The Museum of Failures

Remy Wadia, the protagonist of The Museum of Failures, is identified as a Parsi man very early on in the book. Parsi culture, which is inextricably tied to religion and biological lineage, informs the plot in significant ways.

The Parsi community refers to Zoroastrians who migrated from Persia to India during the advent of Islam in their home region, in a bid to avoid conversion and persecution. While the exact date of migration is unclear, it is estimated to be during the eighth century. Zoroastrianism, which was the dominant religion in Persia (modern-day Iran), is one of the oldest religions in the world, pre-dating and influencing other major religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The religion was born of the teachings of the prophet Zarathushtra, or Zoroaster; however, the migrant community in India came to be termed “Parsi” after their Persian roots.

The Parsis arrived first in the western state of Gujarat, but many eventually moved southward to the city of Bombay (present-day Mumbai), especially during the British rule of India. The Parsi community flourished commercially, and by the 19th century, they had developed into an exceptionally wealthy community. The city of Bombay in particular owed a great deal of its expansion to the efforts and abilities of the Parsi community during the 18th century. In recent times, while there is a Parsi presence in the Indian city of Bangalore (officially called Bengaluru) and the Pakistani city of Karachi, a significant percentage of the population continues to live in Mumbai. Thus, Mumbai has a rich and flourishing Parsi culture that continues to make its mark on the economy of the city, from the famous Taj Mahal hotel to the numerous Parsi cafes. This is also seen in the novel when Shirin is not admitted specifically to the Parsee General Hospital.

A large part of the community’s drive toward commerce and the accumulation of wealth comes from the values upheld by their faith: Zoroastrianism encourages its followers to “work hard, make money, enjoy the proceeds and give generously” (Walker, Shaun. “The Last of the Zoroastrians.” The Guardian, 6 Aug. 2020). These values are reflected in the ambition that both Cyrus and Remy exhibit in their professional lives and their desire to succeed. Remy is also mindful of his affluence and privilege since he grew up with material comforts and his family had the means to afford an American education.

Despite their relative wealth and cultural impact in India, the Parsi community is a minority, and a steadily shrinking one. Upon their initial arrival in India, the Parsis promised the Hindu kings that they would not proselytize; generations later, they have a “dogmatic aversion to conversion” (Walker). For a woman, marrying outside the community results in excommunication, whereas some pockets of the community are more accepting of men doing the same. Thus, there is no question about Remy, who is married to an American woman, being allowed into the fire temple; Shirin, however, is outraged that Gulnaz is afforded the same privilege, despite being married to a Muslim man. This is also why Shenaz and Jango are shocked by Monaz’s desire to marry her baby’s father, who is Sindhi (an ethnolinguistic group indigenous to modern-day Pakistan); she and her baby would never be completely accepted by either group.

The refusal to allow conversion or even marriage outside the community is what has contributed to the Parsi community’s diminishing numbers. The Indian Parsi population shrank from 114,000 in 1941 to 57,000 at the last census in 2011; estimates suggest that by the end of the century, there will only be 9,000 left (Walker). The desire to keep the community alive largely explains Remy’s initial reluctance to tell Shirin about the adoption, as he knows that many Parsis are vehemently opposed to the concept. This attitude is also highlighted in the conversation that Jango and Remy have at the beginning of the novel, during which Jango asserts that Remy is lucky to be adopting a half-Parsi child; a progressive, Americanized Remy is ashamed to discover that he echoes similar sentiments.