Funny in Farsi: Book Review the first alliterative words of the title, Funny in Farsi establishes a hilarious tone, which continues throughout each chapter of the memoir. Firoozeh Dumas began to write Funny in Farsi as a personal memoir, but later realized that she shared the memoir with her father, Kazem. The memoir follows Dumas and her family during the 1970s, after they emigrate from Iran to the United States. Each chapter of the book describes a new adventure, or problem, for the family, usually involved with their assimilation into the American culture. Although Dumas' tone remains mostly funny throughout the book, some of the chapters describe the struggle, and even pain of emigrating from Iran. Overall, Funny in Farsi presents a new side of immigrants from the Middle East countries, a refreshing side, less familiar to Western readers, and gives a positive view of both Iran and the United States.
Funny in Farsi begins with Dumas and her family's first days in America, trying to learn English, as well as the entire American culture. Although Kazem, her father, studied for graduate school in Texas, his English consisted of engineering terms, and provided little help for his family. Once established, the family goes on many adventures, from Disneyland to Bowling for Dollars and shares many humorous mishaps associated with the gap between Iranian and American culture. Kazem's love of Disneyland brought the entire family, with countless guests, to the theme park countless time. However, when Firoozeh lost her family at Disneyland, at age seven, she experienced her first realization of the ignorance of Americans, expressing her sarcastic view, “Despite the belief of most Westerners that all Middle Easterners look alike,” when a Disney employee asked her to talk with another lost foreign child who spoke no English. As Iranian immigrants during the 1970's, even in California, Dumas and her family seem like outsiders. However, Funny in Farsi establishes a new tone, facing adaptation, and American culture with humor. The family blends into American culture, with a refreshing open-mindedness, still keeping some Iranian traditions, but also accepting, for example, Kentucky Fried Chicken over a decadent Persian meal when they realize the impossibility of cooking without servants. Not without its serious moments, Funny in Farsi also describes some of the prejudice in American during the 1970's. In the chapter, I ran and I ran and I ran Dumas especially addresses the issue of prejudice, through the visit of the shah, when protesters attacked the entire Iranian crowd along with Dumas and her family, while they listened to the shah's speech. Dumas gracefully addresses delicate issues, such as the Islamic faith, using Kazem's wise words, as he explains his love of ham but also his faith as a Muslim, for her view of religions: “It's not what we eat or don't eat that makes us good people; it's how we treat one another.” Dumas and her family successfully establish a balance between Iranian and American cultures, inspiring the reader to be open to new cultures, and face the world with humor rather than violence.
Funny in Farsi establishes a new view of immigrants from the Middle East, and the region as a whole, showing a humorous side of the people indigenous to that region. In addition to the positive views of the Middle East, Dumas also writes with an affirmative view of America from the perspective of an immigrant, incorporating the theme of immigrant assimilation, and showing universal difficulties, still relevant today. Although books regarding the Middle East often skew toward either the Middle East or the United States, Dumas shares love for both parts of the world. Funny in Farsi appeals universally, a best seller in Iran, as well as in the United States. By writing such a charming, and funny book, Dumas creates a refreshing view of each nation, for the other nation. Dumas also highlights her father's words, “How said it is that people so easily hate an entire population simply because of the actions of a few,” and brings to attention the bias established regarding the Middle East. Funny in Farsi brings about a new genre, Pro-Middle East and Pro-American, sharing her memoir to create identifiable issues for immigrants, but also to show her love of America. The humor in Funny in Farsi connects all the topics Dumas addresses, making the book a light read, with a lasting impact.
Although her first work, Dumas' Funny in Farsi shows promising writing, and her second book, Laughing Without an Accent, is currently in publishing. Funny in Farsi was published by Random House in 2003, and is sold for $12.95.
Firoozeh
Synopsis Funny In Farsi is the story of Firoozeh, a little girl who moved from Iran to America, as told through her eyes. When she was seven, her parents, Kazem and Nazireh, and her brothers and she all moved to Whittier, California in search of a better life.
Firoozeh is both author and narrator of the book and tells each anecdote about her family from the perspective of whatever age she was when each incident happened. She first moved to America at the age of seven and hugely enjoyed the experience, making friends and finding assimilating into her new country relatively simple once she had mastered the English language. A bookish girl, Firoozeh has no aptitude for sports or physical activity as her difficulty in learning to swim shows; she is also mystified by her own decision to attend an outdoorsy summer camp where the only activity she enjoyed was arts and crafts. Firoozeh, like the rest of her family, is obsessed with food, good, bad or indifferent, and enjoys eating her way through the selection of flavors at Baskin Robbins. She is aware that her figure is suffering but not sufficiently concerned by this to alter her diet.
