Previous
Part 5, Chapter 12
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Forty Rules of Love, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Spirituality
Connections Across Distance and Time
Appearances vs. Reality
Storytelling and Truth
Summary
Analysis
Suleiman the Drunk. Konya, March 1248. Suleiman says that while outsiders think drunk people are lazy, he knows that it requires effort to drink so much wine. All of a sudden, Suleiman thinks he overhears men int the tavern planning to kill Shams. He calls over to Hristos to tell him, then gets afraid to say anything and just asks for food. Instead, Suleiman goes himself to Rumi’s house. He’s glad to find Shams alive there. He relays the plot her heard in the tavern to kill Shams. Shams reassures Suleiman that there’s no need to worry because nothing happens that God does not will.
Because Shams and Rumi treated Suleiman well, Suleiman tries to return the favor by offering an early warning about the plot to assassinate Shams. It is too late, however, reflecting the futility of trying to escape mortality. Shams already knows that death is coming for him, and while he appreciates Suleiman’s concern, he has already made peace with his role as a silkworm who will help make silk in Rumi’s life.
Active
Themes
