The Embassy of Cambodia

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2013

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-7

Chapters 8-14

Chapters 15-21

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Character Analysis

Fatou

Fatou is the main character of “The Embassy of Cambodia.” She is originally from the Ivory Coast of Africa but has lived in many places, including Ghana, Italy, and the United Kingdom. She works for the Derawals as a housekeeper, but she is domestically enslaved by them, which she gradually realizes throughout the short story. Fatou was especially close to her father and very protective of him when they lived in Ghana, particularly as it related to his food-service work with tourists. Despite her current situation with the Derawals, Fatou is very self-reliant, independent, and unafraid to speak her mind.

Fatou loves to swim, and her ability to teach herself to swim in less-than-ideal circumstances in Ghana highlights her resilience. Additionally, swimming once a week at the health center is a respite from her daily life with the Derawals. Her relationship with water also speaks to her recent baptism, and the reappearance of water throughout the short story suggests a desire for renewal.

Fatou is very curious about the world around her and partially remains friends with Andrew to learn more about the world since Andrew has access to the internet. She feels tremendous empathy for and confusion about the injustices experienced by people around the world.

Fatou is fascinated by the perpetual badminton game being held at the Embassy of Cambodia, which is a mirror of her own private struggles with domestic enslavement behind closed doors.

Andrew Okonkwo

Andrew, a business student, is Fatou’s closest friend in London and her semi-romantic interest. He is from Nigeria, and Fatou likes him because they can have conversations about the state of the world together. They met when Andrew gave Fatou a religious pamphlet when she was sitting on a park bench. Their conversations about religion ultimately led to Fatou converting to Catholicism, suggesting that Andrew is generally understanding and eloquent.

Andrew is a good person but often inflates his self-worth and knowledge. He frequently talks about “inventing” phrases and words for his dissertation. For the most part, his exaggeration and self-confidence are harmless but seem to annoy Fatou at times. Additionally, Fatou struggles to see Andrew in a romantic light. Despite her lack of romantic interest, Andrew is obviously interested in Fatou, going out of his way to be kind to her and kissing her cheek for too long.

At the end of the short story, Andrew comes to Fatou’s rescue by inviting her to live with him following her termination by the Derawals. He additionally offers to help her find a job at his office.

Mrs. Derawal

Mrs. Derawal is Fatou’s employer and one of the main antagonists of the story. She and her husband own multiple mini-marts and have three children. Fatou primarily interacts with Mrs. Derawal, who can be cruel and violent toward her. Additionally, it is revealed that the Derawals have domestically enslaved Fatou by taking her passport and withholding wages from her.

Mrs. Derawal is particularly upset by Fatou’s involvement in saving her youngest daughter life, primarily because it forces her to view Fatou as a human instead of a possession. Following the incident, Mrs. Derawal struggles to interact with Fatou and ultimately fires her, citing Fatou’s supposed newfound interest in the children.

Interestingly, Mrs. Derawal is never given a first name. By referring to her with her proper and formal address, the strict power dynamic between Fatou and Mrs. Derawal is emphasized.

Unnamed Narrator

Throughout the short story, an unnamed narrator opines on the Willesden neighborhood and the Embassy of Cambodia. Very little is known about the identity of the unnamed narrator, except for this description:

In Willesden, we are almost all New People, though some of us, like Fatou, were, until quite recently, Old People, working the land in our various countries of origin. Of the Old and New People of Willesden I speak; I have been chosen to speak for them, though they did not choose me and must wonder what gives me the right (39-40).

The narrator relates to both Old and New People, which perhaps speaks to recent immigration within several generations. Additionally, the narrator is perhaps elderly or retired because the hypothetical neighborhood people accuse them of speaking for them because the narrator “can’t think of anything better to do” (40).

The unnamed narrator’s main purpose is to highlight the fact that Fatou’s thoughts and interests are not unique to her; they are held by much of the neighborhood, highlighting the theme of The Consequences of Dehumanization and Stereotypes, particularly when it relates to the Embassy of Cambodia.