Everything Sad Is Untrue

Daniel details how he became Daniel in this section. Now, he feels like he’s split between Daniel and Khosrou and that he left Khosrou in Iran. Furthermore, Daniel also sees the importance of writing down his memories because he fears that he has lost some of understanding of Farsi when Ray talks to him during the tornado. He thinks, “That was when I realized I had to write down the memories and myths and the legends—and even the phrases and jokes. Or I’d lose everything. Maybe even the recipes” (236). He is terrified of forgetting who he was before he was Daniel. This reinforces the theme of storytelling as a way of remembering and of surviving. Daniel wishes to remember who he was before he came to the United States, to hold on to Khosrou.

Additionally, when he emphasizes that there were three miracles that took place that allowed them to flee safely, he illustrates for readers the almost mythic quality of their flight from Iran. That’s what his memories have become to him—myths and legends. He made it through so much, and by the end of the novel, he knows that he will make it through more: This is the cost of joy. These moments also harken back to the sense of bravery he discusses earlier, the bravery “that looks at a horrible situation and doesn’t crumble” (122).

The utter persistence in Daniel’s mother in his section is reemphasized. Even though they are alone and no longer have the creature comforts of their home in Iran, his mother persists. Sima carries on and she does what she needs to survive and for her children to survive, including changing Khosrou’s name to Daniel, despite the effects it will have on him. This connects clearly to the theme of hope and anticipation in trying times. Sima believed that it would get better again, and so she did everything she could to make that the reality, persisting through all her moments of trial and tribulation.

Finally, Daniel also tries in this section to emphasize that the stories also have meaning in “[w]hat they add up to” (237). He believes that Scheherazade attempted to return the king’s humanity to him by reminding him of all aspects of life, showing him “the joy and sadness of others” through her storytelling (237). Likewise, Daniel is trying to readers of their humanity and shared experience, to open up to the lives and feelings of others. In doing so, he wishes to build a connection between readers’ lives and his.