Our Common Text 2004-2005
ROUGHLY EDITED COPY
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
COMMON TEXT SERIES.
PRESENTER: BABAK ELAHI, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
********
This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings.
********
>> FOLKS, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW
WE'LL BE STARTING HERE
SHORTLY, AND AT THE END OF THE
DISCUSSION, THERE WILL BE A
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR
HAND PRIOR TO ASKING YOUR
QUESTION AND SOMEONE WILL
DELIVER A MICROPHONE TO YOU.
PLEASE WAIT FOR THE MICROPHONE
BECAUSE THE INTERPRETER, AS
YOU CAN SEE TYPING HERE, SHE
NEEDS TO HEAR THIS IN ORDER TO
DO THE CAPTIONING AND THEN
SEND THAT BACK OUT FOR SOME OF
OUR DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING
STUDENTS.
SO WE'D ALL APPRECIATE THAT.
JUST PRIOR TO NEEDING TO ASK
YOUR QUESTION, AT THE END OF
ONE QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO
RAISE YOUR HAND AT THAT TIME,
AND THE PERSON WITH THE
MICROPHONE WILL GO AHEAD AND
BRING YOU THE MICROPHONE AT
THAT TIME.
DON'T SWITCH ANY OF THE
BUTTONS.
WE'LL BE CONTROLLING THAT FROM
THE BOOTH, AND WHEN THE
SPEAKER RESPONDS TO YOU, GO
AHEAD AND ASK YOUR QUESTION AT
THAT TIME.
OKAY?
WE'LL BE STARTING HERE
MOMENTARILY, SO ENJOY.
>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO
THE SECOND OF THREE EVENTS WE
ARE HOLDING IN CONJUNCTION
WITH OUR READING OF ANDRE
DUBUS III's BOOK, "HOUSE OF
SAND AND FOG," WHICH IS OUR
COMMON TEXT THIS QUARTER.
OUR SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS
BABAK ELAHI, WHO WILL BE
TALKING ABOUT REPRESENTING
IRAN.
ALTHOUGH MANY OF YOU ARE
ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE NAME
BABAK ELAHI BECAUSE OF HIS
FAME AS THE LEAD GUITARIST OF
A ROCK GROUP, YOU MIGHT NOT
REALIZE THAT HE IS ALSO ONE OF
RIT'S MOST INSPIRING TEACHERS
AND A SCHOLAR OF NOTE BESIDES.
PROFESSOR ELAHI EARNED HIS
Ph.D. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
ROCHESTER.
HIS BOOK LENGTH STUDY
"AMERICAN INVESTMENTS" DEALS
WITH TEXT WRITTEN BY AND ABOUT
IMMIGRANTS, SPECIFICALLY IN
RELATION TO CLOTHING AND
FASHION.
HE TEACHES ON A WIDE VARIETY
OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO IMMIGRANT
LITERATURE, AMERICAN FILM AND
IDEOLOGY, LITERATURE AND
GLOBALIZATION, LATINO
EXPERIENCE IN LITERATURE, TONI
MORRISON AND HENRY JAMES.
PROFESSOR ELAHI'S INTERESTS
ALSO INCLUDE IRANIAN FICTION
AND FILM.
HOWEVER, IT IS NOT HIS
SARTORIAL ACADEMIC
QUALIFICATIONS ALONE THAT
MOTIVATED THE C.T.A.C. TO
INVITE HIM HERE TONIGHT TO
SPEAK.
THE IRANIAN COMMUNITY WE READ
ABOUT IN "HOUSE OF SAND AND
FOG" IS SOMETHING PROFESSOR
ELAHI KNOWS ABOUT FIRSTHAND.
AND NOW I THINK I HAD BETTER
LET HIM EXPLAIN ALL THIS
HIMSELF.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING
BABAK ELAHI.
(Applause)
>> Babak: THANK YOU, LINDA,
ESPECIALLY FOR STROKING MY
ADOLESCENT FANTASY AS BEING A
ROCK GUITARIST.
MY FAVORITE PART OF YOUR
SPEECH ACTUALLY.
(Chuckling)
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE
INTERPRETERS, LAURIE CHEVALIER
AND MIRIAM LERNER FOR DOING
THE INTERPRETING.
AS LINDA SAID, I'M FAMILIAR
WITH THE IRANIAN COMMUNITY IN
THE U.S.
I MOVED HERE WITH MY FAMILY
WHEN I WAS 10, AND BEFORE THAT
WAS LIVING IN ENGLAND WITH MY
FAMILY AND LEFT IRAN WHEN I
WAS FOUR.
BUT I HAVE ONE DISTINCT MEMORY
OF GOING BACK TO IRAN ONCE
WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, AND
WHEN WE FIRST GOT THERE, MY
MOM AND I GOT OFF THE PLANE.
WE GOT INTO A TAXI.
A TAXI RIDE THROUGH TEHRAN IS
HORRIFIC.
TOOK, YOU KNOW, WHAT SEEMED
LIKE TO ME NOW SEVERAL HOURS
TO GET TO MY AUNT'S HOUSE.
AND WHEN WE GOT THERE, IT WAS
DARK, BUT I SAW A STREAM OF
SOMETHING FLOWING DOWN THE
MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
REALIZED EVENTUALLY THAT THIS
WAS BLOOD STREAMING DOWN THE
STREET, AND A SHEEP WAS BEING
SLAUGHTERED FOR THAT EVENING'S
MEAL ACTUALLY.
AND I JUST BEGIN WITH THAT ONE
ANECDOTE, BECAUSE TONIGHT WHAT
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS
SACRIFICE, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
IN RELATION TO DUBUS'S NOVEL.
AND THERE'S THAT ONE SCENE,
THE FLASHBACK OF COLONEL
BEHRANI WHERE HE REMEMBERS HIS
FATHER SLAUGHTERING THAT SHEEP
ON HIS WEDDING NIGHT.
AND TO ME THAT KIND OF
RESONATES WITH A LOT OF WHAT
HAPPENS IN THIS NOVEL.
I WILL BE GIVING AWAY THE
ENDING, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T
FINISHED READING IT, I
APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE, BUT IT
SEEMS UNAVOIDABLE TO DO THIS.
SO I'M GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT SACRIFICE AND ALSO ABOUT
MARTYRDOM AND LOOKING CLOSELY
AT THE TEXT ITSELF.
LAST QUARTER, IN THE PANEL
DISCUSSION THAT I WAS LUCKY TO
BE A PART OF, I SPENT A LOT OF
TIME TALKING ABOUT MYSELF AND
NOT MUCH ABOUT THE TEXT.
IN FACT THE ANTHROPOLOGIST ON
THAT PANEL TALKED MORE ABOUT
THE BOOK THAN THE LIT-CRIT
PEOPLE, WHICH ACTUALLY MAKES A
LOT OF SENSE TO ME.
OKAY.
I'LL GET STARTED.
WHAT DOES ANDRE DUBUS'S NOVEL
TELL US ABOUT IRAN?
IN ANSWERING THIS QUESTION, I
WANT TO BEGIN WITH AN ANALOGY
BETWEEN THIS NOVEL AND ANOTHER
ONE YOU MIGHT HAVE READ IN
HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M THINKING OF JOSEPH
CONRAD'S "HEART OF DARKNESS."
THE CONTROVERSY AND DEBATE
SURROUNDING THIS BOOK MIGHT BE
A USEFUL WAY OF THINKING ABOUT
ANDRE DUBUS'S NOVEL.
AM I-- IS THIS SORT OF LISPING
OR SOMETHING, THE MIC?
DOES IT SOUND STRANGE?
IT SOUNDS STRANGE TO ME.
DOES IT SOUND ALL RIGHT?
OKAY.
THE CONTROVERSY AND DEBATE
SURROUNDING THIS BOOK MIGHT BE
A USEFUL WAY OF THINKING ABOUT
ANDRE DUBUS'S NOVEL.
CONRAD'S NOVEL, AS MANY OF YOU
KNOW, DESCRIBES A JOURNEY MADE
BY A EUROPEAN DOWN THE CONGO
RIVER INTO THE HEART OF
AFRICA.
IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOVEL, A
NIGERIAN NOVELIST CHINUA
ACHEBE, ARGUED THAT CONRAD WAS
A RACIST.
SIMPLIFYING HIS ARGUMENT A BIT
HERE.
ACHEBE FELT THAT CONRAD
DEPICTED AFRICANS AS SUBHUMAN
SAVAGES.
CONRAD, AS A EUROPEAN,
PRODUCED THE LENS OR A
TEMPLATE THROUGH WHICH
EUROPEANS COULD SEE AND
IMAGINE AFRICA.
AFRICA WAS DARK, EVIL, TRAPPED
IN SOME EARLIER STAGE OF HUMAN
EVOLUTION.
ON THE OTHER HAND, CAROL
PHILLIPS, A CARIBBEAN
NOVELIST, HAS CHALLENGED
ACHEBE'S READING.
PHILLIPS ARGUED THAT CONRAD
WAS NOT A RACIST BUT THAT HE
LED HIS READERS NOT ONLY INTO
AFRICA BUT INTO THE DARKER
HEART OF COLONIALISM ITSELF
AND IMPERIALISM, AND
ULTIMATELY INTO THE DARKEST
HEART OF ALL, THE HUMAN HEART
AND ITS MOST HORRIFYING
POTENTIAL.
INDEED IN READING THIS NOVEL,
EUROPEANS DID NOT SO MUCH LOOK
THROUGH A LENS OR A TEMPLATE
AS THEY DID A MIRROR.
THIS MAY BE WHAT HAPPENS IN
DUBUS'S NOVEL.
NOT ONLY DO WE SEE THE WORST
POTENTIALS AND POSSIBILITIES
IN OURSELVES WHEN WE SEE THE
DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF THESE
CHARACTERS.
WE ALSO WITNESS HOW TWO
CULTURES COME FACE TO FACE AND
SEE EACH OTHER LIKE SOMEONE
STANDING IN FRONT OF A FUN
HOUSE MIRROR, HER OWN FEATURES
DISTORTED SO THAT THE SELF
LOOKS ALIEN AND STRANGE.
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN IN "HOUSE
OF SAND AND FOG"?
LIKE CONRAD'S NOVEL ABOUT
AFRICA, THEN, THIS NOVEL SHOWS
US SOMETHING ABOUT IRAN, BUT
MORE IMPORTANTLY IT SHOWS US
SOMETHING ABOUT AMERICA, AND
ULTIMATELY ABOUT THE HUMAN
HEART AND, TRAGICALLY, THE
HUMAN HEART'S TENDENCY TOWARD
ERROR; HOW OFTEN WE GET THINGS
WRONG.
IN CONSIDERING THESE
QUESTIONS, I WANT TO BEGIN
WITH A PICTURE.
THE PORTRAIT OF THE MARTYRDOM
OF HUSAYN AT KARBALA THAT
HANGS IN THE BEHRANIS' LIVING
ROOM.
WE ALSO SEE A SIMILAR PORTRAIT
IN A FLASHBACK WHEN BEHRANI
REMEMBERS HIS VODKA-DRINKING
SESSIONS AT THE HOME OF
GENERAL POURAT, HIS FRIEND AND
MENTOR.
LET ME SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT
THIS EVENT, THE MARTYRDOM OF
HUSAYN AT KARBALA, FORMATIVE
EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF SHIA,
ISLAM.
THE MARTYRDOM AT KARBALA TOOK
PLACE IN A.D. 680.
AFTER MUHAMMAD'S DEATH,
LEADERSHIP OF THE ISLAMIC
COMMUNITY BECAME CONTESTED.
THE MAJORITY OF BELIEVERS
FOLLOWED THE UMAYYADS, A LINE
OF CALIPHS WHOM THIS MAJORITY
ARGUED HAD BEEN HANDPICKED BY
THE PROPHET TO SUCCEED HIM AS
THE SPIRITUAL AND POLITICAL
GUIDE OF THIS RADICALLY NEW
RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT.
A MINORITY OF THE FAITHFUL, ON
THE OTHER HAND, CALLED
THEMSELVES THE PARTISANS OF
ALI.
THIS WAS MUHAMMAD'S
SON-IN-LAW, OR THE SHIA OF
ALI, OR SIMPLY "THE SHIA."
THIS GROUP PLEDGED THEIR
LOYALTY TO THE DIRECT
DESCENDANTS OF MUHAMMAD AND
CLAIMED THAT HE HAD CHOSEN
ALI, NOT ABU BAKR OR UMAR, AS
HIS SUCCESSOR.
NOW THIS STRUGGLE FOR POWER
CAME TO A HEAD IN A MASSACRE
IN THE DESERT OF KARBALA, AN
EVENT THAT IS COMMEMORATED
TODAY WITH PASSION PLAYS.
ACCORDING TO THESE PASSION
PLAYS, KNOWN AS "TA'ZIYEH,"
THE NOBLE AND RIGHTEOUS HUSAYN
AND HIS FOLLOWERS ARE
SLAUGHTERED BY YAZID'S FORCES.
IN A SECOND GENERATION AFTER
MUHAMMAD, ALI'S SON HUSAYN AND
HIS FOLLOWERS CHALLENGED THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE CALIPH
YAZID.
HUSAYN'S CARAVAN, SOME 70 OR
SO MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN,
SET OUT ON WHAT MOURNERS
DESCRIBED AS A HOLY MISSION TO
BECOME THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS
OF THE PEOPLE OF KUFA, THE
CITY IN PRESENT-DAY IRAQ.
HOWEVER, ON A HILL IN THE
DESERTS OF KARBALA, JUST
OUTSIDE OF KUFA, YAZID'S ARMY,
NUMBERING IN THE THOUSANDS,
ATTACKED THE SMALL CONTINGENCY
OF SHIA.
