Exhalation

Fuwaad is a “purveyor of fine fabrics” (3) and the main character of the first story, “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate.” Fuwaad’s retelling of his life to the caliph also allows the framework for Hassan, Ajib, and Raniya’s stories, making him both structurally and narratively central to the story.

Fuwaad is guarded about his own life, largely keeping his motivations to himself. Despite the time he spends speaking with Bashaarat, Fuwaad never explains his motivations behind using the Gate of Years. Fuwaad later tells the caliph, “I now tell you what I had not told Bashaarat. I was married once, twenty years before, to a woman named Najya” (26-27). Despite his reserved nature, by the end of the story Fuwaad displays a great deal of emotional depth. Fuwaad willingly admits to the caliph that hearing his wife’s dying words moved him to tears. Furthermore, his final remarks about the importance of repentance, atonement, and forgiveness demonstrate that Fuwaad is a sensitive and caring person.

As the main character of the first story, Fuwaad serves as a kind of archetype for other stories in Exhalation. Fuwaad is a first-person narrator who spends his time telling a story before revealing his emotional interiority about his situation.