How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Panel)
Quote #4
"Put your cigarette out. They say that the glow of a cigarette is the easiest thing to see from the sky."
"But we're in the basement here!" (14.3)
This is a funny exchange—of course no one can see the light from a cigarette in a basement—but it shows how absurd the paranoia can get when you're cowering in fear from a bomb.
Quote #5
"The masking tape is to protect against flying glass during a bombing and the black curtains are to protect us from our neighbors." (14.6)
Paranoia and fear are at an all-time high in Tehran at this time, because enemies come from all sides. Marji's mom has to try to protect the family against Iraqi bombers and neighbors, who might turn the family in because of their non-Fundamentalist lifestyle. No wonder they're so paranoid: they can't trust anyone.
Quote #6
I was very scared. It was the end of my career. (27.23)
Being from Iran, Marjane is accustomed to living with fear. That's just how they roll there. As a result, even though she's scared of getting expelled for drug use… she doesn't curb her drug use any. At least she stops dealing, though—that's a step, we guess.