THE STORY INCLUDES HORRIFIC
EVENTS, SUCH AS THE SLOW
MURDER OF ARBAAZ, HUSAYN'S
HALF-BROTHER, AND THE KILLING
CHILDREN.
HUSAYN AND HIS FOLLOWERS WERE
MASSACRED.
THIS BECAME A FOUNDATIONAL
MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF SHIA
ISLAM.
THE EVENT IS STILL
COMMEMORATED IN THE MIDDLE
EAST, ESPECIALLY IN IRAN, ON
THE HOLY DAY OF ASHURA, THE
TENTH DAY OF THE MONTH OF
MUHARRAM, THE FIRST MONTH OF
THE ISLAMIC CALENDAR.
MEMORIAL EVENTS ON THIS DAY
INCLUDE AS I SAID PASSION
PLAYS BUT ALSO SPECTACLES OF
SELF-FLAGELLATION.
IN THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION OF
1979, MUSLIM STUDENTS AND
ACTIVISTS OPPOSED TO THE SHAH,
AND BY EXTENSION TO THOSE
SERVING IN THE SHAH'S
MILITARY, LIKE BEHRANI, USED
ASHURA AND THE SYMBOLISM OF
MARTYRDOM TO RALLY FORCES
AROUND AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI.
KHOMEINI HIMSELF DEPICTED THE
SHAH AS THE EVIL YAZID, THE
CALIPH WHOSE ARMY MASSACRED
HUSAYN AND HIS FOLLOWERS.
A KEY EVENT IN THE 1979
REVOLUTION WAS A
2-MILLION-PERSON MARCH IN
TEHRAN ON THE DAY OF ASHURA IN
1979.
AND IN 1980, WHEN IRAQ INVADED
IRAN, KHOMEINI FAMOUSLY SAID:
"EVERY DAY IS ASHURA.
EVERY PLACE IS KARBALA."
GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS
EVENT IN SHIA ISLAMIC
HISTORIOGRAPHY AND GIVEN ITS
SYMBOLIC USE IN THE REVOLUTION
THAT EXILED PEOPLE LIKE
BEHRANI, I FIND IT PUZZLING
THAT A PORTRAIT OF THIS EVENT
IS SO PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED IN
BEHRANI'S HOME.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE FACT THAT
THE PORTRAIT APPEARS FOUR
TIMES AND IS PRESENTED FROM AT
LEAST TWO DIFFERENT POINTS OF
VIEW, IT IS UNDENIABLY A
SIGNIFICANT IMAGE IN THE
NOVEL.
MANY REVIEWERS OF THE NOVEL,
AND OUR OWN PROFESSOR PRICE,
HAVE DISCUSSED THE ELEMENTS OF
CLASSICAL TRAGEDY, ESPECIALLY
TRAGIC IRONY, THAT
CHARACTERIZED THIS NOVEL.
IN LIGHT OF THIS IMAGE OF
MARTYRDOM, I WOULD ADD THAT
THIS IRONY IS MADE EVEN MORE
COMPLEX AND CUTS EVEN DEEPER
WHEN VIEWED IN TERMS OF WHAT
HAS BEEN CALLED THE KARBALA
PARADIGM.
THE FIRST REFERENCE TO THIS
SCENE OF MARTYRDOM IN "HOUSE
OF SAND AND FOG" COMES EARLY
IN THE NOVEL WHEN BEHRANI
DESCRIBES THE EXTRAVAGANT
DECOR HIS WIFE EMPLOYS IN
THEIR HOME.
I'M GOING TO QUOTE A PASSAGE
HERE:
"OF COURSE I ARGUED MANY TIMES
FOR A MORE REASONABLE PLACE TO
LIVE, BUT NADI FOUGHT ME.
WE MUST KEEP UP OUR
APPEARANCE.
WE MUST ACT AS IF WE CAN LIVE
AS WE ARE ACCUSTOMED, ALL
BECAUSE IT WAS THE TIME OF
HASTEGAR FOR OUR SORAYA, WHEN
YOUNG MEN FROM GOOD FAMILIES
SEND ROSES TO HER AND OUR
FAMILY.
MEANWHILE, NADI HAD TO MAKE
CERTAIN OUR DAUGHTER DID NOT
ATTRACT ANY COMMON PERSIANS.
SHE ORDERED ALL THE BEST
FURNITURE AND LAMPS AND
CARPETS.
ON THE WALLS, SHE HUNG FRENCH
PAINTINGS AND A MOSAIC FRAME
PORTRAIT OF THE BATTLE OF
MARTYRDOM IN THE KARBALA."
DUBUS REFERS TO THE MARTYRDOM
HERE IN A DEEPLY IRONIC WAY,
AN IMAGE MEANT TO REPRESENT
SELF-SACRIFICE, MARTYRDOM, THE
DESPERATE DEFENSE OF JUSTICE
AGAINST ATTACK FROM
DESPERATES, BECOMES HERE AN
ADORNMENT, A STATUS SYMBOL, A
CENTERPIECE TO A DISPLAY OF
CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION AND
EXTRAVAGANT WEALTH.
BEHRANI WAS AND CONTINUES TO
BE LOYAL TO THE SHAH, SO IT IS
ALL THE MORE IRONIC FOR HIM TO
DISPLAY THE PORTRAIT OF THE
MARTYRDOM AT KARBALA SO
PROMINENTLY IN HIS HOUSE.
BEHRANI WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE
BEEN AWARE THAT MUSLIM
STUDENTS HAD USED THE
MYTHOLOGY OF KARBALA TO ATTACK
THE SHAH AND HIS MILITARY.
NOW DUBUS ALLUDES TO KARBALA
AT LEAST THREE OTHER TIMES IN
THIS NOVEL.
HE MENTIONS IT AGAIN WHEN
BEHRANI RECALLS HIS
INTERACTION WITH HIS MENTOR
AND FRIEND GENERAL POURAT.
THIS SCENE INVOLVES A DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAL
RITUALS OF COURTESY THAT
IRANIAN MEN OBSERVED IN
DRINKING SESSIONS AND IS RICH
WITH CULTURAL CONNOTATIONS.
THERE'S SOMETHING HERE THAT
RECALLS THE POETRY OF THE
SUFIS, ISLAMIC MYSTICS, WHO
USED THE IMAGES OF WINE AND
DRUNKENNESS AS METAPHORS TO
SYMBOLIZE THE ECSTASIES OF
COMMUNICATING WITH THE DIVINE.
IN THIS CASE, THEY WERE JUST
GETTING DRUNK.
IN THIS SCENE THE DRINKERS ARE
MILITARY MEN, AND AMONG THEM
IS BIJAN, A MEMBER SAVAK,
IRAN'S C.I.A. TRAINED SECRET
POLICE ORGANIZATION, A GROUP
THAT WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR ARBITRARY ARRESTS, TORTURE
AND MURDER OF ANYONE OPPOSED
TO THE SHAH.
THE MEN MEET IN POURAT'S HOME,
A PALATIAL AFFAIR THAT BEHRANI
REMEMBERS FOR ITS ARCHITECTURE
AND ITS DECORATION, INCLUDING
AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE
MARTYRDOM.
QUOTE: "IN WINTER, THERE WAS A
FIRE BURNING IN THE TALL STONE
FIREPLACE BEHIND US.
TWO OR THREE MUSICIANS AND A
SINGER WOULD STAND IN THE FAR
CORNER SOFTLY PLAYING SONGS
MORE THAN 1,000 YEARS OLD, AND
STILL ONLY A THIRD AS OLD AS
OUR COUNTRY.
HANGING ON THE EAST WALL WAS A
LONG WOVEN TAPESTRY OF HAZRAT
ABBAS AND HIS HOLY COMPANIONS
CHARGING DOWN THE SAND HILL OF
KARBALA, RACING TO THE
THOUSANDS OF ENEMY SOLDIERS
WHO WOULD YIELD THEM TO
MARTYRDOM," END QUOTE.
AGAIN AS BEFORE THE SAINTLY
AND SELFLESS ACT OF THESE
WARRIORS IS CONTRASTED TO THE
REALITY OF IRAN IN THE 1960s
AND '70s.
DUBUS JUXTAPOSES THE METHOD OF
THE MARTYR WITH THE TECHNIQUES
OF THE TORTURER.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE TORTURER
IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNITED
STATES, WHERE BEHRANI NOW
FINDS HIMSELF.
SO AGAIN THERE'S A DEEPLY
IRONIC CONSIDERATION OF THE
QUESTION OF JUSTICE, OF
PATRIOTISM, NATIONAL AND
ROUGHLY EDITED COPY
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
COMMON TEXT SERIES.
PRESENTER: BABAK ELAHI, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
********
This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings.
********
>> FOLKS, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW
WE'LL BE STARTING HERE
SHORTLY, AND AT THE END OF THE
DISCUSSION, THERE WILL BE A
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR
HAND PRIOR TO ASKING YOUR
QUESTION AND SOMEONE WILL
DELIVER A MICROPHONE TO YOU.
PLEASE WAIT FOR THE MICROPHONE
BECAUSE THE INTERPRETER, AS
YOU CAN SEE TYPING HERE, SHE
NEEDS TO HEAR THIS IN ORDER TO
DO THE CAPTIONING AND THEN
SEND THAT BACK OUT FOR SOME OF
OUR DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING
STUDENTS.
SO WE'D ALL APPRECIATE THAT.
JUST PRIOR TO NEEDING TO ASK
YOUR QUESTION, AT THE END OF
ONE QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO
RAISE YOUR HAND AT THAT TIME,
AND THE PERSON WITH THE
MICROPHONE WILL GO AHEAD AND
BRING YOU THE MICROPHONE AT
THAT TIME.
DON'T SWITCH ANY OF THE
BUTTONS.
WE'LL BE CONTROLLING THAT FROM
THE BOOTH, AND WHEN THE
SPEAKER RESPONDS TO YOU, GO
AHEAD AND ASK YOUR QUESTION AT
THAT TIME.
OKAY?
WE'LL BE STARTING HERE
MOMENTARILY, SO ENJOY.
>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO
THE SECOND OF THREE EVENTS WE
ARE HOLDING IN CONJUNCTION
WITH OUR READING OF ANDRE
DUBUS III's BOOK, "HOUSE OF
SAND AND FOG," WHICH IS OUR
COMMON TEXT THIS QUARTER.
OUR SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS
BABAK ELAHI, WHO WILL BE
TALKING ABOUT REPRESENTING
IRAN.
ALTHOUGH MANY OF YOU ARE
ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE NAME
BABAK ELAHI BECAUSE OF HIS
FAME AS THE LEAD GUITARIST OF
A ROCK GROUP, YOU MIGHT NOT
REALIZE THAT HE IS ALSO ONE OF
RIT'S MOST INSPIRING TEACHERS
AND A SCHOLAR OF NOTE BESIDES.
PROFESSOR ELAHI EARNED HIS
Ph.D. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
ROCHESTER.
HIS BOOK LENGTH STUDY
"AMERICAN INVESTMENTS" DEALS
WITH TEXT WRITTEN BY AND ABOUT
IMMIGRANTS, SPECIFICALLY IN
RELATION TO CLOTHING AND
FASHION.
HE TEACHES ON A WIDE VARIETY
OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO IMMIGRANT
LITERATURE, AMERICAN FILM AND
IDEOLOGY, LITERATURE AND
GLOBALIZATION, LATINO
EXPERIENCE IN LITERATURE, TONI
MORRISON AND HENRY JAMES.
PROFESSOR ELAHI'S INTERESTS
ALSO INCLUDE IRANIAN FICTION
AND FILM.
HOWEVER, IT IS NOT HIS
SARTORIAL ACADEMIC
QUALIFICATIONS ALONE THAT
MOTIVATED THE C.T.A.C. TO
INVITE HIM HERE TONIGHT TO
SPEAK.
THE IRANIAN COMMUNITY WE READ
ABOUT IN "HOUSE OF SAND AND
FOG" IS SOMETHING PROFESSOR
ELAHI KNOWS ABOUT FIRSTHAND.
AND NOW I THINK I HAD BETTER
LET HIM EXPLAIN ALL THIS
HIMSELF.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING
BABAK ELAHI.
(Applause)
>> Babak: THANK YOU, LINDA,
ESPECIALLY FOR STROKING MY
ADOLESCENT FANTASY AS BEING A
ROCK GUITARIST.
MY FAVORITE PART OF YOUR
SPEECH ACTUALLY.
(Chuckling)
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE
INTERPRETERS, LAURIE CHEVALIER
AND MIRIAM LERNER FOR DOING
THE INTERPRETING.
AS LINDA SAID, I'M FAMILIAR
WITH THE IRANIAN COMMUNITY IN
THE U.S.
I MOVED HERE WITH MY FAMILY
WHEN I WAS 10, AND BEFORE THAT
WAS LIVING IN ENGLAND WITH MY
FAMILY AND LEFT IRAN WHEN I
WAS FOUR.
BUT I HAVE ONE DISTINCT MEMORY
OF GOING BACK TO IRAN ONCE
WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, AND
WHEN WE FIRST GOT THERE, MY
MOM AND I GOT OFF THE PLANE.
WE GOT INTO A TAXI.
A TAXI RIDE THROUGH TEHRAN IS
HORRIFIC.
TOOK, YOU KNOW, WHAT SEEMED
LIKE TO ME NOW SEVERAL HOURS
TO GET TO MY AUNT'S HOUSE.
AND WHEN WE GOT THERE, IT WAS
DARK, BUT I SAW A STREAM OF
SOMETHING FLOWING DOWN THE
MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
REALIZED EVENTUALLY THAT THIS
WAS BLOOD STREAMING DOWN THE
STREET, AND A SHEEP WAS BEING
SLAUGHTERED FOR THAT EVENING'S
MEAL ACTUALLY.
