In the novel Rooftops of Tehran, by Mahbod Seraji, Zari is a two dimensional character, because her most significant moments in the story are plot twists. In the story, Pasha, an Iranian teenager, is deeply in love with Zari, his neighbor who is already engaged to another man, Doctor. Doctor is a political activist who gets into trouble with the SAVAK, or the secret police. When the SAVAK kills Doctor, Zari sets herself on fire. When Pasha realizes what she is doing, Zari turns to him and explains, “‘I’m lighting a candle for doctor. Today is the fortieth day of his death,’ she cries. ‘I love you.” This is one of the most important scenes in the book. It blindsides the readers completely in order to evoke the sudden horror of Zari’s actions.
