Rooftops of Tehran

“My father once said that nothing leaves you feeling as unprotected as facing the government’s secret police. There’s no authority to appeal to, and no one can save you from the abyss of pain and misery you’re about to be thrown into.”

This quote highlights the people of Iran’s helplessness and fear under the Shah’s regime—they are under constant surveillance and face the looming threat of arrest for any actions that the regime might consider suspicious. Due to the lack of democracy and political transparency, as well as the Shah’s autocratic rule, there is rampant corruption and cruelty; there is no one people can turn to for justice.

“I don’t even want to admit to myself that it was my carelessness that gave Doctor away. I wish I could clench my fist, shake it in God’s face, and howl defiantly. But that would reveal my disgraceful secret. So instead I take my head in my hands and bite my lower lip so hard that a stream of blood flows down my chin.”

This key scene highlights the moment when Pasha internalizes his guilt over Doctor’s death. He believes that he gave Doctor’s location away to the SAVAK agents since he was looking at Doctor from the roof. Ashamed of his actions, Pasha stays quiet and blames himself, and therefore, he is continuously haunted by Doctor’s death and arrest throughout the novel.

“‘When our child is butchered in front of our eyes, we bawl as if our soul wants to escape our body. When we’re violently wronged, we shriek. That’s the gift of history to us, son.’ He shook his head and rubbed his temples. ‘Our only recourse in the face of unpardonable evil has been to wail inconsolably. I think, even now, we unconsciously identify death with oppression.’”

This quote highlights the importance of history and the impact of generational trauma on a nation. It also explains the Iranian cultural practice of grieving loudly. Pasha’s father explains that this way of grieving gives power to their voices. To defy oppression and protest against tyranny, the Iranian people cry out in grief. This makes mourning a form of defiance and rebellion; this is why, in later chapters, the SAVAK forbid Doctor’s family from mourning him.

“I study him for a while. I want to ask him why he thought his lesson was about anarchism, but I think I know, so I keep quiet.”

This quote highlights the role and importance of laughter as a source of anarchism and defiance in the face of oppression. Ahmed understands that the young men of the neighborhood are depressed and angry about Doctor’s arrest, so he arranges a funny lesson where he pretends to be a professor—a figure of authority—and gives them a lesson on how to masturbate. Through this lesson, Ahmed undermines the concept of authority and makes people laugh, which becomes a source of empowerment against oppression.

“In fact, Iranian movies go out of their way to establish an emotional link between the hero and the rich villain—a lost son, a displaced relative, or the victim of bizarre circumstances. These movies discourage the masses from confronting the rich, and encourage the poor to stick to their high principles, according to Doctor.”

Media has often been used as a source of propaganda throughout history. Here, Doctor highlights how Iranian movies discourage the working class and the poor from having feelings of resentment and dissatisfaction. These movies highlight the commonalities between the rich and the poor, and they encourage the poor to “stick to their high principles,” thereby portraying dissent and anger as being uncouth and distasteful. While the rich are actively involved in the oppression of the poor, movies don’t portray this parasitic nature of the relationship. Rather, they encourage the status quo, where the rich stay rich but the poor suffer with dignity.

“Dad looks up and stares at me for a little while. I think he suddenly realizes that we’re suffering the same pain.”

Pasha has lost his friend and mentor, Doctor, to political oppression; Pasha’s father, too, lost his friend, Mr. Mehrbaan, to political prison—Mr. Mehrbaan was arrested by SAVAK agents and has spent nearly two decades in prison. This parallelism highlights the generational trauma in the novel and it also shows that the political oppression in Iran has continued unchecked for many years.

“I fell in love with ideas, dreams, visions. I fell in love with thinkers I wasn’t supposed to admire or even know.”

This quote highlights Doctor’s internal conflict. On the one hand, he loves Zari and wants to marry her and spend his life with her. However, he is also in love with the idea of political activism, and his idealism outshines his love for Zari. This is why he doesn’t mind putting himself or his loved ones at risk as he pursues his vision for a better Iran.

“Ahmed points to the skies. ‘Do you realize the immensity of creation? Do you see the prescribed order of the universe? God has imposed his rules and laws on everything. What makes you think he exempted you from that?’ He puts his arm around me. ‘Right now, Doctor is looking down at us from the heavens, thanking God for putting you on earth so that you can take care of Zari.’”

Ahmed is a very supportive friend who truly cares about Pasha’s well-being. Pasha feels guilty about being in love with Zari, especially after Doctor’s death, but Ahmed assures Pasha that he is following the rules of the universe—in this way, Ahmed takes the weight of blame and guilt away from Pasha. This quote also highlights Ahmed’s belief in the soothing nature of spirituality.

“You showing up today was a sure sign that despite what happens on a day-to-day basis, the human spirit is indestructible.”

Pasha recognizes Iraj’s bravery in this scene, as well as the indomitable quality of the human spirit. It also highlights The Importance of Friendship and Community: Despite their pain at Doctor’s death, Pasha, Ahmed, and Iraj are united through their friendship to defy the SAVAK’s orders that Doctor must not be mourned.

“The system, the other teachers, the administration, the goddamn SAVAK; who the hell do you think?”