AND I JUST BEGIN WITH THAT ONE
ANECDOTE, BECAUSE TONIGHT WHAT
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS
SACRIFICE, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
IN RELATION TO DUBUS'S NOVEL.
AND THERE'S THAT ONE SCENE,
THE FLASHBACK OF COLONEL
BEHRANI WHERE HE REMEMBERS HIS
FATHER SLAUGHTERING THAT SHEEP
ON HIS WEDDING NIGHT.
AND TO ME THAT KIND OF
RESONATES WITH A LOT OF WHAT
HAPPENS IN THIS NOVEL.
I WILL BE GIVING AWAY THE
ENDING, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T
FINISHED READING IT, I
APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE, BUT IT
SEEMS UNAVOIDABLE TO DO THIS.
SO I'M GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT SACRIFICE AND ALSO ABOUT
MARTYRDOM AND LOOKING CLOSELY
AT THE TEXT ITSELF.
LAST QUARTER, IN THE PANEL
DISCUSSION THAT I WAS LUCKY TO
BE A PART OF, I SPENT A LOT OF
TIME TALKING ABOUT MYSELF AND
NOT MUCH ABOUT THE TEXT.
IN FACT THE ANTHROPOLOGIST ON
THAT PANEL TALKED MORE ABOUT
THE BOOK THAN THE LIT-CRIT
PEOPLE, WHICH ACTUALLY MAKES A
LOT OF SENSE TO ME.
OKAY.
I'LL GET STARTED.
WHAT DOES ANDRE DUBUS'S NOVEL
TELL US ABOUT IRAN?
IN ANSWERING THIS QUESTION, I
WANT TO BEGIN WITH AN ANALOGY
BETWEEN THIS NOVEL AND ANOTHER
ONE YOU MIGHT HAVE READ IN
HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M THINKING OF JOSEPH
CONRAD'S "HEART OF DARKNESS."
THE CONTROVERSY AND DEBATE
SURROUNDING THIS BOOK MIGHT BE
A USEFUL WAY OF THINKING ABOUT
ANDRE DUBUS'S NOVEL.
AM I-- IS THIS SORT OF LISPING
OR SOMETHING, THE MIC?
DOES IT SOUND STRANGE?
IT SOUNDS STRANGE TO ME.
DOES IT SOUND ALL RIGHT?
OKAY.
THE CONTROVERSY AND DEBATE
SURROUNDING THIS BOOK MIGHT BE
A USEFUL WAY OF THINKING ABOUT
ANDRE DUBUS'S NOVEL.
CONRAD'S NOVEL, AS MANY OF YOU
KNOW, DESCRIBES A JOURNEY MADE
BY A EUROPEAN DOWN THE CONGO
RIVER INTO THE HEART OF
AFRICA.
IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOVEL, A
NIGERIAN NOVELIST CHINUA
ACHEBE, ARGUED THAT CONRAD WAS
A RACIST.
SIMPLIFYING HIS ARGUMENT A BIT
HERE.
ACHEBE FELT THAT CONRAD
DEPICTED AFRICANS AS SUBHUMAN
SAVAGES.
CONRAD, AS A EUROPEAN,
PRODUCED THE LENS OR A
TEMPLATE THROUGH WHICH
EUROPEANS COULD SEE AND
IMAGINE AFRICA.
AFRICA WAS DARK, EVIL, TRAPPED
IN SOME EARLIER STAGE OF HUMAN
EVOLUTION.
ON THE OTHER HAND, CAROL
PHILLIPS, A CARIBBEAN
NOVELIST, HAS CHALLENGED
ACHEBE'S READING.
PHILLIPS ARGUED THAT CONRAD
WAS NOT A RACIST BUT THAT HE
LED HIS READERS NOT ONLY INTO
AFRICA BUT INTO THE DARKER
HEART OF COLONIALISM ITSELF
AND IMPERIALISM, AND
ULTIMATELY INTO THE DARKEST
HEART OF ALL, THE HUMAN HEART
AND ITS MOST HORRIFYING
POTENTIAL.
INDEED IN READING THIS NOVEL,
EUROPEANS DID NOT SO MUCH LOOK
THROUGH A LENS OR A TEMPLATE
AS THEY DID A MIRROR.
THIS MAY BE WHAT HAPPENS IN
DUBUS'S NOVEL.
NOT ONLY DO WE SEE THE WORST
POTENTIALS AND POSSIBILITIES
IN OURSELVES WHEN WE SEE THE
DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF THESE
CHARACTERS.
WE ALSO WITNESS HOW TWO
CULTURES COME FACE TO FACE AND
SEE EACH OTHER LIKE SOMEONE
STANDING IN FRONT OF A FUN
HOUSE MIRROR, HER OWN FEATURES
DISTORTED SO THAT THE SELF
LOOKS ALIEN AND STRANGE.
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN IN "HOUSE
OF SAND AND FOG"?
LIKE CONRAD'S NOVEL ABOUT
AFRICA, THEN, THIS NOVEL SHOWS
US SOMETHING ABOUT IRAN, BUT
MORE IMPORTANTLY IT SHOWS US
SOMETHING ABOUT AMERICA, AND
ULTIMATELY ABOUT THE HUMAN
HEART AND, TRAGICALLY, THE
HUMAN HEART'S TENDENCY TOWARD
ERROR; HOW OFTEN WE GET THINGS
WRONG.
IN CONSIDERING THESE
QUESTIONS, I WANT TO BEGIN
WITH A PICTURE.
THE PORTRAIT OF THE MARTYRDOM
OF HUSAYN AT KARBALA THAT
HANGS IN THE BEHRANIS' LIVING
ROOM.
WE ALSO SEE A SIMILAR PORTRAIT
IN A FLASHBACK WHEN BEHRANI
REMEMBERS HIS VODKA-DRINKING
SESSIONS AT THE HOME OF
GENERAL POURAT, HIS FRIEND AND
MENTOR.
LET ME SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT
THIS EVENT, THE MARTYRDOM OF
HUSAYN AT KARBALA, FORMATIVE
EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF SHIA,
ISLAM.
THE MARTYRDOM AT KARBALA TOOK
PLACE IN A.D. 680.
AFTER MUHAMMAD'S DEATH,
LEADERSHIP OF THE ISLAMIC
COMMUNITY BECAME CONTESTED.
THE MAJORITY OF BELIEVERS
FOLLOWED THE UMAYYADS, A LINE
OF CALIPHS WHOM THIS MAJORITY
ARGUED HAD BEEN HANDPICKED BY
THE PROPHET TO SUCCEED HIM AS
THE SPIRITUAL AND POLITICAL
GUIDE OF THIS RADICALLY NEW
RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT.
A MINORITY OF THE FAITHFUL, ON
THE OTHER HAND, CALLED
THEMSELVES THE PARTISANS OF
ALI.
THIS WAS MUHAMMAD'S
SON-IN-LAW, OR THE SHIA OF
ALI, OR SIMPLY "THE SHIA."
THIS GROUP PLEDGED THEIR
LOYALTY TO THE DIRECT
DESCENDANTS OF MUHAMMAD AND
CLAIMED THAT HE HAD CHOSEN
ALI, NOT ABU BAKR OR UMAR, AS
HIS SUCCESSOR.
NOW THIS STRUGGLE FOR POWER
CAME TO A HEAD IN A MASSACRE
IN THE DESERT OF KARBALA, AN
EVENT THAT IS COMMEMORATED
TODAY WITH PASSION PLAYS.
ACCORDING TO THESE PASSION
PLAYS, KNOWN AS "TA'ZIYEH,"
THE NOBLE AND RIGHTEOUS HUSAYN
AND HIS FOLLOWERS ARE
SLAUGHTERED BY YAZID'S FORCES.
IN A SECOND GENERATION AFTER
MUHAMMAD, ALI'S SON HUSAYN AND
HIS FOLLOWERS CHALLENGED THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE CALIPH
YAZID.
HUSAYN'S CARAVAN, SOME 70 OR
SO MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN,
SET OUT ON WHAT MOURNERS
DESCRIBED AS A HOLY MISSION TO
BECOME THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS
OF THE PEOPLE OF KUFA, THE
CITY IN PRESENT-DAY IRAQ.
HOWEVER, ON A HILL IN THE
DESERTS OF KARBALA, JUST
OUTSIDE OF KUFA, YAZID'S ARMY,
NUMBERING IN THE THOUSANDS,
ATTACKED THE SMALL CONTINGENCY
OF SHIA.
THE STORY INCLUDES HORRIFIC
EVENTS, SUCH AS THE SLOW
MURDER OF ARBAAZ, HUSAYN'S
HALF-BROTHER, AND THE KILLING
CHILDREN.
HUSAYN AND HIS FOLLOWERS WERE
MASSACRED.
THIS BECAME A FOUNDATIONAL
MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF SHIA
ISLAM.
THE EVENT IS STILL
COMMEMORATED IN THE MIDDLE
EAST, ESPECIALLY IN IRAN, ON
THE HOLY DAY OF ASHURA, THE
TENTH DAY OF THE MONTH OF
MUHARRAM, THE FIRST MONTH OF
THE ISLAMIC CALENDAR.
MEMORIAL EVENTS ON THIS DAY
INCLUDE AS I SAID PASSION
PLAYS BUT ALSO SPECTACLES OF
SELF-FLAGELLATION.
IN THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION OF
1979, MUSLIM STUDENTS AND
ACTIVISTS OPPOSED TO THE SHAH,
AND BY EXTENSION TO THOSE
SERVING IN THE SHAH'S
MILITARY, LIKE BEHRANI, USED
ASHURA AND THE SYMBOLISM OF
MARTYRDOM TO RALLY FORCES
AROUND AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI.
KHOMEINI HIMSELF DEPICTED THE
SHAH AS THE EVIL YAZID, THE
CALIPH WHOSE ARMY MASSACRED
HUSAYN AND HIS FOLLOWERS.
A KEY EVENT IN THE 1979
REVOLUTION WAS A
2-MILLION-PERSON MARCH IN
TEHRAN ON THE DAY OF ASHURA IN
1979.
AND IN 1980, WHEN IRAQ INVADED
IRAN, KHOMEINI FAMOUSLY SAID:
"EVERY DAY IS ASHURA.
EVERY PLACE IS KARBALA."
GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS
EVENT IN SHIA ISLAMIC
HISTORIOGRAPHY AND GIVEN ITS
SYMBOLIC USE IN THE REVOLUTION
THAT EXILED PEOPLE LIKE
BEHRANI, I FIND IT PUZZLING
THAT A PORTRAIT OF THIS EVENT
IS SO PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED IN
BEHRANI'S HOME.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE FACT THAT
THE PORTRAIT APPEARS FOUR
TIMES AND IS PRESENTED FROM AT
LEAST TWO DIFFERENT POINTS OF
VIEW, IT IS UNDENIABLY A
SIGNIFICANT IMAGE IN THE
NOVEL.
MANY REVIEWERS OF THE NOVEL,
AND OUR OWN PROFESSOR PRICE,
HAVE DISCUSSED THE ELEMENTS OF
CLASSICAL TRAGEDY, ESPECIALLY
TRAGIC IRONY, THAT
CHARACTERIZED THIS NOVEL.
IN LIGHT OF THIS IMAGE OF
MARTYRDOM, I WOULD ADD THAT
THIS IRONY IS MADE EVEN MORE
COMPLEX AND CUTS EVEN DEEPER
WHEN VIEWED IN TERMS OF WHAT
HAS BEEN CALLED THE KARBALA
PARADIGM.
THE FIRST REFERENCE TO THIS
SCENE OF MARTYRDOM IN "HOUSE
OF SAND AND FOG" COMES EARLY
IN THE NOVEL WHEN BEHRANI
DESCRIBES THE EXTRAVAGANT
DECOR HIS WIFE EMPLOYS IN
THEIR HOME.
I'M GOING TO QUOTE A PASSAGE
HERE:
"OF COURSE I ARGUED MANY TIMES
FOR A MORE REASONABLE PLACE TO
LIVE, BUT NADI FOUGHT ME.
WE MUST KEEP UP OUR
APPEARANCE.
WE MUST ACT AS IF WE CAN LIVE
AS WE ARE ACCUSTOMED, ALL
BECAUSE IT WAS THE TIME OF
HASTEGAR FOR OUR SORAYA, WHEN
YOUNG MEN FROM GOOD FAMILIES
SEND ROSES TO HER AND OUR
FAMILY.
MEANWHILE, NADI HAD TO MAKE
CERTAIN OUR DAUGHTER DID NOT
ATTRACT ANY COMMON PERSIANS.
SHE ORDERED ALL THE BEST
FURNITURE AND LAMPS AND
CARPETS.
ON THE WALLS, SHE HUNG FRENCH
PAINTINGS AND A MOSAIC FRAME
PORTRAIT OF THE BATTLE OF
MARTYRDOM IN THE KARBALA."
DUBUS REFERS TO THE MARTYRDOM
HERE IN A DEEPLY IRONIC WAY,
AN IMAGE MEANT TO REPRESENT
SELF-SACRIFICE, MARTYRDOM, THE
DESPERATE DEFENSE OF JUSTICE
AGAINST ATTACK FROM
DESPERATES, BECOMES HERE AN
ADORNMENT, A STATUS SYMBOL, A
CENTERPIECE TO A DISPLAY OF
CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION AND
EXTRAVAGANT WEALTH.
BEHRANI WAS AND CONTINUES TO
BE LOYAL TO THE SHAH, SO IT IS
ALL THE MORE IRONIC FOR HIM TO
DISPLAY THE PORTRAIT OF THE
MARTYRDOM AT KARBALA SO
PROMINENTLY IN HIS HOUSE.
