Jane Stinnette Whittington 1
Advanced Placement English Language
Dixie County High School
12 October 2017
Children of the Jacaranda Tree
Part I: Exposition of Plot
Everybody has a metaphorical tree inside them, but finding it takes a while. Neda
is birthed in Evin Prison, where her mother is allowed to care for her for only a few
months before a guard appears at the cell door one day and snatches her away from
her mother. Omid, a three-year-old, witnesses his political activist parents get
arrested. Over twenty years after the devastating and bloody purge that took place
inside Tehran's prisons, Sheida learns that her father was one of those killed, that
the tension and pain between her and her mother all these years was not just the
loss of her father, but fear of murder. Neda, Omid, and Sheida are three characters
in the novel, out of many. The setting is set during post-revolutionary Iran
(1923-2011). It describes the lives of a group of parents, children, and lovers, some
family, others brought together by their equal fear. Some years later, it is the the
next generation that is left with the burden of the past and their country's tenuous
future as a new wave of protest and political strife begins. Based on the distressing
experiences of author Sahar Delijani, her family and friends, Children of the
Jacaranda Tree is a timely drama about three generations of families moved by
love, inspired by poetry, and motivated by the at first, seemingly unachievable
dream of freedom.
Part II: Controversial Content
Children of the Jacaranda Tree has a prolific weight of history attached to it. The
author's note tells the readers that this is "an attempt … to shed light on this dark
moment in Iranian history, on its tales of violence, prison and death … to give
voice not only to the victims of this atrocity but also to the ordeal of their families
and their children". The "dark moment" is 1988, when several thousands of
political prisoners were killed in Iran, including Sahar Delijani's uncle. Her parents
were fortunate to have been released from prison prior to the "purge.” At the start
of the novel it seems that Delijani has placed a large pressure on herself to find the
language to relate such a terrible story. Chapter one tells the story of a political
captive giving birth in Tehran's Evin prison, knowing that her child will soon be
snatched away from her. The language is too overheated to be convincing, and
there are a confusing number of character names mentioned such as several
women prisoners, their unrevealed relatives, and a male guard. Many of these
characters play merely a minor role, and the author's lack of control seems the most
obvious explanation. Political views and death are the most controversial about this
book.
Part III: Literary Meritocracy
History is extremely important to be taught in public schools. History should be
taught in all aspects so that...
