Summary

Matar begins this chapter by further examining his passion for art, enlightening the reader of a pastime that has become “an integral part of [his] life” (147). He has always noticed his attraction to paintings and images, but shortly after the disappearance of his father he noted a change in the way this attraction manifested itself. Instead of spending a few hours at an art gallery perusing the paintings one-by-one, Matar sought to analyze one work at a time. Before explaining this ritual, he gives an in-depth description and analysis of Titan’s “The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence” to prove to depths of his appreciation for art (146). He began examining this painting immediately after his 2012 trip to Libya; he credits his refection on this painting for instilling in him “images and sounds, coming at [him] in sharp broken fragments, of Father’s final moments” (147).

Reflecting...