BEHRANI WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE
BEEN AWARE THAT MUSLIM
STUDENTS HAD USED THE
MYTHOLOGY OF KARBALA TO ATTACK
THE SHAH AND HIS MILITARY.
NOW DUBUS ALLUDES TO KARBALA
AT LEAST THREE OTHER TIMES IN
THIS NOVEL.
HE MENTIONS IT AGAIN WHEN
BEHRANI RECALLS HIS
INTERACTION WITH HIS MENTOR
AND FRIEND GENERAL POURAT.
THIS SCENE INVOLVES A DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAL
RITUALS OF COURTESY THAT
IRANIAN MEN OBSERVED IN
DRINKING SESSIONS AND IS RICH
WITH CULTURAL CONNOTATIONS.
THERE'S SOMETHING HERE THAT
RECALLS THE POETRY OF THE
SUFIS, ISLAMIC MYSTICS, WHO
USED THE IMAGES OF WINE AND
DRUNKENNESS AS METAPHORS TO
SYMBOLIZE THE ECSTASIES OF
COMMUNICATING WITH THE DIVINE.
IN THIS CASE, THEY WERE JUST
GETTING DRUNK.
IN THIS SCENE THE DRINKERS ARE
MILITARY MEN, AND AMONG THEM
IS BIJAN, A MEMBER SAVAK,
IRAN'S C.I.A. TRAINED SECRET
POLICE ORGANIZATION, A GROUP
THAT WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR ARBITRARY ARRESTS, TORTURE
AND MURDER OF ANYONE OPPOSED
TO THE SHAH.
THE MEN MEET IN POURAT'S HOME,
A PALATIAL AFFAIR THAT BEHRANI
REMEMBERS FOR ITS ARCHITECTURE
AND ITS DECORATION, INCLUDING
AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE
MARTYRDOM.
QUOTE: "IN WINTER, THERE WAS A
FIRE BURNING IN THE TALL STONE
FIREPLACE BEHIND US.
TWO OR THREE MUSICIANS AND A
SINGER WOULD STAND IN THE FAR
CORNER SOFTLY PLAYING SONGS
MORE THAN 1,000 YEARS OLD, AND
STILL ONLY A THIRD AS OLD AS
OUR COUNTRY.
HANGING ON THE EAST WALL WAS A
LONG WOVEN TAPESTRY OF HAZRAT
ABBAS AND HIS HOLY COMPANIONS
CHARGING DOWN THE SAND HILL OF
KARBALA, RACING TO THE
THOUSANDS OF ENEMY SOLDIERS
WHO WOULD YIELD THEM TO
MARTYRDOM," END QUOTE.
AGAIN AS BEFORE THE SAINTLY
AND SELFLESS ACT OF THESE
WARRIORS IS CONTRASTED TO THE
REALITY OF IRAN IN THE 1960s
AND '70s.
DUBUS JUXTAPOSES THE METHOD OF
THE MARTYR WITH THE TECHNIQUES
OF THE TORTURER.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE TORTURER
IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNITED
STATES, WHERE BEHRANI NOW
FINDS HIMSELF.
SO AGAIN THERE'S A DEEPLY
IRONIC CONSIDERATION OF THE
QUESTION OF JUSTICE, OF
PATRIOTISM, NATIONAL AND
CULTURAL BELONGING.
IN ITS FLASHBACK, BEHRANI
LEARNS THAT BIJAN, THE
TORTURER, HAS BEEN TRAINED IN
THE UNITED STATES, IN NEW YORK
IN FACT.
HEARING THIS HE ASKED WHAT
BIJAN LEARNED THERE AND BIJAN
IS BRUTALLY HONEST.
QUOTE: "IF YOU WANT REAL
INFORMATION, YOU MUST TAKE
THEIR CHILDREN, MAKE A
SUBVERSIVE WATCH HIS LITTLE
ONE LOSE A HAND OR ARM AND
THEY WILL TELL YOU
EVERYTHING," END QUOTE.
BEHRANI REFERS TO THIS YOUNG
MAN AS A POLICEMAN SO THAT
LATER, WHEN AN AMERICAN
POLICEMAN THREATENS TO HARM
BEHRANI'S OWN SON, HE FINDS
HIMSELF IN A BIZARRE MIRROR
IMAGE OF THE PRISON.
HE'S LOCKED IN HIS OWN
BATHROOM.
THERE'S THIS POLICEMAN
THREATENING TO HURT HIM AND
HIS FAMILY.
FOR ME THIS CALLS BACK THIS
MOMENT WHERE HE'S TALKING TO
BIJAN.
THIS IS MADE EVEN MORE
BURDENSOME OF A MEMORY IN THAT
BIJAN IS TRAINED IN AMERICA BY
THE C.I.A., A DETAIL THAT
DUBUS HAS TAKEN FROM A
HISTORICAL RECORD.
ULTIMATELY, RATHER THAN
FEELING LIKE A MARTYR OR A
SELFLESS PATRIOT, BEHRANI
FEELS IMPLICATED IN THESE
INHUMANE ACTIONS OF THE REGIME
THAT REWARDED HIM SO
GENEROUSLY.
QUOTE: "I DID NOT LIKE TO
THINK ONCE AGAIN THAT AMERICA,
WITH WHOM I DID CLOSE BUSINESS
IN THE PURCHASE OF FIGHTER
JETS, HAD SUCH A HAND IN ALL
THIS.
I DID NOT LIKE TO THINK THIS
WAS THE MANNER IN WHICH OUR
KING RETAINED HIS THRONE AND
OUR WAY OF LIFE.
BUT MOST OF ALL I DID NOT WANT
TO ACCEPT THAT GENERAL POURAT
WAS CORRECT WHEN HE SAID THE
YOUNG POLICEMAN AND I WERE
COLLEAGUES.
SO ONCE MORE I DRANK MORE
VODKA THAN I SHOULD HAVE,"
END QUOTE.
AND HE DOES NOT LIKE TO THINK
THESE THINGS PRECISELY BECAUSE
THEY ARE TRUE.
FOR AS HE SAYS SHORTLY AFTER
THIS, QUOTE, "IT IS I WHO
SHOULD APOLOGIZE.
IT IS I WHO HAVE HELPED TO FLY
US SO FAR OFF COURSE," END
QUOTE.
AGAIN THE IMAGE OF THE
MARTYRDOM AT KARBALA IS
TAINTED BY IRANIAN AND BY
AMERICAN REALITIES.
THERE ARE TWO MORE INSTANCES
IN WHICH THE PAINTING OF THE
MARTYRDOM APPEARS, AND I WANT
TO TOUCH ON THESE BRIEFLY
BEFORE MOVING ON.
IN ONE SCENE, WE SEE THE IMAGE
OF KARBALA FROM THE POINT OF
VIEW OF KATHY NICOLO.
FOR KATHY, THE PAINTING SIMPLY
PORTRAYS BEARDED MEN IN ROBES
ON HORSES.
THIS SHALLOW RESPONSE TO THE
IMAGE UNDERSCORES KATHY'S
SOMETIMES INFURIATING
IGNORANCE THAT SHE MISTAKES
IRANIANS FOR ARABS, THAT SHE
DESCRIBES THE LANGUAGE AS--
FARSI AS ARABIC OR AS HEBREW,
BUT SHE DOESN'T EVEN SAY
HEBREW.
SHE SAYS ISRAELI.
A NUMBER OF THINGS.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES
WHERE SHE KIND OF JUST
MISINTERPRETS THE CULTURE THAT
SHE'S INTERACTING WITH.
BUT IT IS ALSO-- BUT THIS
SCENE ALSO UNDERSCORES HOW
ALIEN ANY NOTION OF MARTYRDOM
OR SELF-SACRIFICE HAS BECOME
TO KATHY, DESPITE THE FACT
THAT SHE HAS GIVEN UP A GREAT
DEAL BECAUSE OF DEPRESSION,
ADDICTION AND LOSS OF
SELF-ESTEEM.
KATHY'S VIEW OF THIS IMAGE
ALLOWS US, AS READERS, TO SEE
THE IMPORTANCE OF
UNDERSTANDING OTHER CULTURES
AND THE POTENTIAL DANGER IN
NOT UNDERSTANDING THEM ON
THEIR OWN TERMS.
FINALLY, WHEN LESTER COMES
CALLING ON THE BEHRANIS TO
THREATEN THEM WITH
DEPORTATION, HE ALSO SEES THE
PORTRAIT OF THE MARTYRDOM AT
KARBALA.
THIS TIME POINTS OF VIEW
BECOMES INTERESTING IN THAT WE
SEE LESTER SEEING THE PORTRAIT
FROM BEHRANI'S POINT OF VIEW.
BEHRANI TAKES NOTE OF BURDON'S
EVERY MOVE, OF THE DETAILS OF
HIS UNIFORM, EVEN HIS BODY
LANGUAGE.
THE COLONEL NOTICES THAT,
QUOTE, "THE POLICEMAN REGARDS
THE PAINTING OF THE BATTLE OF
MARTYRDOM ON THE WALL,
STEPPING CLOSER TO VIEW THE
FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH OF MYSELF
AND GENERAL POURAT WITH SHAH
PAHLAVI," END QUOTE.
BEHRANI MOVES TO THE DOOR AND
SAYS, "I WILL REMOVE THE SIGN
IMMEDIATELY, SIR," AS IF HE IS
REFERRING BOTH TO THE "FOR
SALE" SIGN HE HAS POSTED AND
TO THESE IMAGES OF MARTYRDOM
AND OF NATIONAL IDENTITY.
LET ME EXPLAIN THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IF I DID THAT
QUITE RIGHT.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE "FOR
SALE" SIGN HE'S POSTED DOWN
THE ROAD, BUT HE SAYS THIS AS
BURDON IS LOOKING AT THESE
OTHER IMAGES.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE HE'S
SAYING, WELL, I'LL TAKE THESE
IMAGES DOWN, TOO.
OKAY.
THIS IS A COMPLEX SET OF
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN IMAGES
AND SIGNS.
FIRST WE HAVE THE IMAGE OF THE
MARTYRDOM, A FOUNDING IMAGE OF
SHIA ISLAMIC IDENTITY AS I'VE
SAID, AND A SYMBOL OF CORE
MARTYRDOM IN WAR AND SACRIFICE
IN LIFE.
HOWEVER THIS ISLAMIC IMAGE IS
CONTRASTED TO GENERAL POURAT
AND MUHAMMAD REZA SHAH, BOTH
REPRESENTING A REGIME THAT
SPENT OIL REVENUES IN AN ORGY
OF EXCESS AND A SPECTACLE OF
ROYAL ANTI-ISLAMIC POWER.
FINALLY THESE ARE SUBTLY
LINKED TO ONE LAST SIGN, A
SIGN THAT READS "FOR SALE."
BOTH BEHRANI AND BURDON FIND
THEMSELVES CAUGHT IN THIS
COMPLEX WEB OF SIGNS THAT
ULTIMATELY POSES THE QUESTION:
WHAT WILL YOU SACRIFICE?
WILL YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELF,
YOUR OWN DESIRES, YOUR OWN
PURSUIT OF WEALTH OR OF
GRANDEUR, OR WILL YOU SELL
OUT?
NEW SECTION HERE.
I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO TALK
ABOUT ESMAIL'S SACRIFICE.
THE KARBALA MYTHOLOGY USES THE
MARTYRDOM OF HUSAYN AS THE
ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE IN
THE FACE OF CORRUPTION.
MARTYRDOM, THEN, INVOLVES THE
GIVING OF ONE'S LIFE IN THE
STRUGGLE OR EFFORT, JIHAD, IF
YOU WILL, NOT OF WAR BUT OF
FAITH AND OF JUSTICE.
THE NOVEL USES THIS SYMBOLISM
OF MARTYRDOM IRONICALLY TO
SUGGEST THAT BEHRANI HAS
TRANSGRESSED SHIA MUSLIM
NOTIONS EVERY JUSTICE.
RELATED TO THIS NOTION OF
MARTYRDOM IS THE NOTION EVERY
SACRIFICE.
SACRIFICE IS MORE OFTEN A TEST
OF FAITH, A TEST OF ONE'S
WILLINGNESS TO GIVE UP WHAT
ONE HAS OR EVEN WHAT ONE IS IN
THE NAME OF SOMETHING BIGGER,
BE THAT GOD OR EVEN THE
AMERICAN DREAM.
AGAIN, AS WITH MARTYRDOM, THE
NOVEL USES THE NOTION OF
SACRIFICE IRONICALLY TO
SUGGEST THAT ESMAIL'S DEATH
SPECIFICALLY IS A SACRIFICE
NOT TO PROVE BEHRANI'S FAITH
BUT A SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS
OF BEHRANI AND OF OTHERS.
BEHRANI SAYS THAT, IN AMERICA,
WHEN SACRIFICES ARE RETURNED
100 FOLD.
BUT-- HOWEVER, BECAUSE HIS
SELF-SACRIFICE IS OFFERED IN
BAD FAITH, BEHRANI SUFFERS THE
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF ALL, THE
DEATH OF HIS SON, WHOSE NAME
ESMAIL HAS IMPORTANT
SIGNIFICANCE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ESMAIL'S
NAME BRIEFLY AS REFERENCE TO
ISLAMIC SCRIPTURE THAT YOU MAY
NOT BE AWARE OF IN THIS.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IN THE
BIBLE, GOD TELLS ABRAHAM TO
SACRIFICE HIS SON ISAAC, A
REQUEST THAT IS MERCIFULLY
RETRACTED AT THE FINAL MOMENT.
HOWEVER, IN THE ISLAMIC
TRADITION, IT IS "ISH-MAIL,"
OR IN THE ARABIC AND PERSIAN
PRONUNCIATION, "ES-MILE," WHOM
ABRAHAM IS ASKED TO SACRIFICE.
