Roya’s progressive father dreams that one day his daughters will be great scientists and encourages them to pursue their intellectual interests. Roya’s first passion, however, is for literature, and Bahman urges her to pursue a career as a writer, although Roya is alarmed at the idea of going against her parents’ wishes. In general, Roya is more cautious than Bahman, expressing discomfort when he kisses or touches her in public, perhaps because of the greater social restrictions to which she is subject as a woman.

When the Stationery Shop burns down and Bahman apparently jilts her, Roya abandons her literary aspirations and agrees to study science in America. In America she is forced to compromise further, accepting an administrative post at the university, as there is little to no chance of securing a job in science as an immigrant woman.

Unlike Zari, who fully embraces American culture, Roya always remains profoundly attached to her homeland and her first love. She maintains a connection to Persian culture through cookery (See: Symbols & Motifs), and Bahman and her life in Tehran are never far from her mind. Her relationship with Walter is characterized by tenderness and respect but, as she observes in Chapter 22, she always holds something back with him.