Character Relationship Map: Under the Shadow

Characters

• Shideh (played by Narges Rashidi) — protagonist

  Shideh is a medical student barred from returning to her studies because of her alleged involvement with leftist groups. She chooses to remain in Tehran with her daughter Dorsa while Iraj is called in...

• Dorsa (played by Avin Manshadi) — supporting

  Dorsa is Shideh's daughter and the emotional center of the supernatural crisis. After Iraj promises that her doll Kimia will protect her, Dorsa hears a legend about evil spirits, becomes convinced tha...

• Iraj (played by Bobby Naderi) — supporting

  Iraj is Shideh's husband and Dorsa's father. When he is called into military service as the war intensifies, he urges Shideh to take Dorsa to his parents in a safer part of the country. Before leaving...

• Mrs. Ebrahimi (played by Aram Ghasemy) — supporting

  Mrs. Ebrahimi is a neighbor in the building and a member of the Ebrahimi family. She explains to Shideh that the boy staying with them has been mute since his parents were killed, then warns that evil...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Iraj → Shideh (Romantic Husband) — Iraj and Shideh are married.

  Iraj is described as Shideh's husband and discusses where she and Dorsa should stay during the war.

• Iraj → Dorsa (Family Father) — Iraj is Dorsa's father and tries to reassure her.

  Iraj promises Dorsa that her favorite doll, Kimia, will protect her.

• Shideh → Dorsa (Family Mother) — Shideh is Dorsa's protective mother.

  The plot identifies Dorsa as Shideh's daughter, and Shideh remains in Tehran with her during the war.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Dorsa → Mrs. Ebrahimi (Social Neighbor) — Dorsa's experience connects her indirectly with Mrs. Ebrahimi.

  Dorsa's account of the boy leads Shideh to visit Mrs. Ebrahimi, who explains that the boy has been mute since his parents died.

• Shideh → Mrs. Ebrahimi (Social Neighbor) — Shideh and Mrs. Ebrahimi are neighbors who exchange information.

  Mrs. Ebrahimi lives with the neighboring Ebrahimi family, and Shideh visits her to ask about the boy and the Djinn legend.

Story Analysis

A mother and daughter endure wartime isolation while a supernatural threat turns grief, fear, and cherished objects against them.

Plot Progression

1. A City Refusing To Empty — Shideh loses the right to resume her medical studies while war spreads across Tehran. Although Iraj urges her to leave, she stays with Dorsa and accepts the risks of remaining in the city.
2. The Legend Enters Home — A bereaved boy gives Dorsa a charm and whispers about evil spirits. After a missile strike makes Kimia disappear, Dorsa's fear begins to reshape the apartment around them.
3. Alone Beneath The Chador — The neighbors evacuate, and Mrs. Ebrahimi warns Shideh about djinns stealing cherished objects. Shideh's visions intensify as she searches for Kimia and tries to protect Dorsa.
4. Escape With An Ominous Cost — An air raid separates appearance from reality when Shideh encounters an apparition of Dorsa. Mother and daughter escape the attack, but the missing doll head and physiology book suggest the danger rem...