Structure

The short story “The Rain Missed My Face and Fell Straight to My Shoes” by Saeed Taji Farouky has a chronological structure and follows Samir, the main character, for several days. 

The story begins in media res, with Samir trying to get into the cinema although he does not have enough money to pay for a ticket (p. 29, ll. 1-10). As the narrative unfolds, Samir’s situation becomes clearer, and so does his relationship with the cinema employees who all appear to be immigrants: “Youssef is Egyptian so he gets along well with me. Hamza is I think from Somalia – we don’t have much in common” (p. 29, ll. 24-25). 

A flashback reveals more about Samir’s background. He recalls stealing money from the cinema to pay for his sick mother’s plane ticket to Lond...