Throughout the world, turmoil, war, and devastation occur daily, but life- long effects on the people that must experience tragedy are rarely recognized or examined, especially the impact on children. Dalia Sofer’s The Septembers of Shiraz gives readers a unique window into the thoughts and feelings of a nine-year-old girl, who plays a main role in the novel. Shirin must grow up fast in the short span of time that the story takes place. Reading Shirin’s innermost thoughts makes it hard to ignore that in the future, she will experience some life-long effects of that traumatic year.
The family that the book focused on had serious issues aside from what was going on in the outside world with the Islamic revolution. Communication amongst members of the family was absent, which does not make it surprising that her mother never explained where her father was, or how she felt about it. Left alone to her thoughts, Shirin felt a great deal of guilt, which led her to the risky, heroic activities she was involved with. Shirin began stealing files containing information of people who are supposed to be arrested, because she feels that she should try to help others not share the fate of her father. Through the same activity Shirin carried the guilt that she could be caught, and more harm would come to her family.
Shirin’s emotional state is clear when she says, “I am nine years old. Do I deserve to reach ten?” (Sofer, 183) A small girl questioning whether she should live to see her next birthday is heartbreaking. She continues to explain how she has lost her good friends, her brother is away in America, and her father is becoming harder to remember as well. Her mother, who is caught up in all of the drama of their lives is unable to be there to comfort and guide Shirin, which leaves Shirin further isolated. No one can answer her questions, because there are no answers to give. Everyone in the story is trying to figure out what they should do themselves. Young children like Shirin are left to try and figure out what they should do and to make drastic decisions that in normal conditions such young people would not have to make.
While she was in school, Shirin’s teacher discussed the war effort, and asked who would volunteer. Only two students volunteered, one of them being Shirin’s friend Leila. After class, Shirin and Leila discuss Leila’s will to volunteer for the war effort. Shirin had told Leila that she thought children were used to clear the mines, and Leila responded, “So what? Someone has to clear the mines. And it’s better to save the grown-ups for the real fighting. You know, they give you your one key when you volunteer” (Sofer, 243). The fact that Leila was ready to commit a potentially suicidal mission is alarming. Even more disturbing is that the teacher gave the students who hypothetically volunteered to go to war a night off of homework. In the age Shirin was growing up, she was surrounded by the ideas that going to war and death were commendable actions. How would she be impacted for the rest of her life? It is at her age when we absorb what is around us and are easily swayed by higher authority figures.
Shirin’s role in The Septembers of Shiraz is a reminder that the children are immensely affected by war, conflict, and events greater than themselves. It is easy to ignore the children by telling ourselves “Oh they are young, they do not understand what is going on,” but we must realize that those children represent the future leaders, mothers, and citizens of our world, and what they experience in their youth can change their lives forever. What will they remember and learn from their childhood? Will children of tragedy remember that lying, death, war, and violence are necessary parts of everyday life or that they felt so alone that their lives were no longer worth living? These burning questions will stay with the children as they age, and become adults, forcing them to decide if the cycle of war and destruction will continue.