Martyr!
Chapter Six
by Kaveh AkbarThe chapter introduces ten-year-old Roya Shirazi, who struggles with persistent bedwetting despite her efforts to avoid liquids and empty her bladder before sleep. Her humiliation is compounded by her older brother Arash’s mockery and her parents’ silent disapproval, with her mother’s pitying glances and her father’s avoidance deepening her shame. Roya’s anxiety manifests in her belief that her classmates can detect her odor, making her hyperaware of their reactions. A classroom incident where she impulsively names “bini” (nose) as her favorite word—drawing laughter—further isolates her, reinforcing her self-consciousness about her appearance and perceived flaws.
Roya’s inner turmoil contrasts with her family’s mundane conversations, highlighting her sense of alienation. While her parents discuss domestic matters and her brother bonds with their father over football, Roya fantasizes about a future devoid of traditional roles, yearning for freedom and passion. Her mother’s well-intentioned domestic advice feels stifling, as Roya instinctively rejects the predictable path laid out for her. This tension between her current reality and her undefined aspirations underscores her growing emotional isolation within the household.
The family’s economic struggles loom in the background, revealed through her parents’ whispered discussions about Kamran’s potential job relocation to Qom. Their financial precarity—mirroring broader societal decline—adds tension, with references to desperate measures others have taken to survive. This context frames Roya’s personal struggles as part of a larger instability, though she remains unaware of these adult worries, absorbed in her private battles with shame and identity.
The chapter closes with an unsettling scene: Roya awakens to find Arash standing over her in the dark, preceded by a mysterious hissing sound. This ominous moment—interrupting her dream of surreal, blossoming flowers—hints at impending disruption. The siblings’ fraught relationship, Roya’s vulnerability, and the family’s precarious circumstances converge in this ambiguous climax, leaving the reader unsettled about what follows. The narrative masterfully intertwines personal anguish with societal pressures, painting a portrait of childhood fragility against a backdrop of looming crisis.
FAQs
1. How does Roya’s bedwetting problem affect her self-perception and social interactions?
Answer:
Roya’s bedwetting creates profound shame and social anxiety, shaping her self-image and interactions. Despite meticulous efforts to avoid liquids and empty her bladder, she wakes up soaked, convinced the smell clings to her “compositionally” (page 65). This perceived stink makes her hyperaware in school, interpreting classmates’ glances and laughter as reactions to her condition. Her teacher’s discussion of the word “bini” (nose) compounds her humiliation when peers laugh, reinforcing her sense of being marked by inadequacy (page 65). The shame becomes a “stone on her chest,” illustrating how childhood struggles can distort self-perception and amplify social isolation.2. Analyze the contrasting parental responses to Roya’s bedwetting and what they reveal about family dynamics.
Answer:
Roya’s parents exhibit detached resignation, reflecting broader familial stress. Her father, Kamran, ignores the issue entirely, leaving for work without acknowledgment (page 64). Her mother, Parvin, performs practical care—laundering sheets—but her “frustration and pity” (page 64) lack emotional support. Their silence mirrors their preoccupation with economic hardships, revealed later when they whisper about Kamran’s potential job loss and relocation (page 66-67). This juxtaposition highlights how financial instability overshadows parenting, leaving Roya’s emotional needs unaddressed. The family’s dysfunction underscores how systemic pressures (economic decline) erode interpersonal bonds.3. How does the chapter use sensory details to convey Roya’s emotional state? Provide examples.
Answer:
Sensory imagery vividly mirrors Roya’s distress. Olfactory details dominate: the “dank must” she believes emanates from her (page 65), Arash’s taunt that she smells like a “dead cow” (page 64), and the “reeking” sheets (page 64) all externalize her shame. Tactile descriptions—her “brittle” throat from dehydration (page 66) and the “stone” of embarrassment (page 65)—physicalize her suffering. Auditory cues, like the “hiss” she hears upon waking (page 67), foreshadow impending disruption. These details immerse readers in Roya’s visceral experience, transforming psychological turmoil into tangible sensations.4. What does Roya’s vision of her future suggest about her aspirations and constraints?
Answer:
Roya’s imagined future rejects domesticity, symbolizing rebellion against her mother’s gendered expectations. While Parvin shares cooking tips, envisioning Roya in a similar role, Roya dreams of “open space” and “passion” devoid of kitchens (page 66). The “candle flame smocking its wick” metaphor suggests both desire and obscurity—she yearns for freedom but cannot yet articulate its form. This contrast reveals generational tension: Parvin’s practicality versus Roya’s inchoate ambitions. Yet her bedwetting and social anxiety hint at internalized constraints, showing how shame may hinder her from transcending her circumstances.5. How does the chapter foreshadow broader societal tensions through the family’s struggles?
Answer:
The Shirazis’ personal crises mirror Iran’s 1970s economic and social instability. Kamran’s potential job loss and the mention of others turning to “unspeakable crimes” (page 67) reflect widespread desperation. Parvin’s shunned cousin, who pays rent through morally condemned means, hints at societal fractures and moral compromises under economic strain. These details contextualize Roya’s story within a nation nearing upheaval, suggesting how macro-level crises infiltrate private lives. The foxes hunting in Tehran’s chill (page 67) symbolize lurking precarity, reinforcing that the family’s struggles are part of a larger, ominous shift.
Quotes
1. “When you are ten, shame stitches itself into you like a monogram, broadcasting to the world what holds you, what rules your soul.”
This powerful metaphor captures Roya’s profound childhood shame about her bedwetting, illustrating how early experiences of humiliation can shape self-perception. The quote represents a key psychological insight in the chapter about formative childhood struggles.
2. “Roya, only ten, already knew she wouldn’t have a future like her mother’s. She didn’t know what kind of future she wanted for herself, but when she tried to imagine it, there were no dining tables, no kitchens either.”
This passage reveals Roya’s nascent rebellion against traditional gender roles and her mother’s domestic life. It’s significant as it foreshadows her future divergence from family expectations and hints at her desire for a less constrained existence.
3. “Mostly there was open space, freedom and passion, heat obscuring everything like a candle flame smocking its wick.”
This poetic description of Roya’s imagined future contrasts sharply with her current reality, using vivid imagery to convey her yearning for liberation. The quote stands out for its lyrical quality and emotional resonance.
4. “They knew people who had already turned to unspeakable crimes—against others and against themselves—to make ends meet.”
This brief but impactful statement provides crucial social context about the economic desperation in 1970s Tehran. It reveals the broader pressures facing the family beyond Roya’s personal struggles, adding depth to the chapter’s setting.
5. “Standing over her in her bed was Arash.”
This chilling final sentence creates suspense and foreshadows a significant turning point in the siblings’ relationship. The abrupt ending leaves readers questioning what will happen next, making it a memorable closing to the chapter.