Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji - Essay Example

The story is related in a very cinematic manner with true depictions of various features of the then Tehran, the capital of Iran, with children playing on the streets and the teenagers letting out their frustrations on the rooftop while spending time together. Two such teenagers were Pasha and Ahmed, best friends and rooftop companions during these turbulent times in Iranian history. The book relates the various topics discussed by the two best friends who joke about one minute and are engrossed in deep thinking and questioning the other about their lives. This is a typical teenage behavior when an individual tends to ask a lot of questions about his existence, develops infatuations, gains strength in likes and dislikes, etc. The love interest in Pasha’s life is his beautiful neighbor, Zari, who had been betrothed to a university student, nicknamed ‘doctor’, in her childhood. The doctor is a philosophical character who never ceases to impress Pasha with his thoughts and ideals, leading to Pasha considering him as his mentor. What starts as an innocent crush on the ‘doctor’s girl’ in the beginning, develops drastically throughout the doctor’s absence. When the doctor tells Pasha that he will be away for some time on important political business and that he should take care of Zari while he is gone, Pasha views interaction with his love interest to be an innocent, harmless one.

Pasha’s best friend, Ahmed, too has a love interest, Fateemah, whom he plans to marry in the future. The depiction of first love, the emotional turmoil, and the roller coaster of never-ending feelings are beautifully captured by the author when he relates the discussion between the two boys. During the period of the doctor's absence, Ahmed and Fateemah frequently plan meetings at Zari’s place. This gave the desired push to Pasha’s feelings which gave way to Zari’s beauty and soon the innocence of love turned into a full-fledged affair. Barred by cultural norms, religion, and the political unrest of those times, the teenagers stand adamant about protecting their love lives with the passion of young emotions. Some of the innocent dialogues in the book perfectly sum up the emotions and entirety of the feelings between the couples. For example:

'I'd rather be in hell with you than without you in heaven....'"
(Seraji, 2009)
With the doctor’s return, it is revealed that he is involved in radical political activities that threaten his existence. With the revolution at hand and the ruler, Shah’s last measures to not let go of his political career and rule ship, the SAVAK is formed which is Shah’s secret police that was feared by the people and responsible for violent outcomes of people who attempted to overthrow or defy the government. The neighborhood sees several posters with red roses depicting terrorists whose sentencing was being televised nationally. Pasha knew that the doctor was behind this political activism and dreadingly anticipated the dire consequences that the doctor would have to face as a result (Gwiazdowski, 2009). Pasha takes a bold and drastic step of siding with the government in getting the doctor behind bars. The innocence of the story suggests that the intentions were simple, to safeguard his own life, speak the truth, and also gain a clearer path to attaining a blissful future with his love, Zari. However, the guilt haunted him and Ahmed stood by him in consoling him that he did the right thing and did not intend a brutal punishment for the doctor. The events take a drastic turn at this point when the doctor succumbing to the torture that he is put through, dies leaving Zari distraught.

Even though Zari loves Pasha, she feels like it is her moral duty as a fiancé to mourn his death for she did ‘like’ him. Pasha’s guilt deepens as he sees Zari go through an emotional turmoil over her husband-to-be’s death in the hands of the feared Shah’s police. Depiction of the Shiite way of burial and mourning relates to a 40-day period of mourning where the 40th day is an important one to pray for the deceased soul and ask God for blessings. Zari, overcome by the loss, sets herself on fire on this day, in front of Pasha and Ahmed. Not being able to sustain the serious injuries, she ultimately dies leaving Pasha so emotionally distraught that he has to be admitted to a mental hospital. The first half of the book shifts back and forth from the past incidents to the present one in the mental institution leaving the readers anxious about the events that led to the present condition of Pasha.

The book is gripping in every aspect as it tends to keep alive the seriousness of the situation along with the subtle innocence of young love and circumstantial justice that results. It blends the depiction of the Persian culture with its arranged marriages, veiled women, and strong family bonds and links it to international phenomena like young love, friendship between young boys, etc. making it a wholesome read for an adventurous reader. The engaging manner of telling a story of the joy of love and the pain of loss in contrast to the adverse happenings in the surroundings is a true portrayal of the alienation one feels at the adolescent stage of life. Read More