Examining Zinat

The first scene between Ashraf and Zinat:
This scene portrays Zinat not just as a doctor, but as a health educator. Ashraf comes in holding her baby; Zinat reaches for the baby and Ashraf pulls away demonstrating her mistrust of Zinat. Next, Ashraf refuses the vaccine Zinat is preparing and accuses Zinat of trying to harm her baby. Ashraf is uncomfortable with Western medicine and the real reason of her visit to the health clinic is revealed when Zinat gets out a can of milk. Zinat pleads with Ashraf to vaccinate the child, but Ashraf rips up her babies paper chart and throws it at Zinat. Then she accuses Zinat of stealing the health clinic’s milk. I think these accusations were meant to show how angry Ashraf was and perhaps to foreshadow the accusations she makes when her baby dies As Zinat pleads with Ashraf to vaccinate the baby, it is clear how important this job is to her and how invested she is in it.

Discussion between Zinat’s parents about her working at the health clinic:
Zinat’s sits doing needle work. She expresses concerns about Zinat. Her mother feels it is changing her, that Zinat is tired all the time. She is annoyed with Zinat’s father for getting her started at the clinic. He replies that all the other girls quite and it wasn’t his fault she was so persistent. The lightheartedness of this remark suggests he is really proud of Zinant. Her mother continues that she is afraid Zinat will get ill from one of her patients. It’s time for her to stop working and get married. Zinat’s father talks about difficult economic times. He wants Zinat to be able to take care of herself. So many husbands die in the Golf, what will she do then? Zinat’s mother dismisses this with a smile, chiding him for talking of bad times. Zinat’s father goes on to mention that he wants Zinat to be happy. This demonstrates how well he knows his daughter. He understands that she will be bored without her own work, while her mother cannot really see her. Her mother argues that happiness is in marriage. She reminds her husband that they were raised with these traditions and Zinat must take her place in them. Her mother’s identity comes from her marriage. She cannot see Zinat as having an identity of her own outside of marriage.
The gender power dynamics were interesting to me in this film, particularly in this scene. It is Zinat’s father that wants to break gender boundaries for his daughter, while her mother wants to maintain the status quo. Later, Zinat’s father forbids her to go to work. Even though the decision originated with Zinat’s mother, her father acts alone in forbidding her to work, enforcing the restriction, and punishing her for being disobedient.

The first scene between Hamed and Zinat:
The first scene between Hamed and Zinat was surprising to me. He was so adamant about marrying her or no one at all; I assumed he was interested in her because he had a similar out look as she did. However, when they met, he quickly dismissed her ideas about continuing to work when they were married. He did not want their children to be neglected while she cared for other people’s children. Zinat protested that she could work and still be devoted to her own family. Hamed replied that if she worked, she would be other people’s wife. The scene left me wondering what, if he was interested in a traditional marriage, had drawn him to Zinat. I was also curious what she thought about him. I think she was hoping he would support her working and be her advocate with their families. This scene solidified that Zinat was alone and would be alone in her marriage.

Dinner between Hamed, Zinat, and Saleleh:
This scene was boring, which matched how Zinat must have been feeling. Hamed comes home from work to the house that Zinat has been locked in all day. Zinat serves dinner for the three of them. Hamed says he is tired and talks a little about his day. Then they are silent. I wondered again why Hamed had wanted to marry an interesting, educated woman if he did not want to talk to her. But I also recognized the complicated dynamics of the third party. How could Zinat truly discuss her day or her emotions with her mother-in-law there? Marriage for Zinat was joining her husband’s family, different from starting a life with one other person. Like Sanglian in Raise the Red Lantern, Zinat must learn and follow the rules of the household she was given to. Sitting silently at dinner, she has no identity. Nothing is expected of her outside of fulfilling her responsibilities.

Looking at Hamed in the final scenes:
When we first meet Hamed, he is defiantly announcing that he will marry Zinat or know one at all. None of this strength and determinedness is present at the end of the film.
When Ashraf banged on the window and Hamed sent her away saying that Zinat was not a doctor, it echoed his mother’s behavior. Both Hamed and his mother were so desperate to hold onto their belief that Zinat should not work that they were willing to disregard the well being of a child. This was a clear moment that showed how the family unit was stronger than the larger community unit. This can also be seen in the layout of the houses, with an inner courtyard enabling life to be contained within the walls of the house.
It was clear with Hamed’s behavior in the room with Ashraf and her sick daughter that he was nervous being around a sick child and doubted Zinat’s abilities to be helpful. When the insertion of the straw is successful and Ashraf returns, Hamed proudly announces that her child is saved. He smiles broadly into the camera acknowledging his amazement at what Zinat has done, but they do not share a moment. It is significant that he gets on the truck at the end of the film, but I would have liked for him to reach out to her, touch her hand or her shoulder, a gesture to show that he sees her.

Revised ending:
Ashraf comes to the window and Hamad turns her away. Then she comes to the door and Saleleh is trying to turn away, while Zinat is concerned and pleads to go. Hamed take Zinat’s side against his mother. Zinat and Hamed the house together. At Ashraf’s Hamed stands while Zinat looks at the child and then ask her if there is anything she can do. Zinat explains the breathing problem and what she must do to Ashraf and Hamid. Ashraf is afraid, but Hamed reassures her. Zinat looks at him and he looks back. Then Ashraf and Hamid hold her child while Zinat makes the cut and inserts the straw. Zinat and Hamid leave Ashraf with her child and sit side by side on the steps. In the morning, they load the child onto the truck. Hamed jumps in. The camera angle changes and we see him from the back, several feet away we see his mother. He looks out at her, then reaches out his hand and looks down. Zinat places her hand in his. The camera angle changes and we see her from the back as Hamed is helping her into the truck. The truck begins to move as she settles in next to him.