The Museum of Failures

Content Warning: This section discusses parental abuse and ableism.

Remy is the protagonist of the book. He is an Indian Parsi man, originally from Bombay, who migrated to the US for university and eventually settled there. Remy originally studied poetry but shifted careers into advertising after meeting his future wife, Kathy, who was a medical student at the same university. Remy comes from an affluent and privileged background and believes that he is his parents’ only child until he discovers the existence of his older brother late in the novel.

The focus of the novel is Remy and his mother’s relationship; accordingly, much of Remy’s characterization is constructed via this dynamic, both in memories and in present action. He is also characterized via his relationships with his friends, wife, and a few others with whom he interacts. Across all these interactions, Remy is consistently sensitive and emotionally aware. As a child, he was tuned into his parents’ conflicts, and his memories show him taking his mother’s side when he was young, especially when he witnessed her tears. Similarly, although Remy doesn’t remember it, he rushed to Cyloo’s defense when Shirin hit Cyloo the first time he hurt Remy while playing.