Martyr!
Chapter Seventeen: Bhagat Singh
by Kaveh AkbarThe chapter follows Cyrus Shams on his third day in Brooklyn as he prepares to meet Orkideh at a museum. Eager to connect with her, he brings two coffees—one as a thoughtful gesture—reflecting on the profound yet often overlooked human ability to consider others’ lives. This moment of simple kindness strikes him as miraculous, though he also questions whether his self-satisfaction reveals deeper narcissism. His internal monologue oscillates between wonder at human connection and self-criticism over minor acts of generosity.
Upon arriving at the museum, Cyrus realizes he may not be allowed to bring the extra coffee inside. This triggers anxiety about waste, rooted in childhood trauma from his father’s strict enforcement of frugality. The narrative delves into Cyrus’s compulsive habits around conserving food and drink, illustrating how his upbringing shapes his adult behavior. His guilt leads him to seek a homeless person to give the coffee to, though he ultimately hesitates, torn between practicality and performative altruism.
After briefly considering smuggling the coffee inside, Cyrus reluctantly discards it when confronted by a museum staffer. This small failure amplifies his existential unease, compounded by shame over his own motivations. He reflects on how his friend Zee would have acted more selflessly, highlighting his insecurity about his moral worth. As he enters the gallery, his anxiety lingers, coloring his perception of the space and Orkideh’s presence.
The chapter closes with Cyrus observing Orkideh, whose frail, oxygen-dependent form contrasts starkly with the artistic grandeur of the gallery. The scene evokes a painterly quality, likened to classical masterpieces, emphasizing themes of isolation and the interplay of light and shadow. Orkideh’s vulnerability and the room’s solemn atmosphere deepen Cyrus’s introspection, leaving him suspended between admiration for art’s power and his own unresolved emotional turmoil.
FAQs
1. How does Cyrus’s childhood experience with waste influence his adult behavior, and what does this reveal about his character?
Answer:
Cyrus’s childhood was marked by strict rules against wasting food, to the point where his father would force him to finish everything on his plate even if it made him physically ill. This upbringing manifests in his adult life through compulsive behaviors like eating moldy food, finishing others’ abandoned drinks, and feeling intense guilt about discarding items. These actions reveal Cyrus’s deep-seated anxiety around waste and a tendency toward self-punishment. The chapter suggests this stems from both ingrained family values and a personal struggle with self-worth, as he seeks validation through small acts of conservation while simultaneously recognizing their insignificance.2. Analyze the significance of the “sonder” concept in Cyrus’s interaction with Orkideh. How does this relate to his broader worldview?
Answer:
The concept of “sonder” – realizing every person has a complex inner life – deeply moves Cyrus when he considers bringing coffee for Orkideh. This moment highlights his simultaneous capacity for empathy and self-absorption. While genuinely marveling at human connection, he also critiques himself for overvaluing this small gesture. The oxygen tank’s sudden appearance in Orkideh’s exhibit later reinforces this tension, reminding Cyrus (and readers) of her mortality and independent existence beyond his perception. This reflects Cyrus’s broader struggle to balance awareness of others’ complexity with his own egocentric narratives.3. How does the museum setting function as both a literal and metaphorical space in this chapter?
Answer:
Literally, the museum houses Orkideh’s living exhibit, creating a controlled environment where Cyrus attempts to connect with her. Metaphorically, it represents the curated nature of human observation and interaction. The strict rules (no coffee) mirror social constraints, while the docents’ judgments reflect how we monitor ourselves in relationships. The gallery itself becomes a study in contrasts: between organic life (Orkideh) and inorganic objects, between intimate connection and performative observation. Like art, human relationships in this space require interpretation, with Cyrus simultaneously being both viewer and participant in the exhibit of their interaction.4. What does Cyrus’s failed coffee gesture reveal about his approach to human connection and his self-perception?
Answer:
Cyrus’s aborted coffee plan exposes his conflicted approach to relationships. The carefully planned gesture (buying two coffees) shows his desire to demonstrate thoughtfulness, while his hesitation to give it to the homeless person reveals performative altruism. His internal monologue oscillates between self-congratulation and harsh self-criticism, illustrating deep insecurity. When he ultimately fails to deliver the coffee, it symbolizes his recurring pattern of near-connection thwarted by overanalysis and social anxiety. The moment also highlights his awareness of these flaws, as he compares his actions to how Zee would behave more authentically.5. How does the author use physical descriptions of Orkideh and her environment to convey deeper themes about art, mortality, and human observation?
Answer:
The vivid description of Orkideh’s “Martian crags” face and the oxygen tank’s “deactivated missile” appearance creates a stark juxtaposition between human fragility and clinical objects. The lighting emphasizes life’s ephemeral quality, while the disproportionate shadows suggest how small moments carry outsized meaning. The new oxygen tank introduces mortality’s inevitability into what was previously an abstract artistic space. These elements transform the exhibit into a meditation on observation itself—how we frame, interpret, and ultimately reduce complex lives to what we can perceive. The descriptions invite readers to question, like Cyrus does, whether true connection is possible through observation alone.
Quotes
1. “This gesture, this possibility, had always struck Cyrus as particularly moving—an evergreen wonder that anyone remembered him when he wasn’t in the room. That people found the surplus psychic bandwidth to consider—or even worry over—anyone else’s interior seemed a bit of an unheralded miracle.”
This quote captures Cyrus’s profound yet anxious perspective on human connection. It introduces the chapter’s recurring theme of existential loneliness and the small gestures that bridge it, while also revealing his self-consciousness about his own emotional needs.
2. “In the Shams apartment, no sin was worse than waste.”
This brief but powerful statement explains Cyrus’s compulsive behavior around food/drink and his inherited trauma. It serves as a key to understanding his later actions with the coffee and his complex relationship with guilt and self-worth.
3. “If art’s single job was to be interesting, then the room with Orkideh sitting in it was art of the highest order.”
This observation reflects both Cyrus’s artistic sensibility and his growing fascination with Orkideh. The vivid description that follows transforms a simple scene into a profound meditation on mortality and human presence, marking a turning point in the chapter’s visual and thematic intensity.
4. “The eroded surfaces of Orkideh’s face were like Martian crags and craters that, like a perfect photograph, caught in astonishing clarity the entire spectrum of visible light from pure light to pure dark.”
This striking metaphor encapsulates the chapter’s central image of Orkideh. The poetic description merges scientific and artistic language, mirroring how Cyrus sees both beauty and mortality in her presence, while foreshadowing the oxygen tank’s ominous introduction.