Rooftops Of Tehran Analysis

Before any revolution, there is a period of questioning. People begin to evaluate the legitimacy of the authority that the government has forced upon them before eventually deciding to revolt. During this time of questioning, people become increasingly thoughtful and observant of the world around them. They begin to question the institutions that govern them. Revolutions do not affect everyone, however, especially in Mahbod Seraji’s novel Rooftops of Tehran. In this novel divisiveness directly affects some characters, like Doctor. His rebellion gets him into trouble with the secret police force called the SAVAK. In contrast, Doctor’s fiancee, Zari,whose parents raised her in a traditional Iranian middle class household, remains unchanged by
When she begins to stray from traditional beliefs, however, she quickly returns to the ideas that her parents have engrained in her. As Zari and Pasha get to know each other in the novel, they begin to have secret meetings on the roof, where Pasha reads to Zari. One night, after reading from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Zari asks Pasha “Do you believe in God?” “I don’t know,” [Pasha replies]. “It doesn’t seem as if Khayyam believed in God.” “I don’t think he did.” “Do you believe in destiny?” [Zari] asks. “I do.” “Then you believe in god. You’re just angry at him right now.”(Page 190) In this conversation, Zari is clearly curious about what Pasha thinks about God, because she is bold enough to ask him directly, initially without any explanation. This sudden questioning of Pasha’s religious beliefs suggests that she asked him about God impulsively, as if she knew it was a question she was not supposed to ask. Additionally, she would not ask a question if she was sure of the answer, but when Pasha gives her an answer she does not want to hear, she is quick to dismiss his agnosticism, “you believe in god. You’re just angry at him right now.” Her dismissal is her return to traditional beliefs, in Iranian culture God’s existence is undeniable. This quick retreat to tradition reappears later in the book, but after a much more horrific