IN FACT, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
NARRATIVE IN ISLAMIC
HISTORIOGRAPHY.
ISLAMIC SCHOLARS SUGGEST THAT
BOTH THE KORAN AND BIBLE REFER
TO ABRAHAM'S ONLY SON AS THE
SACRIFICIAL OFFERING, THEN
THIS REFERENCE MUST BE TO
"ISH-MAIL," OR "ES-MILE," AND
NOT TO ISAAC.
WHAT I WANT TO SUGGEST HERE IS
THAT ESMAIL'S DEATH
UNDERSCORES THE TRAGIC IRONY
AT THE HEART OF THIS NOVEL.
WHAT IS IRONIC HERE IS THAT
BEHRANI DOES, HOWEVER
UNWITTINGLY, SACRIFICE HIS SON
ESMAIL, UNLIKE ABRAHAM, WHO IS
SPARED THE DEATH OF HIS SON.
MOREOVER, IF ABRAHAM'S
WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE HIS
SON IS AN INDICATION OF HIS
UNCONDITIONAL FAITH IN ALLAH,
THEN ESMAIL'S DEATH MAY BE
READ AS BEHRANI'S LOSS OF
FAITH.
INSTEAD BEHRANI BELIEVES ONLY
IN FATE, WHAT HE CALLS
"SARNEVESHT" AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE NOVEL.
HE LACKS THE OPPOSITE OF FATE,
BORROWING A LINE FROM AMY TAM
THERE ACTUALLY, THAT IS HOPE,
HOPE THAT HE CAN PROVIDE FOR
HIS FAMILY WITH OR WITHOUT A
BROKEN AND STOLEN PIECE OF
PROPERTY TAKEN FROM AN EQUALLY
BROKEN WOMAN.
IN SHORT, GOD SHOWS MERCY TO
ABRAHAM BECAUSE HE IS WILLING
TO PROVE HIS FAITH THROUGH
SACRIFICE; BUT NONE OF THESE
METAPHYSICAL EXPLANATIONS OF
FAITH AND MERCY HAVE MUCH OF A
HOLD ON BEHRANI.
HE IS UNABLE TO SEE BEYOND HIS
POSSESSIONS AND STATUS, AND
ANY CLAIMS HE MAKES TO BE
MAKING-- SORRY, ANY CLAIMS HE
MAKES ABOUT SACRIFICE FOR HIS
FAMILY FOUND EMPTY IN LIGHT OF
HIS SINGLE-MINDED DESIRE TO
SAVE FACE, TO DEMAND RESPECT
AND TO REGAIN HIS SOCIAL
STATUS.
HIS WIFE, PERHAPS THE
STRONGEST CHARACTER IN THE
NOVEL AND THE FILM, ASKS HIM
TO BE SELFLESS AND GIVE THE
HOUSE BACK.
WHEN HE REFUSES TO RETURN THE
HOUSE TO KATHY, HE SAYS THAT
HE IS DOING THIS FOR HIS
FAMILY, NOT FOR HIMSELF.
QUOTE: "I DO THIS FOR YOU,
ESMAIL, BECAUSE I AM YOUR
FATHER.
WHAT IS IT I HAVE DONE BUT
PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY?"
END QUOTE.
BUT HIS WIFE DOES NOT ACCEPT
THIS, THIS PRETENDED
SELFLESSNESS, AND CHALLENGES
HIM SAYING, "YOU WANT THIS
HOME FOR YOU, YOU.
YOU COULD NEVER LIVE IN THE
STREET BECAUSE THERE, NO ONE
WOULD RESPECT YOU, BEHRANI,
AND YOU NEED EVERYONE TO
RESPECT YOU, EVEN STRANGERS."
IT IS ONLY AFTER HIS SON'S
DEATH THAT BEHRANI REALIZES
HIS WIFE WAS RIGHT, BUT EVEN
THEN HE IS NOT COMPLETELY
SELFLESS AND ACTS OUT OF
VENGEANCE, NOT IN TERMS OF
SELF-SACRIFICE.
QUOTE: "FOR OUR EXCESSES, WE
LOST EVERYTHING.
I KNEEL BENEATH THE WINDOW,
TURN TO THE EAST AND BOW MY
HEAD TO THE CARPET, WHICH
SMELLS OF DUST, AND I CURSE
MYSELF FOR EVER WEEPING OVER
MY LOST POSITION, FOR THE
RESPECT I HAD LOST AMONG
STRANGERS."
HE PROPOSES TO MAKE A NAS OR A
VOW, A WORD THAT KATHY ALSO
UTTERS IN ENGLISH.
BEHRANI VOW TOSS GIVE ALL HIS
MONEY TO CHARITY AS A
SUBSTITUTE FOR THE SACRIFICE
OF HIS SON.
BUT WHEN HIS PRAYERS ARE NOT
ANSWERED, HIS TRUE COLORS,
WHAT I CALLED EARLIER HIS BAD
FAITH, COME SHINING THROUGH.
THE NOTE THAT HE LEAVES FOR
HIS DAUGHTER INCLUDES A
POSTSCRIPT, QUOTE: "SORAYA,
LIVE HERE IF YOU LIKE, BUT IF
YOU SELL IT, TAKE NO LESS THAN
$100,000," END QUOTE.
IF IN ISLAMIC EXEGESIS ESMAIL
IS FAITH, SACRIFICE, MERCY AND
FORGIVENESS, THEN IN THIS
NOVEL THE NAME TWISTS ALL
THESE AROUND.
ESMAIL'S DEATH EMPHASIZES
BEHRANI'S LACK OF FAITH, THE
ABSENCE OF MERCY, DIVINE OR
OTHERWISE, AND AN UNFORGIVING
FATE.
ESMAIL'S DEATH ALSO RESONATES
WITH OTHER IMAGES OF SACRIFICE
AND KILLING.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO
THESE HERE, BUT CONSIDER
BEHRANI'S FLASHBACK TO HIS
WEDDING NIGHT, WHEN HIS FATHER
SLAUGHTERS A SHEEP AND RUBS
THE BLOOD INTO THE THRESHOLD.
ALSO CONSIDER THE DEATH OF
JASMEEN, WHOSE HONOR KILLING
IS ALSO IS KIND OF SACRIFICE,
THE SACRIFICING OF THE FALLEN
DAUGHTER TO SAVE THE HONOR OF
A FAMILY.
WHEN ESMAIL IS KILLED, I FOR
ONE CANNOT HELP BUT RECALL
THESE EARLIER SCENES, THE THEE
IMAGES OF DEATH RESONATING
AROUND THE THEME OF SACRIFICE.
BUT ESMAIL IS SACRIFICED NOT
FOR THE SINS OF HIS FATHER
ALONE.
HE IS SACRIFICED FOR THE SINS
OF LESTER BURDON AS WELL, AND
ULTIMATELY HE MAY BE
SACRIFICED FOR THE SINS OF
AMERICA AND IRAN TOGETHER.
AS SUCH, HE IS A SACRIFICIAL
OFFERING TO US, THE READERS OF
THE NOVEL.
I WILL RETURN TO THIS LATER.
FIRST I WANT TO EXAMINE HOW
ESMAIL IS OFFERED UP AS A
SACRIFICE FOR LESTER BURDON'S
SINS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE FATHER/SON
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEHRANI
AND ESMAIL REFLECTS BACK THE
ABSENCE OF A FATHER IN
LESTER'S OWN LIFE.
FOR LESTER, ESMAIL'S
RELATIONSHIP TO HIS FATHER
STIRS UP ALL KINDS OF REGRET
AND DOUBT ABOUT HIMSELF AS A
SON, AS A FATHER AND AS A MAN
IN UNIFORM.
THE FULLNESS OF BEHRANI AND
ESMAIL'S RELATIONSHIP POINTS
OUT LESTER'S OWN SENSE OF
LACKING SOMETHING.
EVEN LES'S NAME IMPLIES LACK.
HE BELONGS ON THE MINUS SIGN
OF KATHY'S LEDGER.
HE BECOMES AWARE OF HIS OWN
LACK WHEN HE LOOKS AT A FRAMED
PHOTOGRAPH OF FATHER AND SON
IN ESMAIL'S ROOM, A PHOTOGRAPH
THAT FUNCTIONS FOR THAT MOMENT
AS A KIND OF EXISTENTIAL
MIRROR, REFLECTING BACK
LESTER'S EMPTINESS.
AND THIS EMPTINESS IS NOT
LIMITED TO THE ABSENCE OF THE
FATHER, BUT OF EVERYTHING,
PSYCHOLOGICALLY SPEAKING, THAT
THE FATHER REPRESENTS:
LAW, ORDER, DISCIPLINE, EVEN
THE NATION ITSELF.
WHEN LESTER KIDNAPS THE
BEHRANIS LOCKING THEM IN THEIR
OWN BATHROOM, HE GOES INTO
ESMAIL'S ROOM BRIEFLY.
IT IS AS IF HE HAS GONE INTO A
ROOM HE NEVER HAD AS A CHILD.
ON ESMAIL'S BEDSIDE TABLE HE
SEES THE FOLLOWING:
A FRAMED COLOR PHOTOGRAPH OF
THE COLONEL IN FULL UNIFORM
HOLDING A TODDLER BOY ON HIS
LAP IN A DEEP LEATHER OFFICE
CHAIR.
THE GREEN, WHITE AND RED
STRIPES OF THE IRANIAN FLAG
ENCASED IN GLASS ON THE WALL
BEHIND THEM.
THE MAN AND LITTLE BOY SMILING
WIDELY INTO THE CAMERA.
LESTER LOOKED AWAY QUICKLY AND
SWITCHED OFF THE LIGHT.
LESTER LOOKS AWAY AND TURNS
OFF THE LIGHT SO THAT HE
DOESN'T HAVE TO SEE WHAT IS
REFLECTED BACK TO HIM IN THIS
PICTURE.
THE PICTURE SHOWS A FATHER'S
LOVE FOR HIS CHILD, BUT IT
ALSO SHOWS BEHRANI'S FULL
UNIFORM, IRAN'S NATIONAL FLAG,
AND A PLUSH LEATHER OFFICE
CHAIR, EMBLEMS OF DISCIPLINE
AND ORDER, OF NATIONALISM AND
OF POWER.
LESTER'S FATHER, YOU WILL
RECALL, IS AN I.N.S. OFFICER,
A DEFENDER OF THE NATIONAL
BORDER, AND ALSO A MAN IN
UNIFORM.
BUT OF COURSE HE IS AN ABSENT
FATHER.
THIS ABSENCE OF THE FATHER IS
PART OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
BAGGAGE THAT MAKES UP LESTER'S
BURDEN, A BURDEN HE ATTEMPTS
TO IGNORE.
HOWEVER, IN IGNORING HIS
PSYCHOLOGICAL BAGGAGE, BURDON
ENDS UP MAKING ERRORS OF
JUDGMENT THAT TAINT HIS OWN
UNIFORM.
NOT ONLY DOES HE, LIKE HIS
FATHER, FAIL HIS FAMILY; HE
ALSO FAILS HIS LEGAL AND
PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS TO
THE STATE.
IN A NUMBER OF SITUATIONS,
CULMINATING IN HIS INVASION OF
THE BEHRANI HOME, LESTER GOES
AGAINST THE VERY PURPOSE OF
HIS UNIFORM: THE LAW, ORDER,
JUSTICE, EVERYTHING IT
REPRESENTS.
THE IMAGE OF BEHRANI HOLDING
ESMAIL IN HIS LAP IN THAT
LEATHER CHAIR IN HIS OFFICE
CAN BE CONTRASTED WITH THE
IMAGE OF BURDON TRYING TO SAVE
ESMAIL'S LIFE.
AT THE MOMENT WHEN ESMAIL IS
SHOT, HOLDING BURDON'S SERVICE
REVOLVER IN HIS HAND, LESTER'S
OWN PATERNAL INSTINCT FINALLY
KICKS IN.
HE HAS JUST AGREED TO LET
ESMAIL COME WITH THEM INTO THE
COUNTY TAX OFFICE, WHICH
HAPPENS TO BE ACROSS THE
STREET FROM THE HALL OF
JUSTICE BUILDING.
BURDON AGREES TO LET THE BOY
COME BECAUSE BEHRANI LEAVES
HIM NO CHOICE AND BECAUSE HE
HIMSELF KNOWS HE'D NEVER LEAVE
HIS SON LIKE THAT EITHER.
HE REFLECTS ON THIS HIMSELF.
SO AT THIS POINT HE'S ALMOST
SEEING ESMAIL AS IF HE WERE
NATE, YOU KNOW, HIS OWN SON.
OR AT LEAST HE CAN SYMPATHIZE
WITH BEHRANI'S DESIRE TO BRING
HIS SON.
THE FILM ADAPTATION HANDLES
THIS SCENE BEAUTIFULLY, I
THINK.
IN THE FILM, LESTER'S UNIFORM
IS DISHEVELLED AND HIS SHIRT
UNTUCKED AS AN EMBLEM OF HIS
AUTHORITY AND OF THE LAW, THE
UNIFORM'S DISARRAY UNDERSCORES
BURDON'S INABILITY TO RESTORE
ORDER.
HE KNEELS DOWN IN AN ATTEMPT
TO STOP ESMAIL FROM BLEEDING
TO DEATH, BUT IT IS TOO LATE
NOT ONLY FOR ESMAIL BUT ALSO
FOR BURDON.
HE IS UNABLE TO RECLAIM HIS
IDENTITY AS POLICEMAN OR AS
FATHER.
