Chicken with Plums

Chicken with Plums is a 2004 graphic novel by Iranian-born French author and illustrator Marjane Satrapi. First published in France, it chronicles the last eight days of the life of Satrapi’s cousin, Nasser-Ali Khan. According to Satrapi’s family’s tale, Nasser-Ali lies in bed and dies after his dreams of falling in love are thwarted by his aspiration to become a famous violinist. Nasser-Ali undergoes a dramatic breakdown, contemplating suicide and experiencing spiritual hallucinations until he finally finds peace. The novel touches on issues of arranged marriages; romantic, unrequited, and ideal love; and aging.

The novel takes place during eight days in 1958 Tehran. Fed up with the dereliction of his responsibility to pay attention to their children, Nasser-Ali’s wife, Faranguisse, smashes his violin, devastating Nasser-Ali. Rather than resolve his issues at home, Nasser-Ali embarks on a mission to procure a new violin. He finds a Stradivarius violin, one of the best models ever made, but finds that he is unable to play it, because he has little left to live for. Resigned to his loss of inspiration, he climbs into bed and waits to die.

While he languishes in bed, the past and future of Nasser-Ali’s life move like a film before his eyes. He experiences a vision of Lili, his oldest daughter, entering a passionless marriage after his death, under pressure from Faranguisse. He sees her divorce the man, after which she falls deeply in love with a charismatic actor. Their union is ill-fated: he dies suddenly, and Lili falls into a depression and develops a gambling addiction. After surviving multiple heart attacks, she succumbs to literal and metaphorical heartbreak. Lili’s younger brother moves to America and has several children. One of his daughters, at a young age, gives birth to a son whom she names Jimmy-Nasser in Nasser-Ali’s memory.



Eventually, Faranguisse stops calling Nasser-Ali’s bluff, becoming genuinely worried about his health. She cooks him his favorite food, chicken with plums. The story turns to the origin of Faranguisse and Nasser-Ali’s relationship. Faranguisse met and fell deeply in love with Nasser-Ali when she was only a child. Though his dreams of becoming a famous musician—which were ultimately realized—took him away from her, she waited. When he returned, his mother arranged their marriage. Nasser-Ali conceded to marrying Faranguisse but remained ambivalent about their relationship. Faranguisse tries to feed Nasser-Ali his dish of chicken with plums, but he stubbornly declines it, telling her that he will not forgive her for breaking his violin.

On the fifth day of Nasser-Ali’s suicidal retreat into his room, he remembers his mother telling him to stop praying for her. She believed that his prayers were keeping her tethered to the mortal world. As soon as he stopped praying, his mother’s soul departed from her body in a cloud that went on to hover over her grave. Learning that his youngest son has been praying for him, Nasser-Ali believes that it is what is keeping him alive. However, rather than rebuke his son, he is deeply moved. On the sixth day, he has another vision, in which he meets the angel of death. He tells the angel of death that he now wishes to retract his bid to die. The angel informs Nasser-Ali that he is too late.

On the last day of Nasser-Ali’s life, he dreams of a woman named Irane, whom he met while first studying to play the violin. One day, after being reprimanded by his teacher for playing poorly, Nasser-Ali saw Irane and followed her to her father’s shop. He made it seem as if he were interested in his wares and bought a clock. He deliberately broke the clock several times just to see Irane again. Eventually, she fell in love with him and accepted his marriage proposal. However, her father prohibited them from marrying, because Nasser-Ali had little money. Irane ultimately sided with her father. Nasser-Ali’s music teacher, hearing of his heartbreak, told him to celebrate, for it was the formula for becoming a truly great musician. Nasser-Ali left town and toured the world for two decades. When he returned, Irane had married and bore children. At the very end of the novel, Nasser-Ali runs into Irane by chance, while out buying a new violin. He asks her if she remembers him. She replies that she does not, causing Nasser-Ali to despair. However, when she turns the corner, her face shows that she does indeed remember him, and she begins to sob. Nasser-Ali dies, and Irane covertly attends his funeral, mourning their unrequited love.