As she gets older, Firoozeh notices the different perception of Iranians before and after the Iranian revolution; welcomed with open arms before and viewed with suspicion after. As she is fair skinned and speaks English with no accent, Firoozeh decides to change her name to Julie to circumvent having to explain that she is Iranian but not dangerous, and she remains Julie throughout college and into her adult years.
A secular Muslim, Firoozeh is not a person who discriminates by religion and consequently is puzzled by her French mother-in-law's negative reaction to her and the fact she is married to her son, especially since Firoozeh's husband is a secular Catholic. Raised in a very multi-cultural environment, Firoozeh is raising her sons in the same way but leans far more towards her adopted American heritage than her childhood Persian one.
Throughout the book Firoozeh shows herself to be a witty and observant teller of stories and also has a liking for the ridiculous, finding humor in even the things about her family that annoy her.
Kazem
Graveyard Lyrics: It's crazy when / The thing you love the most is the detriment / Let that sink in / You can think again / When the hand you wanna hold is a weapon and / You're nothin' but skin. About Funny in Farsi. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Finalist for the PEN/USA Award in Creative Nonfiction, the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and the Audie Award in Biography/Memoir This Random House Reader’s Circle edition includes a reading group guide and a conversation between Firoozeh Dumas and Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner!
Kazem is Firoozeh's father. As a young man he attended college in Texas and as a result was determined to being his family to America for a better life. He wholeheartedly embraces the culture and falls in love with the touristy and the flashy, travelling to Disneyland as often as possible with as large of a group of people as possible, and taking his family on vacation to Las Vegas where he is absolutely convinced he will win his fortune; when he does not he develops a complex series of identifiers for those people at the gaming table with him who are clearly bringing him bad luck. He also loves game shows, and is a contestant on Bowling For Dollars. A bowling prodigy in his own mind, he barely hits one pin whilst on the show and gives up bowling all together. Kazeem is often convinced that he is very good at something, such as teaching anyone and everyone to swim, and blaming Firoozeh's personal lack of buoyancy for her being the only person he never managed to teach.
Remember the Name Lyrics: Yeah, I was born a misfit / Grew up 10 miles from the town of Ipswich / Wanted to make it big, I wished it to existence / I never was a sick kid, always dismissed quick. Historical Context of Funny in Farsi The main historical event discussed in Funny in Farsi is the Iranian Revolution of 1979. After many years of civil unrest in Iran, Shia clerics organized a revolution against the country’s American-backed leader, the Shah.
A talented engineer, Kazeem is a hard worker who is convinced he will make his fortune one day; although never financially rich he considers himself wealthy because of his family and the life they enjoy together in California. He is a man who lives for family and he is close with his siblings who all live close by each other and who still care about the others'opinions just as much as they did as young children.
Nazireh
Nazireh is Firoozeh's mother. Like many women of her generation growing up in Iran, she received a brief and rudimentary education as in her era the only job a woman had was to find a husband. Before marrying she had aspired to be a midwife , supportive by her progressive father who was fully prepared for her to obtain her midwifery qualifications from a man known to the family but when he passed away suddenly so did Nazireh's aspirations.
Her American experience never seemed to result on her getting to grips with the English language which she eventually learned but spoke with such a thick accent that people could not understand her much better than if she had still been speaking in Farsi. She learned English by watching game shows on television which also added to her knowledge of random pieces of useless information and the ability to price everyday items seen on 'Supermarket Sweep'.
Uncle Nematollah
Funny And Farsi Story
Nematollah is a long-staying house guest and dearly loved uncle. With several marriages behind him his search for his next wife is hampered by his rampant indulgence in fast food,and his determination to lose weight by any means necessary (except for dieting) involves buying a selection of weight loss contraptions seen on the shopping channel. Nematollah is single-minded and cares nothing for the opinions of others, characteristics that enable him to wear a full-body onesie designed for weight loss in public. Although eccentric and perpetually eating Nematollah is a favorite uncle who is missed as soon as he leaves.
Segideh
Funny And Farsi
Segideh is Kazeem's older sister and has an unbreakable bond with him, so much so that if she is angry with him he is distraught even as a grown man. She is a great cook and hostess and also has a green thumb, presiding over the most beautiful fragrant flower garden that still has the ability to take Firoozeh back in her mind to her childhood in Iran.
Funny And Farsi Pdf
Francois Dumas
Funny And Farsi Notes
Francois is Firoozeh's husband who was a fellow student at Berkeley and is originally from France. He was in love with Firoozeh very quickly after meeting her and made enormous efforts to impress her parents, even eating every single thing at a Persoan dinner that traditionally over-caters for every guest. A relatively secular Catholic he is not deterred by the fact she is not also a Catholic and ultimately decides to cut off toes with his mother when she is less accepting. Unlike Firoozeh, whose extended family is tightly-knit, most of Francoise's aunts, uncles and cousins are all at various stages of not talking to each other which is why he is so enthusiastic about joining Firoozeh's family.