I ASK YOU TO SEE THIS IMAGE OF
BURDON TRYING TO SAVE ESMAIL'S
LIFE ALONGSIDE THAT EARLIER
ONE OF BEHRANI HOLDING THE
INFANT ESMAIL IN HIS LAP.
IN THAT EARLIER IMAGE, FATHER
AND SON ARE INTEGRATED INTO A
PICTURE THAT INCLUDES A
NATIONAL FLAG, THE FATHER'S
UNIFORM, THE TRAPPINGS OF
POWER AND AN OFFICE.
IN THIS IMAGE EVERY BURDON
ATTENDING TO THE DYING ESMAIL,
THE PICTURE IS INTEGRATED INTO
EMBLEMS OF THE STATE, THE
STEPS OF THE COUNTY, HALL OF
JUSTICE, OTHER POLICE
OFFICERS, THE PARAMEDICS.
ULTIMATELY BOTH BEHRANI AND
BURDON HAVE FAILED, AND IN
THEIR FAILURE IS THE SACRIFICE
OF ESMAIL.
I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT IT IS
FOR THE SINS OF IRANIANS AND
AMERICANS MORE GENERALLY THAT
THIS NATIVE SON IS SACRIFICED.
ESMAIL'S CHARACTER IS BARELY
DEVELOPED IN THE NOVEL.
HE IS AN ICONIC FIGURE, AND BY
THIS I MEAN THAT HE CAN
FUNCTION BOTH FOR IRANIANS AND
AMERICANS.
HE'S A KIND OF BLANK SCREEN
ONTO WHICH BOTH NATIONAL
CHARACTERS AND CULTURAL
LONGINGS CAN BE PROJECTED.
HIS DEATH INDICTS BOTH SIDES
OF THE EQUATION.
BOTH BEHRANI AND BURDON ARE
MORE CONCERNED WITH WINNING,
WITH DEFENDING-- I'M SORRY,
WITH DEFEATING THE OTHER AND
DEFENDING THEMSELVES, AND
SECURING THEIR OWN IDENTITY AS
VICTOR THAN WITH LAW OR ORDER
OR JUSTICE OR LOVE.
ESMAIL'S NAME-- ACTUALLY, I'M
GOING TO SKIP THIS PART AND GO
ON.
I'LL JUST TALK IT THROUGH.
I CAN'T RESIST KNOWING THIS
IN.
ESMAIL, YOU'LL REMEMBER
OFFICER BURDON MAKES A MISTAKE
AND CALLS ESMAIL "ISH-MAIL,"
AND ESMAIL INSISTS THAT HIS
NAME IS "ES-MILE."
WOULD I BE GOING TOO FAR IF I
READ THAT IN RELATION TO
HERMAN MELVILLE'S "MOBY DICK"?
THE FIRST LINE IN "MOBY DICK"
IS "CALL ME ISHMAEL."
IT'S AS IF IN THIS NOVEL DUBUS
IS SAYING "DON'T CALL ME
ESMAIL."
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE AN
INTERESTING NOTE.
IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT
AFTER THE REST OF THE
PRESENTATION, WE CAN.
I FEEL IT'S MORE OF AN ASIDE
THAN PART OF THE ARGUMENT SO
I'LL GO ON.
LAST SECTION OF THE PAPER,
WE'RE ALMOST THERE.
TITLE OF THIS LAST SECTION IS
" QOM SWEET QOM."
EARLIER IN THE NOVEL, AFTER
BURDON THREATENS THE BEHRANIS
WITH DEPORTATION, BEHRANI GOES
TO THE HALL OF JUSTICE
BUILDING TO SEEK JUSTICE.
IN HIS FIRST GLIMPSE OF THIS
BUILDING, BEHRANI IS REMINDED
OF THE HOLY CITY OF QOM, THE
HEART OF ISLAMIC IRAN,
MIRRORED IN THIS OFFICIAL
AMERICAN INSTITUTION OF LAW
AND ORDER.
QUOTE: "THE HALL OF JUSTICE
BUILDING IS EIGHT OR NINE
FLOORS TALL, ACROSS THE STREET
FROM A COURTHOUSE WHOSE ROOF
IS A VERY LARGE DOME OF
STAINED GLASS.
IT MOMENTARILY REMINDS ME OF A
MOSQUE IN QOM, ITS MERE SIGHT
BRINGING ME A COMFORT I HAVE
NOT OTHERWISE BEEN FEELING."
QOM, A WORD THAT EVEN SOUNDS
LIKE HOME, IS CHARGED WITH
BEHRANI'S LONGING FOR A FORMER
LIFE.
BEHRANI REFERS TO IT FOUR
TIMES IN THE NOVEL, ONCE AT
THE BEGINNING, TWICE TOWARD
THE MIDDLE OF THE NOVEL
INCLUDING THE PASSAGE I HAVE
JUST QUOTED, AND ONCE AT THE
END.
AT THE BEGINNING, HE REFERS TO
QOM AS, QUOTE "OUR HOLY CITY
BEFORE IT BECAME THE
HEADQUARTERS FOR THAT MAD
IMAM," END QUOTE.
"MAD IMAM" BEING AYATOLLAH
KHOMEINI.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NOVEL, IN
ADDITION TO THE QUOTE ABOVE,
QOM IS MENTIONED IN DINNER
CONVERSATION BETWEEN NADEREH
AND SORAYA'S MOTHER-IN-LAW,
WHO LONG TO RETURN TO AN
EARLIER TIME AND PLACE.
AT THE END BEHRANI RECALLS QOM
DURING HIS MERCY KILLING OF
HIS WIFE.
QUOTE: "MY EYES FILL AND SHE
BLURS BENEATH ME, BUT I TELL
TO MYSELF IT IS ONLY A SMALL
SUFFERING SHE MUST ENDURE
BEFORE SHE IS FREE TO JOIN OUR
SON, BEFORE SHE IS FREE TO
RETURN TO THE FLOWERS OF
ISFAHAN AND THE MOSQUES OF QOM
AND THE FINE HOTELS OF TEHRAN.
THUS QOM IS HOME, BUT IT IS
ALSO THE CITY OF JUSTICE,
ESPECIALLY RELIGIOUS JUSTICE."
QOM IS NOT MERELY ANY HOLY
CITY, THOUGH.
IT IS THE SITE OF A MODERN
MASSACRE.
IN JANUARY OF 1978, RELIGIOUS
STUDENTS GATHERED IN QOM TO
PROTEST THE SHAH'S SCANDALOUS
ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THEIR
SPIRITUAL AND POLITICAL LEADER
AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI.
IN RESPONSE TO THIS PEACEFUL
DEMONSTRATION, THE SHAH SENT
OUT THE POLICE, WHO GUNNED
DOWN AT LEAST 20 OF THESE
STUDENTS.
FOR THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION OF
IRAN, THESE VICTIMS BECAME
MODERN-DAY MARTYRS IN THE
STRUGGLE TO GAIN JUSTICE IN
IRAN.
IT IS IRONIC, THEN, THAT QOM
COMES TO SYMBOLIZE BOTH HOME
AND JUSTICE FOR BEHRANI, A MAN
WHO WAS A DEFENDER OF AND A
WARRIOR FOR A REGIME
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS KIND OF
MASSACRE.
IRONICALLY, AS AN EXILED
SUPPORTER AFTER FORMER REGIME
WHO HAS TURNED ITS BACK ON
ISLAM, BEHRANI IS HAUNTED BY
QOM AS A REMINDER OF HIS OWN
LACK OF FAITH AND HIS
CONNECTIONS TO INJUSTICE.
QOM WAS THE CITY THAT GAVE
BIRTH TO THE REVOLUTION THAT
EXILED BEHRANI.
IT WAS THE CENTER OF
REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZATION,
AND IT WAS THE CITY THAT THE
SHAH MOST FEARED.
EARLIER I SAID THAT ESMAIL
DIES FOR THE SINS OF BEHRANI
AND OF BURDON, AND BY
EXTENSION HE DIES BECAUSE OF
THE SINS OF IRAN AND AMERICA.
IT IS CLEAR THAT BEHRANI'S
SINS AND THE SINS OF HIS
NATION HAVE BEEN TO TURN HIS
BACK ON FAITH, FAITH NOT IN
THE STRICTLY RELIGIOUS SENSE
BUT IN THE BROADER SENSE OF
HOPE THAT HE CAN HOLD HIS
FAMILY TOGETHER WITHOUT
COMMITTING AN ACT THAT HE
KNOWS TO BE MORALLY WRONG,
EVEN IF IT IS LEGALLY SOUND.
WHAT THEN IS BURDON'S SIN?
BURDON'S SIN IS NOT SO MUCH
HIS ABANDONING OF HIS FAMILY,
NOR IS IT HIS EXTRAMARITAL
AFFAIR.
RATHER HIS GREATEST SIN IS
TRANSGRESSION OF HIS OWN VOWS
AS AN OFFICER OF THE LAW OR
WHAT HE CALLS, QUOTE-UNQUOTE,
THE GREATER GOOD.
REMEMBER HE REFERS TO THE
GREATER GOOD WHEN HE SAYS HE
PLANTED COCAINE IN THIS WIFE
BEATER'S BATHROOM.
AND THAT TO ME RESONATES ON A
NATIONAL LEVEL.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO FINE A
POINT ON IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE
SEES HIMSELF AS A POLICEMAN OF
EVERYTHING.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A KIND OF
NATIONAL RESONANCE TO THAT.
HIS PLANTING OF COCAINE IN A
WIFE-BEATER'S BATHROOM AND HIS
ENTRY INTO THE BEHRANI HOME
ARE ALL OF A PEACE.
THESE ACTS CAN BE
CHARACTERIZED BY WHAT KATHY
SAYS ABOUT HER OWN SITUATION:
"IT'S SO WRONG TO INVADE
SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME."
I SUGGEST WE PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO THIS STATEMENT
BECAUSE IT SAYS A GREAT DEAL
ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS AND
THEIR TRAGIC STORY.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE MIGHT
READ THE STATEMENT
ALLEGORICALLY.
BOTH ON AN INDIVIDUAL AND ON A
NATIONAL LEVEL, WE MIGHT ECHO
KATHY'S SENTIMENT: "IT'S SO
WRONG TO INVADE SOMEONE ELSE'S
HOME."
THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, SO MAYBE
WE CAN GO TO QUESTION AND
ANSWER, AND REMEMBER TO WAIT
FOR THE MICROPHONE BEFORE YOU
ASK YOUR QUESTIONS.
(Applause)
THEY CAN BE ABOUT THE PAPER OR
ABOUT ME.
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T SAY MUCH
ABOUT MY OWN IRANIAN
BACKGROUND.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
>> THANK YOU, PROFESSOR, FOR
YOUR TALK, AND WOULD YOU
CLARIFY FOR ME-- I JUST
COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH YOUR
DESCRIPTION OF THE MARTYRDOM
AND HOW IT WAS IRONIC-- WHO--
WHAT WAS AT STAKE IN THE
MASSACRE, AND THEREFORE WHAT
WAS THE IRONY OF HANGING THAT
PORTRAIT IN BEHRANI'S HOME?
THANKS.
>> Babak: THE IRONY DERIVES
NOT SO MUCH FROM THE EVENT IN
680 A.D., BUT THE WAY IT WAS
USED IN THE IRANIAN
REVOLUTION.
AT FIRST WHEN I READ THAT
PASSAGE I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE
A FORMER COLONEL IN THE SHAH'S
ARMY OR IN THE SHAH'S AIR
FORCE HAVE THIS ON HIS WALL,
BECAUSE THAT-- THOSE SYMBOLS
WERE USED PRECISELY AGAINST
THE SHAH.
THE SHAH WAS PAINTED AS THE
EVIL CALIPH IN THAT WHOLE-- IN
THE RETELLING OF THAT STORY.
SO BEHRANI WOULD HAVE BEEN
PAINTED ON THE SIDE OF THE
PEOPLE WHO CAME IN AND
MASSACRED EVERYONE.
AND THE REVOLUTIONARIES, LIKE
KHOMEINI, WOULD HAVE PAINTED
THEMSELVES AS THE PARTISANS OF
ALI AND THE SUPPORTERS OF
HUSAYN.
AND SO HE'S ON THE SIDE OF
INJUSTICE, BUT HE HAS THIS
PORTRAIT THAT'S ALL ABOUT SORT
OF JUSTICE, SO IT SEEMS TO BE
A COMMENT ON HIM BEING ON THE
WRONG SIDE OF A REVOLUTION, IF
THAT MAKES SENSE.
NOT QUITE, IT SEEMS LIKE.
>> WOULD YOU MIND JUST GIVING
THE HISTORY-- HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND?
WE'VE GOT TWO REVOLUTIONS,
RIGHT?
ONE IS FOLLOWING MUHAMMAD'S
DEATH.
ISN'T THAT WHAT'S BEING
PORTRAYED BY THE--
>> RIGHT.
>> PORTRAIT.
AND THEN THE KHOMEINI'S
REVOLUTION.
>> RIGHT.
>> WOULD YOU JUST GIVE US THE
HISTORICAL BACKDROP BECAUSE
I'M SKETCHY ON THIS?
THANK YOU.
>> Babak: SURE.
THE BEGINNING OF ISLAM IS
DATED BACK TO 622 WHEN
MUHAMMAD LEFT IN EXILE FROM
MECCA AND WENT TO MEDINA.
THE YEARS FOLLOWING THAT, HE
RULED.
AFTER HIS DEATH, THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE ISLAMIC
COMMUNITY BECAME CONTESTED.
SOME FOLLOWED ONE DIRECTION;
OTHERS FOLLOWED ANOTHER
DIRECTION.
A COUPLE OF GENERATIONS AFTER
HIS DEATH, YOU HAVE, ON THE
MAJORITY SIDE, THE SIDE THAT
IS ACTUALLY IN POWER, YAZID AS
THE LEADING FIGURE.
