Tehran Calling: Contrast between Sarah and Parvin The Boat by Nam Le contains a collection of short stories that explore a global perspective of life through the character’s journeys. “Tehran Calling” is a short story about an American woman named Sarah—Sarah travels to Tehran to visit her western-educated Iranian friend who has returned to Iran, her homeland, to organize political dissent against the oppressive government. Sarah decides to travel to Tehran as a kind of escape while recovering from the end of an unhealthy romantic relationship. “Tehran Calling” reveals issues with gender and sexuality in the Islamic society of Tehran, Iran through the contrast between Sarah and Parvin. Sarah’s character unfolds throughout the story through her actions. Sarah’s arrival in Tehran was during Ashura, a holy week, filled with passion and religion everywhere—a world so different than the corporate life she led in America. Sarah had always been unsure
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The United States being liberalist, encourages women to be independent and self-reliant. Muslim countries like Iran want women to depend on men for definition and liberation, however, Parvin never played into this submissive role. “Her nostrils flared in the middle of her rough, square face. ‘Men of God,’ she said” (198). Parvin is intense and fierce; she is not willing to back down for her cause because she is not intimidated, by men, society and its norms. The irony in this story is the role of these women portrayed is twisted. Ideally, Western cultures allow women to be liberated and gain independence, Sarah, on the other hand, did not fit under this description. “Roya was wrong: it wasn’t Paul who had broken her heart. Her heart had come already impaired.” (211) Sarah claimed that because her heart has come “impaired”, she was unable to come in relations with her truest self because she lacked an authentic
The United States being liberalist, encourages women to be independent and self-reliant. Muslim countries like Iran want women to depend on men for definition and liberation, however, Parvin never played into this submissive role. “Her nostrils flared in the middle of her rough, square face. ‘Men of God,’ she said” (198). Parvin is intense and fierce; she is not willing to back down for her cause because she is not intimidated, by men, society and its norms. The irony in this story is the role of these women portrayed is twisted. Ideally, Western cultures allow women to be liberated and gain independence, Sarah, on the other hand, did not fit under this description. “Roya was wrong: it wasn’t Paul who had broken her heart. Her heart had come already impaired.” (211) Sarah claimed that because her heart has come “impaired”, she was unable to come in relations with her truest self because she lacked an authentic