Ebrahim is a young man living in Iran when his employer Moses introduces him to his only daughter, Mina. Though Ebrahim is not romantically interested in Mina, he is seduced by Moses's air of wealth and luxury, and so the two are soon married. Ever since her mother's death, Mina has become nervous and often isolates herself. For this reason, the marriage is not exactly happy, but Ebrahim is pleased by the house and servants they are given as a wedding present. Ebrahim, the son of a Talmudic scholar, runs Moses's carpet emporium, and when he and Mina have two sons they are cared for by the servants and later sent off to school in Paris. Then, during the Revolution in Iran, Ebrahim is captured and locked in a cell crowded with other prisoners. During this time, Ebrahim turns to religion and reflects deeply on sacred texts. He recites pieces of Kabbalah or Midrash, and he is comforted when one morning, he hears his father's voice as if echoing them back to him. Ebrahim wishes he were a weaver and not a seller of rugs and imagines spinning thread and fabric as he sits and reflects. Weaving soon becomes his only thought during his waking life. For many days, he develops the image of an intricate rug in his mind, considering each knot and strand, until he can see the design with clarity, a depiction of Adam and Eve in the creation story. Ebrahim later learns that his father-in-law Moses has been condemned as a Zionist agent and shot by Revolutionary Guards, and he fears that he will meet a similar fate. Eventually, however, Moses is released thanks to the influence of his uncle, a well-known rabbi. Ebrahim and Mina then travel to Paris, where they reunite with their sons. Mina's mental state has become less and less stable, however, and she is soon sent away to a convent, where she dies six months later. Now living in San Diego with his son Yousef and his daughter-in-law Kimberley, Ebrahim spends most of his day in silent reflection. His son attempts to engage his father in family life, asking him to help at the carpet store or encouraging his young daughters to spend time with their grandfather. Still, Ebrahim prefers to sit by himself and smoke his cigarettes, meditating and recalling memories from his past. When Yousef is working late one day, Kimberley takes Ebrahim to Balboa Park for a meal and margaritas. There, the two share an intimate moment, Kimberley holding her father-in-law's hand as she asks him about his time in Paris. They plan to visit together one day, without Yousef who prefers not to travel to avoid being away from the store. Later, when he sees Kimberley step into the bathroom to take a shower, Ebrahim tries to convince himself that he is not interested in her sexually, though he can't help but imagine himself as the snake and Kimberley as Eve.