Brief sketch of the character of Mr. Pirzada.

In 'When
Mr. Pirzada Came To Dine,' Lilia's parents befriend Mr. Pirzada, a Bengali academic, who has
been awarded a grant by the Pakistani government to study New England foliage. Invariably, Mr.
Pirzada comes to dinner every night; Lilia notices that the adults always seem to be preoccupied
with the news whenever Mr. Pirzada comes to dinner.

The year is 1971, and
href="http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1844754_1772110,00.html">civil
war has broken out between Pakistan and the soon to be Bangladesh. Mr. Pirzada's wife
and seven daughters are home in Dacca. He is a deeply caring family man who writes to his wife
every week and sends comic books to his daughters. When the post proves unreliable because of
the war, Mr. Pirzada has to rely on American media to piece together the events of the
conflict.

Although Mr. Pirzada presents a stoic demeanor while watching the
events of the civil war unfold on television, Lilia notes that he often does strange things.
These seemingly strange idiosyncrasies betray a man who is desperately trying to maintain his
objectivity and his sanity amidst deep uncertainty regarding the fate of his beloved wife and
daughters.

For example, Lilia notes Mr. Pirzada's 'composed and alert'
expression while digesting news images about the Pakistan/Bangladesh conflict; yet, his pocket
watch is set to Dacca time, and he never fails to wind up the watch and to set it in front of
him when he eats dinner with Lilia's family. When an Indian official announces on the news that
India may go to war with Pakistan unless the world finds a way to accommodate Bangladeshi
refugees (from the Bangladesh/Pakistan conflict), Mr. Pirzada's knife slips while carving the
Halloween pumpkin for Lilia. It is obvious that Mr. Pirzada is a man of great depths of emotion
despite seeming otherwise.

Mr. Pirzada's lavish courtesy and affection to
Lilia (he brings her elaborate candies whenever he comes to dinner) highlights his love for
children. Additionally, Mr. Pirzada's heartache and personal anguish regarding his own
daughters' fates may well have motivated his watchful solicitude toward Lilia. When Lilia and
her friend, Dora, go out trick-or-treating, Mr. Pirzada is worried about the girls' safety.
Lilia's mother tries to reassure Mr. Pirzada, but it is obvious that his worries about his own
daughters have colored his perceptions.

Upon his return to Dacca, Mr.
Pirzada's considerate nature is exemplified by his courteous letter informing Lilia's parents of
his family's safety. A man capable of flamboyant courtesy, Mr. Pirzada finds himself finally
understanding the meaning of a simple 'thank you,' although he contends that the two words will
never be enough to express his deep gratitude to Lilia's parents.