MovieChat Forums > Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (2011) Discussion > The woman paid to care for the man with ...

The woman paid to care for the man with Alzheimer's disease

posted 12 years ago by rim543
5 replies | jump to latest

The woman is being paid to care for the man with Alzheimer's disease, but she feels the need to call as to whether it's a sin to help bathe him. Is this true in Iran? If so, i can't believe how heartless she is! I know, I know...she helped, but only after she was told that this action was not a sin.

Here, in the U.S., my father is bathed once a day by his home attendant (who is PAID to do her job). Now, I'm not implying that every home attendant performs this task with glee. But, it's a requirement, and I'm grateful that it's done.

[–] Pavlin81 12 years ago

Actually when she was hired her duties didn't include helping him bathe. In conservative, oppressive Muslim countries like Iran, (unrelated) men and women touching each other is usually not allowed. So it was only natural that she asked for permission. It really had nothing to do with her being "heartless" - she was just adhering to and respecting the rules of her culture/religion.

Be the change that you want to see in the world.-Ghandi

[–] rockin_metal_baz3310 12 years ago

Agree with the first part. Bathing him was not even mentioned to her, so it was out of scope of her duties. Also she clearly was from a very very traditional conservative background. She was religious and thus felt the need to ask her religious adviser whether it would be okay.

[–] veryhornyfox 12 years ago

I felt it was reasonable for her to hesitate , especially as a married woman in this type of culture, about having to effectively see him naked maybe even touch him around his genital area. And also reasonable for her to consider giving up the job on this basis.

[–] IMDB_Vits 12 years ago

Remember that she wasn't a professional nurse, so she didn't know those details. She was struggling for money, and since she probably didn't have many skills, she looked for jobs that seemed easy. Like looking out for an old man.

[–] henrimaine 12 years ago

That was one of the most interesting scenes in the film - when the father had wetted himself, I thought to myself: why doesn't she go and help him, she's a nurse, she should be used to it, what's the big deal? And a bit later it was explained that there are religious/cultural prohibitions that kept her from doing it - something a westerner would not understand.