The Museum of Failures

Shirin is Remy’s mother. As the novel begins, Shirin is old and unwell, hospitalized because of pneumonia; she also has not spoken a single word in a few months. Remy’s memories of Shirin show that she was volatile and sharp-tongued, though she does not display these characteristics in the present timeline; her illness and life experiences seem to have greatly diminished these aspects of her character.

Shirin’s entire character is defined by her role as a mother. Remy’s memories reveal that she was a hurtful and abusive mother toward him and a belligerent and spiteful partner to Cyrus. In Remy’s recollections, Shirin was the one who instigated the conflict between his parents; the blame on Shirin was intensified by her unwarranted antagonism toward Remy as well, from pushing him away to hurting him verbally and physically. These memories and dynamics paint Shirin as a temperamental woman who is bitter and hurtful for no real reason; this carries over into Pervez and Roshan’s interactions with Shirin as well, as the couple justify their neglect of her by claiming that she is difficult.

However, when the truth about Cyloo comes to light, Shirin’s behavior is re-contextualized. The narrative suggests that it stems from a deep frustration and heartache at the ableism directed toward Cyloo. Hidden behind her behavior toward Remy was a mother who loved deeply but was limited by her husband. Shirin loved Cyloo unconditionally from the moment she first lay eyes on him. Her husband’s ableism did not deter her; quite the opposite, it spurred her on to constantly protect and defend Cyloo. When Remy came along a few years later, Shirin loved this son, too, but understood that Cyloo needed her more. Her perceived neglect of Remy was not born from malice but from a lack of support—with Cyrus unwilling to engage with his older son, Shirin was left to pick up the slack.

Because Shirin could not attend to Remy the way he needed, she encouraged the close bond between Cyrus and Remy and protected it even to the detriment of her own relationship with Remy. She realized that she could never be the parent he needed and so allowed herself to be painted as the villain in the narrative by concealing Cyloo’s existence and Cyrus’s actions from Remy. However, even as Shirin tried to protect Remy, he ended up paying the price in a different way: Shirin’s repressed frustration and resentment at her husband and the situation was often vented on Remy. Their relationship exemplifies The Harmful Effects of Secrecy and Shame, as the mother-son bond suffered because of Shirin’s secrecy and Cyrus’s shame. The resolution of this strained relationship, which is also the focus of the novel, further highlights this theme, as healing is possible only when Shirin is entirely truthful about the past.

Cyrus is Remy’s father and Shirin’s husband. He was wealthy, successful man who had the means to provide well for his family during Remy’s childhood and ensure Remy’s education abroad. Cyrus is not present on the page except in Remy and Shirin’s memories, having passed away three years before the novel begins. This means that he is characterized by their evolving views of him.

Remy remembers Cyrus as a benevolent and loving father. His close bond with Cyrus is both contrasted with and intensified by his strained relationship with Shirin. Cyrus was protective of Remy during Shirin’s outbursts, and Remy in turn vilified Shirin as the instigator and perpetrator of all the tensions between Cyrus and Shirin. When the past is laid bare, part of this summation of Cyrus’s character is confirmed: Cyrus was consistently a loving and protective father toward Remy. However, he was just as neglectful of Cyloo, prompted by his ableism and the shame he felt at Cyloo’s condition.

Cyrus’s reaction to Cyloo and the differing choices he made about his two sons reveal an ambitious man concerned with status and social standing. He therefore becomes an antagonistic figure in the text as Remy learns more about him, although Remy seeks to understand him. Cyrus justified sending Cyloo away as a way to protect Remy. However, Cyrus was secretive of Cyloo’s existence even before the two brothers ever fought, suggesting that he was always inclined to cut ties with his older son. Cyrus’s deep love for Remy was also born from the relief at having a son through whom he could realize his own dreams and ambitions. Thus, his fatherly love was flawed and conditional. However, toward the latter half of his life, Cyrus came to regret his decisions and the motivations behind them. This, along with Remy’s ability empathize with the ambition that drove Cyrus, is what allows Remy to forgive his father and preserve his loving memories of him.