Rooftops Of Tehran Analysis

“ And we are put on this earth a little space that we might learn to bear the beams of love” (William Blake). In the novel Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji many of the characters are influenced by many different interactions, manly Pasha who the novel encompases and in depth shows how he is Affected by things such as love, religion, and culture. What is truly bold and outstanding about the novel is that the writer shows teenage love and life as it truly is and does not sugar coat it at all. He shows how young adults live their lives and even though the characters are from a different culture the reader connects with them and understands what they are going through. In the novel Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji Pasha is affected by his …show more content…
Everyone in the room applauds and cheers, and Ahmed and even Mustafa whistle. My father and Mr. Kasravi begin to laugh and drink more vodka to toast to the occasion. ‘This is ludicrous’, I think. ‘What nonsense! She is only four years old and I’m seventeen. What a sick old man.’”(Seraji 182). The quote shows the cultural aspects of Tehran and that their culture approves of arranged marriages even though the children do not want to be set up with someone that the may hardly know or could dislike. This exemplifies how Pasha is affected by arranged marriage and that he does not like it because he is being set up with a young girl that is much younger than him and that he does not understand how his father and see that she will be a good wife for Pasha because she is only four years old and Pasha is seventeen. Another example of how culture affects Pasha 's life is when his father teaches him. “‘Deep in each knot of a Persian rug is a statement of the hands that patiently drove the needle and the thread,’ I once heard my father say.” (Seraji 165). Pashas father teaches him about the culture of Tehran by having him look at a beautiful tapestry rug and think about all the time and effort put into the rugs. His father also later explains to him why they were used and what they were used for and how they impacted the lives of the townspeople. A final example of cultural impacts in Pasha 's life is, “The square was also where they punished the criminals so people could watch and learn: entertainment and education. Education because torture was used to deter potential criminals, and entertainment because people came from all over to watch these events.” (Seraji 176). This quote also shows cultural aspects in Tehran at the time because it is considered unusual to have public