, his actions can indeed have unintended negative consequences.
Themes
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Overall, the Whatsitsname feels confused. He no longer knows who he is supposed to kill, and why he is even doing it. He knows that his current body is made of the parts of both innocent and criminal people. Although he is aware that he will melt away if he does not kill people fast enough, he also considers that dying would liberate him from this dreadful existence. At the same time, he argues that it is his duty to use his special abilities as a killer in the name of justice. His goal, he concludes, should be to keep on surviving until he reaches a firm plan of action.
The Whatsitsname’s moral dilemma shows greater awareness of the moral ambivalence of many of his actions, as well as their limited political effectiveness: he has not succeeded at all in curbing violence in Baghdad. However, instead of accepting self-sacrifice in order to defend a pure notion of justice, the Whatsitsname reverts to weakness and self-interest: he prioritizes his own survival over the defense of the common good—in which he has now lost faith.
Themes
The Whatsitsname shares all of these problems with Elishva, who does not seem to understand him. He tells the woman about running into some of the three madmen’s followers a while ago, and realizing they were still equally devoted to him. For example, one night, a follower lamented that the Whatsitsname was rotting away. Therefore, he told the creature to kill him in order to take some of his fresh body parts. The Whatsitsname killed the man by slashing his wrists. This, he reflected, would prevent a brutal death, since violence could lead the devoted follower to fight back, following a basic survival instinct.
Despite his awareness of the moral ambivalence of many of his actions, the Whatsitsname still cannot renounce his authority and power: he accepts that people die for him, even though he is no longer convinced that he is truly acting in the name of justice. His strategic murder of this man—meant to provoke as little resistance as possible—reveals his long experience with brutal acts of this kind, through which he has succeeded in crushing other human beings.
Themes
Elishva, who does not seem to have understood the Whatsitsname’s story, tells the ghost of her son, Daniel, to spend some time in her house resting. Later, when she looks at the picture of Saint George, she feels annoyed that the saint has not yet succeeded in killing the dragon, despite having his sword lifted for years. She realizes that, like the saint, she is in a state of limbo: not quite living, but not quite dead. When she asks the saint why he has not yet killed the dragon, he replies that everything will end one day, but that there is no need to hurry.
Elishva’s annoyance with the picture of Saint George reveals a new understanding of the situation: instead of seeing the saint as a magical force truly capable of warding off evil, she now realizes that the saint, too, might be weaker than she thought. Her description also serves as a symbolic comment on the situation in her city and country: humans might eternally fight for justice and peace, without ever fully achieving it.
Themes
Hadi wakes up the next day on his bed and hears the explosion of a car bomb some miles away. Aziz the Egyptian then enters the house, accompanied by two neighbors. Aziz expresses his relief at knowing that Hadi is doing well. After a while, he tells Hadi to examine his house to see if anything is missing. Hadi is soon appalled to discover that the interrogators have stolen some of his belongings. When Aziz sees the destroyed statue of the Virgin Mary, he asks, indignantly, why anyone would behave in such a brutal way and attack the mother of Jesus.
The car bomb that explodes near Bataween once again highlights the frequency of these attacks. It suggests that, even though Hadi has escaped one violent event—the officers’ interrogation—he remains at the mercy of unpredictable brutality. Aziz’s indignation at seeing a religious symbol destroyed in this way suggests that he believes in the necessity of peaceful religious pluralism, respecting other creeds without attacking them.
Themes
In the meantime, Hadi is deeply distraught to think of all the money he has lost. However, he reacts in a positive manner: he asks his assistant to buy products necessary for the renovation of old furniture. After everyone has left, Hadi examines the statue of the Virgin. He removes the broken pieces and discovers that a large wooden plank, with the engraving of a large candelabra on it, surrounded by writing in Hebrew, is hidden in the hole. Hadi realizes that he can probably sell this, but decides to keep it hidden for the time being.
Hadi’s decision to restore furniture suggests that he might actually be motivated to turn his life around and work his way out of his precarious circumstances. His discovery of the candelabra finally gives meaning to the term “the Jewish ruin” that designates his house. On a symbolic level, this discovery also signals that—just like Hadi’s house—Iraq is comprised of a variety of religious beliefs. Violence is responsible for impeding peaceful coexistence, as each religious group fights for power and control.
Themes
On his way to Elishva’s house, the deacon of Elishva’s church, Nader Shamouni, comes across various roadblocks because of different car bombs that have exploded in the area. Nader considers turning back, but he realizes that he needs to complete his mission, since he will be leaving the city soon.
The roadblocks Nader comes across serve as yet another proof of how widespread violence in the city, as it affects not only specific targets but also ordinary citizens trying to get along with their lives and to stay away from violence.
Themes
Nader’s decision to leave the city is recent. During the course of a couple of weeks, someone left a glue-like substance on the keyholes in his home, thus proving that they were capable of entering his house secretly. Given the widespread insecurity in the city, Nader received no help from the authorities concerning this issue. Nader’s fears became even more acute after a congregation member’s relative was kidnapped for a ransom. This last event convinced Nader to leave the city for a while. However, he did not realize that this could easily become a permanent decision.
The presence of a glue-like substance seemingly indicates the Whatsitsname’s involvement, given that the creature often has fetid liquids oozing out of his body. Either way, Nader’s decision to leave mirrors many other people’s resolutions: living in Baghdad now involves putting one’s own life and one’s family’s life in danger. In these circumstances, not even people’s homes are safe: they are encouraged to move away to make a new home for themselves.
Themes
Nader finally reaches Elishva’s house. The old lady hasn’t been to church in a month, and Nader tells her that her daughter Matilda is planning to come to Iraq to take her to Melbourne with her. Elishva argues that she will never leave her house, but Nader evokes the terror and violence that is taking over the city, encouraging the old lady to consider this option. Elishva replies with a biblical quote indicating that she is not worried about physical harm, because she knows that her soul cannot be killed.
Given the fact that Matilda and Hilda have spent years warning Elishva that they will come to Iraq to take her away, it is unclear whether they will actually do so. Despite Elishva’s tendency to retreat into her own memories and delusions, she proves lucid in debating with Nader. She does not deny the danger around her, but, rather, decides to value other aspects of life: her spiritual well-being, which being in this house—filled with memories of her son—preserves.
Themes
Nader encourages Elishva to come to church next Sunday. He offers to pick her up and she agrees to go with him. However, he will later be so busy with his move that he will forget about Elishva. Both Elishva and Nader believe that they will never see each other again, although they are later proven wrong.
The novel creates suspense by mysteriously anticipating future events. In this way, it also suggests that people’s interpretation of their own reality, especially regarding the future, is often wrong: life can provide unexpected twists and turns, capable of bringing people together despite apparent obstacles.
Themes