This quote highlights the sense of paranoia that exists in an autocratic society. Mr. Rostami is aware of the depth of corruption and surveillance in their society, and he is wary of it. His use of a list emphasizes the many authoritarian figures who pose a danger to civilians, emphasizing his feeling of being trapped.

“They killed Doctor. It wasn’t the SAVAK. It was this screwed-up system, this goddamn country and its fucking people who can’t get their act together to overthrow a tyrant.”

This quote highlights Pasha’s frustration at the world. He feels helpless and guilty about Doctor’s death, and, because he finds the system around him culpable, he has a hard time distinguishing between the system and the people. He is also frustrated because he thinks people have become complacent.

“‘Because they need a hero,’ Ahmed says without losing a beat. ‘And you, my friend, fit the bill.’”

Ahmed spreads stories about Pasha’s heroism around school because he thinks people need heroes in times of trouble. Pasha, by defying autocratic authority and by refusing to be bullied, becomes an inspiration to the other students.

“Centuries of misery under the dominance of the Moguls, Arabs, and internal despotic rulers have conditioned us to stick together and help each other through unpleasant situations.”

This quote highlights the importance of history in Iranian culture and how the Iranian people conceptualize what it means to be a community. Since Iranians have been discriminated against throughout history, they have learned to rely on each other.

“How could you leave me in this miserable life without you? Why didn’t you tell me? I broke my shin in three places when I was four and didn’t cry; now I cry until I run out of tears.”

Pasha refers back to his childhood story to stress how he was capable of enduring physical pain when he was just a child. However, even as a 17-year-old, the emotional pain of heartbreak leaves him devastated. This emphasizes how much worse grief is when compared to physical pain.

“We hold each other tightly for a while, just like my father and Mr. Mehrbaan did the first time they met after eighteen years.”

This quote highlights the importance of friendship and community, which is a central theme in the novel. Despite the pain both Ahmed and Pasha have suffered, their friendship is a comfort to them. The quote also draws attention to Pasha and Ahmed’s friendship being a parallel to Pasha’s father’s friendship with Mr. Mehrbaan.

“I look around and see the neighbors at their windows, on their roofs and on the balconies of their home. They wave, smile, and wish me well.”

This quote highlights the important role that Pasha’s community plays in his life. When Pasha is returning home from the psychiatric hospital, he worries that he and his family will be ostracized since they are now associated with political dissenters. However, his neighbors band together to make them feel welcome, and Pasha finds this very moving.

“The strength of our friendship is the only thing that has kept me sane. You’re my brother, my comrade, and my friend for life.”

Despite all the emotional and political upheavals in Pasha’s life, his friendship with Ahmed is the one constant he knows he can always rely on. This quote uses the rule of three to emphasize how important Ahmed’s friendship is to Pasha.

“After Zari, what does it matter if I have an education? How can I go to the United States, the country that has supported the man responsible for the death of my angel?”

This quote highlights Pasha’s struggle with the idea of Western imperialism. He believes that the people of Iran suffer because of the Shah’s rule, which is supported by the West. However, to find a better life, his family encourages him to pursue an education in the West, and Pasha finds it difficult to make peace with this idea.

“This zealot fraud is making the autocrats of yesterday look like angels of mercy. Isn’t that bizarre?”

The figurative language in this quote highlights the depth of Ahmed’s hatred for Mr. Gorji and other power-drunk rulers like him. Ahmed uses hyperbole to compare previous autocrats to “angels of mercy,” emphasizing that the situation in the nation is steadily worsening.

“I take solace in knowing that you and Zari aren’t dead. Because people with That never die, they don’t cease to exist; they continue to live on in our hearts and minds, where existence matters.”

This is an uplifting and hopeful quote that emphasizes the impact that Zari and Doctor had on Pasha’s life. Their actions, words, and the feelings they inspired live on beyond their material bodies. Pasha attributes the quality of That to Zari and Doctor, which he thinks of as a special quality that signifies bravery, morality, and empathy.

“When you’re cheated out of life, you cheat back to get even. That’s how things work in countries like ours. They stopped you attending school, so we fake a diploma to make up for the lost time.”

This quote highlights how, under oppression, rules and regulations become meaningless. The people of Iran have their lives and futures stolen by the Shah and the West; however, they find ways to make up for these losses. They end up duping the system that oppresses them.

“‘Damn those bastards that have destroyed the lives and hopes of so many young people!’ Mrs. Naderi cries out.”

Mrs. Naderi’s exclamation highlights how the Shah’s oppressive regime destroys the lives of the youth. Young people are more likely to be revolutionaries, so they suffer under the Shah. Also, young people have their entire lives ahead of them, but the Shah’s regime deprives them of freedom and opportunities.

“‘Living is like being lost in the desert where the stars are the only guide you can count on,’ I continue, my lips dry, but a river flowing from my eyes. ‘You and dad, Zari, Faheemeh, and Ahmed are the stars that guide me. You all have That.’”

Pasha’s friends and family are very important to him. He uses a simile to express how his life is like a barren desert and that his loved ones are like stars that guide him. This conveys his dependence on them and his respect for their advice and guidance.