Not Without My Daughter

Betty’s experiences in Not Without My Daughter are rooted in the stark differences between her American upbringing and the traditional values embedded in Iranian society. This fundamental cultural clash becomes evident from the very beginning of the narrative, as Betty finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar environment to which she cannot adapt. Even in the earliest stages of the journey, when the family is on the plane, Betty contemplates her appearance and expresses her growing discomfort at the situation: 

Once more I glanced at my reflection, dismissing the thought of running a brush through my brown hair. Why bother? I asked myself. I donned the heavy green scarf Moody said I must wear whenever we were outdoors. Knotted under my chin, it made me look like an old peasant woman (10).

The scarf, and later change the traditional roosarie (a long scarf), chador (a head and body cover), and the montoe (a long coat), are all clothing articles that Betty comes to view as the tools of repression and imprisonment. Betty’s beauty standards stand in stark contrast with the Islamic dress code with which she must comply. The juxtaposition of her liberal, individualistic American values and the conservative, communal values of Iran sets the stage for the tension and conflict that permeate the narrative.