Neither East Nor West Analysis

When Public and Private Life Meet in Christiane Bird’s Neither East Nor West Neither East Nor West is a travel narrative by Christiane Bird about her travels in Iran. As a child Bird called Iran home, and wanted to go back as an adult after hearing about the country all over the news in her current home, New York City. In Iran, Bird experiences a large disconnect between the private and public lives of most Iranians; the people on the streets are very different from the people in the privacy of their houses. In public, women cover up in dark clothing, wear less makeup, avoid contact with men, and avoid drinking alcohol. For some women, these precautions are taken to avoid negative encounters the komieth, and have very little, if anything,
One woman brings vodka. Cokes are ordered and quickly after, vodka is poured into the coke. In this way, a very private activity, drinking, is brought into a public restaurant. What is also worth noting is how much enjoyment the simple act of drinking the prohibited liquid provides those at the table. One might even conclude that the process of serving the alcohol was more important to Bird’s tablemates than actually drinking it. If the vodka they was being drank legally, most of the excitement and enjoyment of possessing it would disappear. It seems as if humans, in general, are inclined to do what they are not supposed to, and feel a certain kind of exhilaration while doing so. Even the style of writing used while retelling the story is distinctly fun and mischievous. It is written in a way that also helps the reader feel the exhilaration the group must have been feeling at that moment. The section of the chapter is definitely meant to be read quickly with an excited
The stories Bird tells can sometimes present such a stark contrast between the public and private lives of Iranians. The vodka at the restaurant and Shirin wearing makeup at the supermarket can serve as reminders to readers that the two lives some Iranians live are distinct yet connected. While at the Tiare, other diners seemed to be oblivious to the actions taking place at Bird’s table. This raises the question of how many times Bird is unable to notice public lives and private lives converging right before her eyes. Sometimes it is obvious, like Shirin wearing makeup at the supermarket, but other times it is not. Maybe Bird’s tablemates were not the only ones at the Tiare cautiously pouring illegal alcohol into their drinks. Things are never what they seem and this is especially true about daily life in Iran. Life in Iran is not all black and white, and similar to America, there are also some gray areas that can only be seen by observing and interacting with those who call the country