Chapter 26 Summary: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Beethoven Shams

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

In this dream sequence, Cyrus first sees an empty elevated parking lot surrounded by blooming trees—a setting that appears before any people, unusual for his dreams. Two men then walk into clarity: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, wearing his iconic #33 jersey and goggles, and Cyrus's imaginary younger brother, Beethoven, named after the dog from the 1992 film. The two circle the lot's perimeter, talking.

Kareem asks Beethoven what he loves. Beethoven lists basketball, Borges, pecans, magic tricks, and Twin Peaks. They exchange jokes, with Beethoven telling a poor one (“What's red and invisible? No tomatoes.”). Kareem then shares his own loves: basketball, movies, and jazz. He recounts how his home burned down, destroying his father's irreplaceable jazz records, and how fans sent him records from their own collections.

Beethoven questions whether the physical records or the stories behind them mattered, and whether the fans' kindness was self-serving, citing Ta-Nehisi Coates's idea of “the politics of personal exoneration.” Kareem insists the records themselves were irreplaceable, especially in an era before streaming. As they talk, Beethoven begins to fade, growing paler and older, and Kareem notes that Beethoven has never actually been alive. It starts snowing, and both begin reciting a line from Pablo Medina (“The rich man cannot buy snow”) but stop when they hear the other saying it. Beethoven tells another joke about a scarecrow getting a promotion for “out standing in his field,” and Kareem laughs.

Key Events

Cyrus dreams of an empty parking lot before any people appear.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Beethoven, Cyrus's imaginary brother, walk and talk.
They discuss what they love: basketball, Borges, pecans, magic tricks, Twin Peaks, movies, jazz.
Kareem tells the story of the fire that destroyed his father's jazz records and the fans who sent him replacements.
Beethoven challenges the value of the physical records versus the stories, and questions the fans' motives.
Kareem defends the irreplaceability of the records and their role in giving life purpose.
Beethoven begins to fade, growing pale and older, and Kareem reminds him he's never been alive.
It snows; they both start reciting a Pablo Medina line but stop.
Beethoven tells a final joke about a scarecrow, and Kareem laughs.

Character Development

This chapter is a dream, so the “characters” are projections of Cyrus's psyche. Beethoven, the imaginary younger brother Cyrus invented as a child, represents a part of Cyrus's own identity—a playful, questioning, and ultimately transient self. His fading and aging during the conversation mirrors the impermanence of childhood fantasies and the way Cyrus's own sense of self may be eroding. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a real historical figure, appears as a wise, grounded presence who values art as a life-sustaining force. His insistence on the physical records' irreplaceability contrasts with Beethoven's more abstract, intellectual skepticism. The interaction reveals Cyrus's internal conflict between romanticizing art as material treasure and understanding it as a source of connection and meaning. Beethoven's line “I can't imagine that. To stay alive” hints at Cyrus's own struggles with mortality and purpose.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Loss of irreplaceable art: Kareem's fire and the destruction of his father's records symbolize the fragility of cultural heritage and the pain of losing something that cannot be recreated.
Art as life-sustaining purpose: Kareem describes the records as giving him “purpose and fluency” and making him feel like a member of the human tribe—art as a reason to stay alive.
Kindness from strangers: The fans' gifts, despite their possible self-serving motives, contribute to Kareem's sense of “amongness” and belonging.
Myth vs. reality: Kareem is a myth to the fans, yet their kindness is real; Beethoven questions whether the myth undermines the authenticity of the gesture.
Transience and aging: Beethoven's fading and aging symbolize the impermanence of imaginary companions and, more broadly, of all human constructs.
Dreams as narrative space: The dream allows Cyrus to explore deep questions without the constraints of waking logic.
Humor as connection: The jokes, even the bad ones, create a bond between the two characters, suggesting that laughter can bridge gaps.
Snow as equalizer: The snow falls on both, and the unspoken line “the poor man has to wear it on his eyebrows” hints at a shared human condition.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the novel's exploration of art, loss, and identity. Through the dream, Cyrus confronts the question of what makes art valuable—the physical object or the meaning attached to it. Kareem's story of the fire and the fans' gifts illustrates how art can create community and sustain life, even when the original is gone. Beethoven's fading underscores the ephemeral nature of imagination and memory. The chapter also foreshadows Cyrus's own artistic ambitions and his search for purpose, as he seems to identify with both Kareem's reverence for art and Beethoven's skepticism. The dream's surreal quality allows Akbar to blend humor and poignancy, making this a pivotal moment in Cyrus's internal journey.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Kareem insist that the physical records were irreplaceable, even though Beethoven argues that the stories behind them matter more?

Kareem explains that in the pre-streaming era, the only way to hear specific music was to own the physical record. Some recordings, like his father's demos, were unique and could never be replicated. For Kareem, the records were not just carriers of stories but the very means of accessing the art that gave his life purpose. The loss was not just sentimental but practical—he lost access to the art itself.

2. What does Beethoven's fading and aging symbolize in the context of the dream?

Beethoven is an imaginary brother Cyrus created as a child. His fading and aging represent the impermanence of childhood fantasies and the way Cyrus's own sense of self may be changing. Kareem's comment “Sometimes I forget you've never actually been alive” highlights the tension between imagination and reality. The fading also suggests that Cyrus is letting go of a part of himself, perhaps his youthful idealism or his reliance on imaginary companions.

3. How does the chapter use humor to address serious themes?

The jokes—Beethoven's terrible “no tomatoes” joke and the scarecrow joke—serve as a counterpoint to the heavy discussion of loss and mortality. They create a moment of connection between the two characters, showing that laughter can be a way to cope with existential dread. The final joke, which Kareem laughs at, ends the scene on a note of warmth, suggesting that even in the face of transience, human connection through humor offers solace.