YOU HAVE ON THE OTHER SIDE
HUSAYN.
HUSAYN'S SIDE IS A VERY SMALL
GROUP.
IT'S A MINORITY KIND OF RAGTAG
GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM
THINGS LIKE THE CORE BELIEFS
ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE
POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF ISLAM.
THE CITY OF KUFA REACHES OUT
TO HUSAYN AND SAYS WOULD YOU
COME TO OUR CITY AND BE OUR
SPIRITUAL GUIDE?
HUSAYN RESPONDS TO THAT CALL,
AND ON HIS WAY TO THAT CITY,
YAZID'S FORCES COME AND ATTACK
HIM AND SLAUGHTER HIS
CONTINGENCY.
SO 70-SOME PEOPLE AGAINST
THOUSANDS.
SO THIS IS BACK IN THE 7th
CENTURY A.D..
FAST-FORWARD TO 1978.
AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI HAS BEEN
EXILED FROM IRAN BECAUSE OF
THE SHAH'S ANTI-ISLAMIC
REGIME.
IN RALLYING FORCES TO KICK THE
SHAH OUT, THE AYATOLLAH REFERS
BACK TO THESE EVENTS, AND HE
USES THIS ICONOGRAPHY IN THE
IMAGES AND HE SAYS WE ARE LIKE
HUSAYN, AND THE SHAH IS LIKE
YAZID.
WE ARE BEING PERSECUTED.
THE SHAH IS A CORRUPT REGIME.
SO BEHRANI WOULD HAVE BEEN
PAINTED AS SOMEONE ON THE SIDE
OF A CORRUPT REGIME, OKAY?
SO THE FACT THAT HE HAS THIS
IMAGE ON HIS WALL CAN BE READ
IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
I CHOOSE TO READ IT AS IRONY;
OR IT COULD BE READ THAT HE
BELIEVES HIMSELF TO BE THE
PERSECUTED, RIGHT?
THAT MAY MAKE MORE SENSE IN
SOME RESPECTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ANDRE DUBUS
SPOKE WITH A FAMILY-- WAS
INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH A
FAMILY OF IRANIANS, SO IT MAY
VERY WELL BE THAT THIS FAMILY
ACTUALLY HAD THIS PORTRAIT ON
THEIR WALL, AND IT MAY HAVE
BEEN-- IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN
IRONIC TO THEM AT ALL.
TO ME IT SEEMS IRONIC IN THAT
THE REGIME THAT KICKED HIM OUT
WOULD HAVE DEPICTED HIM AS THE
EVIL GUY, AND HERE HE IS WITH
THE WHOLE SYMBOLISM OF AN
EVENT IN WHICH HE'S
CHARACTERIZED AS THE EVIL GUY.
ANYTHING GOES.
I DON'T MIND.
WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ASK.
>> CAN THE MICROPHONE BOY ASK
A QUESTION?
(Laughing)
THIS IS GOING TO REVEAL MY
IGNORANCE OF ISLAM, BUT I'M
CURIOUS.
WHAT-- IN CHRISTIANITY
OBVIOUSLY COMMITTING SUICIDE
IS EQUIVALENT TO ETERNAL
DAMNATION.
WHAT ABOUT IN ISLAM?
WHAT WOULD BE-- BECAUSE THE
COLONEL-- AND I'M GIVING
THINGS AWAY HERE BUT THE
COLONEL KILLED HIS WIFE AND
THEN KILL HIMSELF AND EXPECTS
TO BE REUNITED WITH HIS FAMILY
IN THE AFTERWORLD.
IS THAT A REALISTIC
EXPECTATION?
DOES SUICIDE CARRY WITH IT ALL
OF THESE NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS
LIKE IT DOES IN CHRISTIANITY?
>> Babak: IN THAT SITUATION,
IT CERTAINLY WOULD.
I MEAN IT'S NOT-- HE'S NOT
MARTYRING HIMSELF.
HE'S JUST DECIDING HE CAN'T
CONTINUE WITH THE STRUGGLE.
>> SO IF YOU COMMIT SUICIDE IN
AN ACT OF MARTYRDOM, THEN
THAT'S OKAY?
>> Babak: WELL, SEE, I WAS
ACTUALLY NERVOUS ABOUT
BRINGING THIS UP, BECAUSE I
DON'T WANT TO REINFORCE THE
STEREOTYPE THAT MUSLIMS ARE
THESE FANATICS WHO WOULD STRAP
A BOMB TO THEMSELVES AND BLOW
THEMSELVES UP BECAUSE, FOR
MOST IRANIANS, THEY REMEMBER
THIS MOMENT AT KARBALA, BUT
THEY WOULDN'T-- YOU KNOW, THEY
WOULDN'T DO THAT TO
THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE
SAID THIS PLENTY OF TIMES, AND
IT BEARS REPEATING: IT'S A
MINORITY OF VERY FANATIC
MUSLIMS WHO CARRY OUT THOSE
KINDS OF ACTS, AND THEY'RE
MOTIVATED NOT BY RELIGION SO
MUCH AS BY NATIONALISM.
I MEAN RELIGION ALLOWS THEM TO
EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY'RE
DOING THIS, BUT THEIR
MOTIVATIONS ARE SORT OF
NATIONALISTIC AND
ANTI-IMPERIALIST ORIGINALLY.
SO YEAH, I MEAN THAT SCENE, I
DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
A KIND OF MARTYRDOM GOING ON
THERE.
IT IS SUICIDE, YEAH.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> Babak: THERE'S ONE IN THE
CORNER UP THERE.
STUDENTS CAN ASK QUESTIONS.
>> I WONDER IF YOU WOULD
COMMENT ON THE RELATIVE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORDS
"PERSIAN" AND "IRANIAN" AND
WHAT THAT HAS-- WHAT MEANINGS
THOSE TERMS HAVE.
>> Babak: RIGHT.
THE WORD PERSIAN COMES FROM
PARS OR PERSEPOLIS, AND IT'S
SORT OF A REGIONAL
DESIGNATION, BUT IT'S ALSO A
LANGUAGE, FARSI AND PERSIAN
ARE RELATED TERMS.
IRAN DERIVES FROM THE WORD
ARYAN, WHICH WAS USED TO REFER
TO THE ETHNIC GROUP THAT IN
ANCIENT TIMES MOVED FROM
CENTRAL ASIA DOWN INTO THE
PERSIAN DESERT.
WHAT I'M MOST FAMILIAR WITH,
AND PERHAPS IS MOST
CONTROVERSIAL ABOUT THE USE OF
THE WORD IRAN, IS THAT IT WAS
ONLY COINED IN 1935, AND IN
FACT IT WAS INFLUENCED BY
GERMAN IDEOLOGIES OF THE ARYAN
RACE, SO REZA SHAH PAHLAVI,
THE DICTATOR AT THE TIME, FELT
THAT THIS WAS KIND OF AN
ATTRACTIVE IDEOLOGY TO BORROW
AND SAY WE ARE IRANIANS, YOU
KNOW, WE ARE IRAN, THE LANDS
OF THE ARYANS.
BEYOND THAT, THERE'S A LOT I
DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S ABOUT THE EXTENT OF MY
KNOWLEDGE OF THAT DISTINCTION.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT
SOME OF THE WIDER RACIAL AND
RACIALIST IMPLICATIONS, AND
YOUR ANSWER ACTUALLY
COMPLICATES MATTERS EVEN
FURTHER.
LESTER'S HATRED, OR AT LEAST
HIS ANGER TOWARDS THE IRANIAN
FAMILY IS FUELED IN PART-- I
MEAN IN PART BY HIS KNOWLEDGE
OF WHAT HIS WIFE TOLD HIM THE
SHAH HAD DONE AND SO FORTH.
SO IT'S BASED PARTLY ON HIS
LARGER NOTIONS OF SYMPATHIZING
WITH THE WEAK AND THE
OPPRESSED, AND AGAIN THAT'S
PART OF HIS COWBOY, SHERIFF,
SET THE WORLD RIGHT THING.
>> Babak: RIGHT.
>> BUT THE OTHER PART OF IT WE
FIND OUT IS ASSOCIATED WITH
HIS FEAR AND HATRED OF MEXICAN
AMERICANS, WHO BULLIED HIM AS
A BOY.
>> Babak: YES.
>> AND SO YOU HAVE THIS
INTERESTING THING, AND THEN AT
THE VERY END, WHEN ESMAIL IS
KILLED, HE IS MISTAKEN
APPARENTLY FOR A MEXICAN OR AT
LEAST SOMEONE OF COLOR.
>> Babak: YES.
>> THAT'S EVEN MORE IRONIC
GIVEN THE NOTION OF
SELF-IDENTIFICATION OF AT
LEAST SOME PERSIANS AS ARYANS.
>> Babak: OH, SURE.
>> AND THAT WHOLE-- SO IT
SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMPLICATED
SITUATION.
>> Babak: YOU MEAN THAT
ESMAIL'S FATHER MIGHT HAVE
BEEN OFFENDED IF SOMEONE--
>> IF SOMEBODY HAD SAID, OH,
YOU KNOW, THIS IS-- YES.
>> Babak: SURE.
NO, I MEAN I GREW UP IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND I
REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST MOVED
THERE, PEOPLE WOULD APPROACH
MY FATHER AND START SPEAKING
SPANISH TO HIM.
YOU KNOW, JUST ETHNICALLY, WE
KIND OF LOOKED CHICANO.
WE PASSED FOR CHICANO, AND IN
FACT THAT LED ME, IN COLLEGE,
TO READ A GREAT DEAL OF
CHICANO LITERATURE.
YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF SORT OF
RESISTING IT, I SAID, OKAY,
I'M GOING TO DELVE RIGHT INTO
THIS.
YEAH, I MEAN FOR IRANIANS
THEMSELVES, THERE WAS THIS
SENSE OF TRYING TO DISTANCE
THEMSELVES FROM OTHER MINORITY
GROUPS, NOT BY AND LARGE, MIND
YOU.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE--
LET ME PUT IT ANOTHER WAY.
WHEN IMMIGRANTS COME TO THE
U.S., THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
WAYS TO ASSIMILATE.
ONE OF THOSE WAYS IS TO NOT SO
MUCH BECOME WHITE, BUT TO NOT
BECOME BLACK OR CHICANO.
TONI MORRISON WRITES ABOUT
THIS.
SHE IN-- I THINK IT WAS A
"TIME" MAGAZINE ARTICLE TITLED
"ON THE BACKS OF BLACKS," AND
HOW ONE STEP IN THE PROCESS OF
BECOMING WHITE IS TO SHOW THAT
YOU'RE NOT BLACK.
ANOTHER PROCESS, QUITE
DIFFERENT FROM THAT, IS WHEN
IMMIGRANTS COME HERE AND ARE
WHITE AND ACTUALLY EMBRACE
THINGS LIKE RAP MUSIC OR
CHICANO LITERATURE, AS IN MY
CASE, YOU KNOW.
PART OF BECOMING AMERICAN IS
TO EMBRACE ITS
MULTICULTURALISM.
THERE ARE THOSE TWO PATHS
GOING ON, GENERALLY, YOU KNOW,
SOCIOLOGICALLY SPEAKING.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE NOVEL
ITSELF, I THINK BURDON'S
HANGUP, BURDON'S BURDEN IS
PARTLY-- YEAH, EXACTLY, THE
WHITE MAN'S BURDEN, YEAH.
(Student inaudible)
>> TOWARDS LATIN AMERICA AND
TOWARDS NON-WHITE PEOPLE IN
AMERICA AS WELL AS ACTIONS--
>> Babak: SURE.
I MEAN HIS FATHER WAS AN
I.N.S. OFFICER.
HE HIMSELF, AS YOU SAID, WAS
BEATEN UP BY CHICANO KIDS
GROWING UP SO, YEAH, THAT'S
DEFINITELY A PART OF IT.
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS?
CONCERNS?
>> HI.
I'D LIKE TO ASK WHY YOUR
FAMILY CAME TO THE UNITED
STATES.
>> Babak: AH, COMPLICATED
QUESTION.
WE LEFT IRAN SOME TEN YEARS
BEFORE THE REVOLUTION, SO WE
WEREN'T EXILES IN THAT SENSE.
IT WAS MY MOTHER WHO INITIATED
IT, AND THE WAY SHE DESCRIBED
IT TO ME LATER IS SHE WANTED
HER SONS TO BE EDUCATED IN THE
WEST, IN THE BEST SCHOOLS AND
SO FORTH.
SO IT REALLY WAS A KIND OF,
YOU KNOW, LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
KIND OF MOVE.
FIRST THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
FOR US WAS ENGLAND.
THAT'S WHERE WE FIRST WENT AND
THEN CAME TO THE STATES SOME
TEN YEARS AFTER THAT, SEVEN
YEARS AFTER THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY STORY IS
CLOSER TO THE TRADITIONAL
IMMIGRANT STORIES OF COMING
AND TRYING TO MAKE IT, YOU
KNOW, IN AMERICA SO.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> Babak: GOOD.
DON'T BE SHY.
THERE WE GO.
>> WHAT EXACTLY PROMPTED YOU
TO SWITCH FROM WANTING TO BE A
ROCK STAR TO LITERATURE-- TO
BE A SCHOLAR IN LITERATURE,
AND I CAN'T REPEAT ALL THOSE
THINGS AT THE BEGINNING.
I DON'T REMEMBER.
>> Babak: RIGHT.
AH, BOY.
I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT
PERSONAL.
I STILL WANT TO BE A ROCK
STAR.
(Laughing)
JUST DOING THIS UNTIL, YOU
KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENS.
