Drayer Baba

Drayer Baba is a deceased Indian spiritual teacher whose presence in the narrative is mediated by images, teachings, and Sara’s devotion. His claim to be God and his prohibition on sexual intercourse before marriage make him an unseen influence on Sara and Chinaski’s intimacy, even after his death.

Identity and Presence

Drayer Baba appears through a poster in the back window of Sara’s van, which advises, “Smile and rejoice.” Photographs of him are displayed throughout Sara’s house. Chinaski learns that Baba was from India, died in 1971, and claimed to be God. These details establish him not as a present character but as a persistent religious authority represented in Sara’s everyday surroundings.

Influence on Sara

Baba’s teaching governs the limits Sara sets in bed with Chinaski. She engages in intimacy while withholding intercourse, and Chinaski understands her conduct as obedience to her God. He restrains himself from touching her in ways he believes would offend Baba, but eventually withdraws when the encounter does not proceed as he expects. The scene presents the doctrine through its practical effect: Baba’s authority shapes the couple’s physical relationship despite his absence.

Later Invocation and Significance

In a later encounter with Sara, Chinaski calls on Baba for forgiveness after an intimate moment. He immediately recognizes that no answer can be expected: Baba is dead, never spoke to him, and never accepted money. The appeal therefore exposes the continuing symbolic force of Sara’s faith while underscoring its distance from Chinaski’s own assumptions. Baba remains an imagined witness whose authority enters the relationship, but offers Chinaski neither response nor transaction.