Characterization of Samir

Outer characterization

Samir is the main character of the short story “The Rain Missed My Face and Fell Straight to My Shoes” by Saeed Taji Farouky. He is an illegal immigrant from Cairo who lives in London. Because his mother got sick in Cairo and the family could not pay for the treatment (p. 32, ll. 32-33), Samir flew her to London, hoping she could get the treatment for free. At the time of the narrative, Samir’s mother has died, though. 

Samir used to work in a cinema with other immigrants but was fired when he stole money to pay for his mother’s plane ticket. At the time of the narrative, Samir works in the kitchen of a café, where he was downgraded because he does not have working papers. 

He does not have a wife or girlfriend (p. 37, ll. 7-9), and his appearance suggests that he is poor: “I remember then that I still have a hole in my left shoe, where the sole is split” (p. 40, ll. 25-26). He also works “in the underground statio...