Not Without My Daughter

This section of the novel illuminates the larger cultural and political context in which Betty’s personal narrative unfolds. In Chapter 11, for example, the vibrant Iranian tradition of Nowruz, with its symbolic customs and lighthearted gatherings, contrasts sharply with the looming threat of war, which manifests in the form of air raids. Nowruz is a celebration that focuses on new life and hope, and the narrative accordingly describes the good-natured commotion that the festivities inspire. However, the air raid interrupts these celebrations, symbolizing the constant backdrop of danger that all the Iranian people must endure during this time frame. Although the novel provides some cursory information about the Iranian customs that surround Nowruz, the narrator remains focused on her personal discomfort within this environment, thereby revealing her innate biases regarding Iranian culture.

One recurring trope in the novel is that of contamination, for the narrative highlights the Iranians’ perceived lack of personal hygiene and uses these details to craft an implied accusation of moral corruption and inferiority, resulting in a text that projects a negative portrayal of Iranian society as a whole. The author constructs a sense of the Iranian people as being culturally other, and in this way, Not Without My Daughter aligns itself with colonial-minded discourses that scrutinize the customs of other cultures and deem them to be morally and physically substandard to the narrator’s own. Within the implied disapproval that imbues Mahmoody’s narrative, the figure of Ameh Bozorg, Moody’s sister, becomes the main embodiment of the perceived deficiencies in Iranian home life. Describing her as filthy, the narrator uses Ameh Bozorg as a representative figure to generalize her own negative perceptions of Iranian culture and society. The narrator’s encounter with Moody’s sister during the Nowruz celebrations encapsulates her perspective:

The moment we entered the house Moody’s hawk-nosed sister came running. She shrieked with delight and fell upon him, showering him with kisses. Then she turned her attention to Mahtob, embracing her lovingly. Just before she aimed a brief kiss at my cheek, I instinctively drew my roosarie a bit higher to ward off the touch of her lips (208).

This passage, like many others, demonstrates the author’s tendency to employ animal metaphors in the characterization of the Iranian people around her, a stylistic choice that suggests her perception of the Iranian people as primitive, dehumanized beings; these descriptions form a deliberate contrast to the author’s descriptions of herself as originating from a sophisticated and civilized background. Thus, in this particular scene, the Iranian woman’s expansive behavior contrasts with Betty’s gesture of constraint and creates a prime example of The Cultural Clash Between American and Iranian Lifestyles. In this way, Ameh Bozorg becomes the embodiment of primitivism in the novel, and Mahmoody’s descriptions of the woman’s less-than-sanitary kitchen, her disdain for basic hygiene, and her physical demeanor collectively contribute to a highly prejudiced depiction of Moody’s sister. The spaces that the Iranian characters inhabit are designed to be extensions of their owners’ internal characteristics. Often featuring an absence of furniture, these domestic spaces are seen as being uncomfortable and improper in Betty’s eyes, contributing to her overall unease and intensifying her desire to escape using any means possible.

Just as Chapter 11 details the physical and cultural discomforts that Betty experiences, Chapters 12 through 14 likewise depict the downward spiral of her familial situation, deepening the novel’s examination of The Cultural Clash Between American and Iranian Lifestyles and recounting the various factors that lead to the prolonged episode of domestic abuse that Betty and her daughter endure. The physical abuse that Moody inflicts on Betty and Mahtob marks a distinct turning point in the story, for now the issue at hand goes far beyond the social conflicts that can occur between members of two distinct cultures. With the continuing threat of violence from her ever-more-volatile husband, Betty finds herself in a complex situation as she briefly considers involving the Iranian police but fears that she will lose access to Mahtob if she does so. Under Islamic law, the husband has all legal rights over his children, so Betty chooses not to talk to the police after all. As a victim of domestic abuse, Betty finds her situation further complicated by the maze of Iranian laws, which she does not understand and which do not seem helpful. Moody’s escalating violence becomes a manifestation of his personal cruelty, and in Betty’s eyes, his behavior comes to represent a reflection of Iranian society’s supposed brutality. While the devastating effects of domestic violence must not be dismissed or diminished, Betty’s cultural prejudices nonetheless have a profound influence upon her characterization of Iranian society as a whole, for she portrays Moody’s actions as being representative of an entire culture.

Thus, as the desperate tone of the narrative intensifies, Betty’s fear of Moody is amplified by her biased perceptions of Iranian culture. Furthermore, Ellen’s betrayal of Betty in Chapter 12, which is rooted in cultural norms that prioritize an Iranian husband’s authority, further convinces Betty of the idea that cruelty is inherent to Iranian societal values. This perception is further strengthened by the fact that Ellen’s husband is just as abusive as Betty’s, but Betty’s sense of superiority comes from her decision not to accept the situation as Ellen does. The theme of domestic abuse therefore serves as a conduit through which Betty’s cultural biases are reinforced, and she consistently portrays all Iranians as being collectively dangerous and oppressive. The intersection of cultural biases and domestic violence intensifies the emotional turmoil of the novel, creating a narrative in which Betty’s struggle transcends the personal and is portrayed as representing a larger clash of civilizations. This thematic pattern can be seen in the ways in which the narrative leverages domestic abuse in order to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and deepen the cultural divide between the Iranian and American cultures.