(Laughing)
WELL, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY,
YEAH, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE
SOMETHING TO FALL BACK ON AND
YOU FIND YOURSELF CONSTANTLY
FALLING BACK.
I STILL PLAY MUSIC BUT THIS
PAYS THE BILLS.
YOU KNOW, FREDDIE MERCURY WAS
IRANIAN.
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
THE LEAD SINGER OF QUEEN.
>> COULD YOU REFLECT ABOUT THE
IMMIGRANTS' EXPERIENCE COMING
TO AMERICA AND REMEMBERING
SOME OF THE COMMENTARY FROM
THE FALL LECTURE SERIES, I
THINK-- I KNOW WE'VE GOT LOTS
OF FODDER TO CONSIDER BEHRANI
AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND SOME OF
HIS MISTAKES AS MAYBE A HUMAN
BEING AND MAYBE THE CULTURE
CLASH, BUT VIS-A-VIS THE
AMERICAN DREAM AND HOW
WELCOMING OR MYTHICAL THAT
MIGHT BE, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT
THE HURDLES IMMIGRANTS FACE?
>> Babak: SURE.
>> AND CULTURAL SPECIFICS IF
IT COMES TO MIND.
THANKS.
>> Babak: SURE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I
TOOK OUT OF THIS TALK AS I WAS
WHITTLING IT DOWN TO GET IT
INTO 45 MINUTES OR SO WAS A
DISCUSSION OF KATHY NICOLO AND
THE BEHRANIS' DAUGHTER SORAYA.
REMEMBER THERE'S THAT ONE
MOMENT WHEN KATHY GOES OVER TO
THE BEHRANIS' HOUSE AND SAYS,
OKAY, I'M JUST GOING TO GO
OVER THERE AND TALK TO HER
WOMAN TO WOMAN.
SHE GOES TO NADEREH, THE WIFE.
AND THE WIFE LOOKS AT HER AND
SAYS, OH, YOU LOOK JUST LIKE
MY DAUGHTER AND HOLDS UP THE
PICTURE OF SORAYA.
AND THEN THEY KEEP TALKING AND
SHE SAYS ARE YOU ARMENIAN?
ARE YOU GREEK?
AND KATHY SAYS ONE WORD:
ITALIAN.
SO I THINK IN THE BOOK THERE'S
THIS CONTRAST BETWEEN THE
IMMIGRATION OF THE TURN OF THE
CENTURY, WHICH THEN WAS CALLED
"THE NEW IMMIGRATION."
YOU KNOW, ITALIANS COMING,
JEWS FROM EASTERN EUROPE IN
THE 1880s THROUGH THE 1920s.
SO I WOULD GUESS THAT HER
FAMILY HERITAGE DATES BACK TO
THAT WAVE OF IMMIGRATION.
AND THEN, AFTER 1965, YOU
HAVE, YOU KNOW, IMMIGRANTS
THAT CAN BE CHARACTERIZED IN
THAT FIRST SCENE OF THIS
NOVEL, WHERE BEHRANI IS ON
THIS ROAD CREW WITH
PANAMANIANS, VIETNAMESE AND
MEXICANS.
NOW WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THOSE TWO WAVES OF
IMMIGRATION?
TO MY MIND, THAT FIRST WAVE OF
IMMIGRATION, THE AMERICAN
DREAM STILL HAD SOME MEANING
PERHAPS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FOUND
THEMSELVES IN SWEATSHOPS AND
THE CRUELEST ECONOMIC
CONDITIONS BACK THEN, BUT IT
WAS REALLY A KIND OF PULL KIND
OF IMMIGRATION, THAT THE
BENEFITS OF AMERICA PULLED
PEOPLE HERE.
NOW IT'S INTERESTING THAT
DUBUS PICKS A PANAMANIAN AND A
VIETNAMESE AND AN IRANIAN IN
THAT FIRST SCENE, BECAUSE
AFTER '65, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT INFLUENCES IMMIGRATION IS
U.S. INVOLVEMENT OVERSEAS.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE, YOU KNOW,
THE CHICKENS COMING HOME TO
ROOST.
THE U.S. GOES OUT AND GETS
INVOLVED IN VIETNAM.
THE U.S. GOES OUT AND GETS
INVOLVED IN PANAMA AND IRAN
AND IS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
A CRISIS IN THAT NATION.
PEOPLE ARE EXILED AND THEY
COME HERE.
SO THE IMMIGRANT DREAM REALLY
CHANGES, OR ACTUALLY, YOU
KNOW, MAYBE IT'S AN IMMIGRANT
NIGHTMARE AT THAT POINT IF
IT'S EXILE.
WITH BEHRANI I THINK THE
DISTINCTION IS IN TERMS OF
EXILE VERSUS IMMIGRATION.
YOU KNOW, EXILE AS SOMETHING
THAT'S FORCED.
OFTEN THERE'S NO WAY TO GO
BACK.
THE REGIME IN POWER CONSIDERS
YOU AN OUTCAST.
AND FOR IRANIANS, THERE WAS
THE ADDED BURDEN OF, OH, NOW
WE'RE CONSIDERED
HOSTAGE-TAKERS AND TERRORISTS
IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN 1979, '80,
'81, THROUGH THE EARLY '80s, I
FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT MYSELF
TO ASSIMILATE.
IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO SORT
OF BECOME AMERICAN.
I MEAN IT STILL STAYS WITH ME.
I MEAN I CONSIDER MYSELF
AMERICAN.
I HAVE KIDS THAT WERE BORN
HERE.
MY WIFE IS AMERICAN, SO I AM
AMERICAN, BUT IN THE-- JUST
TELL YOU A STORY.
1998, I BELIEVE, WORLD CUP,
WHEN IRAN WAS PLAYING THE
U.S., IT WAS PRETTY TOUGH FOR
ME.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO ROOT FOR.
YOU KNOW, IRAN WON, AND I-- I
IRRESISTIBLY JUMPED UP AND,
YOU KNOW, PUMPED MY ARMS.
PARTLY THAT WAS BECAUSE I JUST
ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOG USUALLY,
BUT PARTLY IT WAS ALSO, YOU
KNOW, THIS CORE OF LOYALTY TO
A NATION.
AND NOT ALL OF US ARE
BOMB-WIELDING TERRORISTS,
RIGHT?
I THINK THAT IS THE ADDED
BURDEN, WHEN YOU'RE SEEN AND
CHARACTERIZED A PARTICULAR
WAY, AND PEOPLE DON'T SEE THE
ENTIRE YOU.
THAT TENDS TO BE A PROBLEM FOR
IMMIGRANTS, TOO.
>> HI.
FOR THE STORY, WE SEE THAT THE
COLONEL, HE HANGS UP THE IMAGE
OF THIS FAMILY HE SAYS HE DOES
IT FOR HIS FAMILY, AND ALSO HE
REPRESENTS THE VALUES OF THE
GOVERNMENT THAT WAS IN IRAN
WHEN HE WAS ON THE MILITARY.
BUT THEN WE REALIZE THAT HE'S
NOT DOING THAT FOR WHAT HE'S
DOING FOR HIS FAMILY AND THAT
HE DIDN'T REALLY-- WE
UNDERSTAND THAT HE DIDN'T
REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HIS
GOVERNMENT, THAT THEY WERE BAD
PEOPLE AND STUFF.
SO DOES HE REALLY REPRESENTS
WHAT BEING AN IRANIAN MEANS,
OR IS HE JUST HOLDING TO SOME
IMAGE HE DID TO HIMSELF?
>> Babak: OKAY.
IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY,
YOU'RE ASKING IS BEHRANI A
REPRESENTATIVE IRANIAN?
>> YEAH.
>> Babak: OR IS HE A
PARTICULAR KIND OF PERSON AND
SHOULD WE-- SHOULD WE SEE HIM
AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND NOT
REPRESENTING--
>> YEAH.
THAT'S MY QUESTION.
>> Babak: I THINK THAT'S A
FAIR QUESTION.
AND CLEARLY HE'S NOT
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE
NATION, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
HE'S NO LONGER PART OF THE
NATION, FOR ONE THING.
YOU KNOW, AFTER THE
REVOLUTION, HE HAS A DIFFERENT
KIND OF COUNTRY.
I THINK I WOULD GO BACK TO
WHAT I BEGAN WITH, WHICH IS
BEHRANI SHOWS US NOT JUST IRAN
BUT AMERICA AS WELL.
FOR EXAMPLE THE FACT THAT HE
AND BURDON BOTH WEAR UNIFORMS.
IN THAT SENSE, THE FACT THAT
THEY ARE BOTH OFFICIALS OF THE
STATE IN SOME WAY, I THINK
OUTWEIGHS THE FACT THAT ONE IS
AMERICAN AND ONE IS IRANIAN.
IN A SENSE, THAT PARALLEL IS
MORE IMPORTANT.
SO IN THIS PAPER I CHOSE TO
FOCUS ON ONE ASPECT OF HIS
IDENTITY, THE FACT THAT HE'S
IRANIAN.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD
SORT OF PIGEONHOLE THAT
CHARACTER TO THAT PARTICULAR
ASPECT.
THERE'S MUCH MORE TO HIM AND
MUCH MORE TO IRAN THAN SIMPLY
MAKING A ONE-TO-ONE
CORRELATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
>> BABAK, YOU TALKED ABOUT
COMPETING IMAGES IN THE NOVEL,
AND I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR WHAT
YOU THINK ABOUT, IN MY MIND,
THE IMAGE OF THE VODKA
CEREMONY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT,
WHERE IT TAKES ON A KIND OF
CEREMONIAL OR SPIRITUAL
ASPECT.
>> Babak: YEAH.
>> COMPETING WITH THE IMAGE OF
KATHY AND HER UNCONTROLLABLE
RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL.
>> Babak: THAT'S A GREAT
COMPARISON.
HONESTLY, I HAVEN'T THOUGHT
DEEPLY ABOUT THAT BUT, YOU
KNOW, IT IS RITUALIZED.
THERE'S THE CUP-BEARER,
REFERRED TO AS THE SAKE IN
THAT SESSION, AND AS I SAID IT
DERIVES FROM SUFI POETRY TO A
CERTAIN EXTENT, THAT SUFIS
DESCRIBED DRINKING WINE AND
BEING DRUNK AS METAPHORS FOR
SPIRITUALITY, SO IT EVEN HAS
THAT CONNOTATION TO IT.
THE FACT THAT THEY'RE, YOU
KNOW, MILITARY MEN IS AN ADDED
KIND OF-- I DON'T KNOW, NOTE
OF ORDER TO THAT WHOLE
CEREMONY.
WHEREAS, YOU'RE RIGHT, WITH
KATHY IT'S KIND OF
UNCONTROLLED URGE, ADDICTION
REALLY.
TO MY MIND, MAYBE-- YOU KNOW,
I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?
IS THAT TOO STARK A CONTRAST?
I MEAN, IS IT TOO-- TOO MUCH
OF A BINARY OPPOSITION OF, YOU
KNOW, THE DISCIPLINED IRANIAN
AND THE UNDISCIPLINED
AMERICAN?
THAT JUXTAPOSITION SEEMS TO BE
ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THIS
BOOK, AND I'M WONDERING IF
IT'S TOO STARK IF THAT
CONTRAST.
I DON'T KNOW.
>> JUST MAYBE A QUICK
FOLLOW-UP, THAT FROM THE POINT
OF VIEW OF KHOMEINI'S PEOPLE,
MUCH STRICTER, SHIITE, THEY--
THE OFFICER WOULD SEEM-- THEY
WOULD SEEM TO BE LICENTIOUS
AND SO FORTH.
>> Babak: OH, SURE, RIGHT,
RIGHT.
>> WOULDN'T STRICT MUSLIMS NOT
DRINK ALCOHOL AT ALL?
>> Babak: NO OF COURSE.
WE'VE FORGOTTEN THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING.
ISLAM FORBIDS THE USE OF
ALCOHOL.
>> AND THAT I THINK LEADS IN A
WAY TO ANOTHER COMPLICATION OF
BEHRANI'S IDENTITY.
THERE'S A WAY IN WHICH HE'S
NOT AN IRANIAN, BUT IN A
EUROPEAN IRANIAN OR IRANIAN
EUROPEAN, THERE'S-- YOU
MENTIONED THE THING ABOUT
ITALY AND THEN HIS WIFE GOES
ON AND ON ABOUT THEIR TRIPS TO
ITALY AND HOW SHE EVEN MET
SOPHIA LOREN.
THEY HAVE EUROPEAN-- MANY
EUROPEAN LUXURIES AND THEY'VE
TRAVELED TO EUROPE AND THEY
SPEAK EUROPEAN LANGUAGES, AND
THERE IS A WAY, I THINK-- OF
COURSE THERE'S A LOT OF BIG
CLASS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
LESTER AND KATHY AND BEHRANI'S
FAMILY.
BUT THERE IS A WAY IN WHICH
THESE IRANIANS ARE CLOSER TO
THE CORE OF, QUOTE, WESTERN
CIVILIZATION, EUROPEAN--
EURO-ASIAN, WHATEVER, CULTURE
IN WAYS THAT YOU COULD SAY
THAT THESE CALIFORNIANS--
THESE LOWER-MIDDLE-CLASS
CALIFORNIANS HAVE COMPLETELY
LOST-- I MEAN THAT NOTION OF
THE-- SORRY, GOING BACK TO THE
AMERICAN PIONEER, SOMEBODY
THAT LOST CONTACT WITH
CIVILIZATION AND NEVER GOT IT
BACK, GOT A STRIP MALL
INSTEAD.
>> Babak: WELL, YEAH.
>> BEHRANI FEELS THEY'RE
SAVAGES.
>> Babak: I'LL LEAVE ASIDE THE
VULGARITY (Chuckling)