Character Analysis
In the eight days Vahan stays with Ara, he gets to know the jovial, big-hearted Armenian pretty well—Ara has a penchant for telling stories, and Vahan quickly learns about everything from eating garlic to strengthen the blood, to what it means to find a home. In fact, Ara is more like family to Vahan at the end of the week than a random stranger who took him in.
Vahan tells us that spending time with Ara is like hanging out with a cousin or grandpa because he's so warm and comforting. He shares with us, "I would be proud to sit beside him in his shop, polishing and hammering copper and listening to a lifetime of stories, but the conditions in Turkey made such a choice impossible" (25.48). Can you blame Vahan? Ara is generous to him in a tough time, and asks nothing in return—so no wonder Vahan never wants to leave.