This summary provides an overview of the key sections and themes from the document: 1. Section 1 discusses Azar Nafisi's book and her decision to host a secret literature class in her home for women students in Iran. It describes how the literature group allowed the women to express themselves freely and escape the customs that imprisoned them. Symbols of freedom and imprisonment are explored. 2. Section 2 focuses on Nafisi's life history and a class debate over The Great Gatsby. Students from different political sides debated Gatsby's dream in the context of the Iranian revolution. Literature allows understanding between people in different circumstances. 3. Section 3 describes the start of the Iran-Iraq war and

1. SECTION 1 – LOLITA:
Azar Nafisi’s compelling account of her own experiences teaching in Persian universities, her
interactions with her husband, her students and others, and her knowledge of literature surely create a story for
her audience to cherish. I admired Nafisi’s strong character throughout the entire book. Her choice to boldly go
against traditional Islamic ideals, especially as a woman, to decide what she could and could not teach was
inspiring. I loved her idea to host a secret literature class in her own home, there was a thrill in envisioning
these women risking a great deal and going against their customs for a common love for literature. The
interactions between her and the students and among the students themselves, through this secret literature
society, form a prominent theme of identity in the novel. I realized while reading that the literature group the
women formed is more than just an average book club. While residing in Nafisi’s apartment, the women were
able to remove their robes, scarves, and images the public eye has and expects of them, relaxing in more
comfortable clothing, as well as their own skin and selves. Nafisi claims that the Islamic women are prisoners of
their own society.
Throughout the novel, there is a constant desire for freedom and to escape from the customs that keep
these women chained to the ground. Nafisi uses several symbols to represent the battle between imprisonment
and liberation. One symbol of freedom, Nafisi describes, is "when [her] students came into that room, they took
off more than their scarves and robes" (6). Another symbol would be the green gate, in which the women walk
past every time they go to the university, a sort of transporter that allows them to escape from reality, and enter
into their world of hopes and dreams for a moment’s time. The women are not allowed to use the gate, solely
because they are of the female gender. The gate is a symbol that the women are revolutionaries, searching
equality among the place of men, almost a motivator. But it is also a reminder, a hold on reality that although it
is alright for them to rebel, they must be careful in being self-aware of their limitations, or face the
consequences. Coming together to read and learn is so important to the women, even if they are putting
themselves on the line, because it allows them to dream. If they cannot dream, they truly become prisoners of
not only society, but of themselves, because they can never find their true identities. Dreaming allows them to
come to terms with themselves, and as long as they keep that up, they will not be jailed.
SECTION 2 – GATSBY:
In section 2 of Nafisi's novel, she recounts her life as well as focuses on a different time in her life than
that of part 1. The audience is told the prequel story to her life as well as given a history lesson of the Iranian
Revolution. The most engaging part of this section is the trial of Iran vs. Gatsby. The university as well as her
literature class is full of students from opposing sides, including radicals and revolutionaries. Their political
beliefs differ and show in the classroom. One student challenges Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby and Nafisi
decides to hold a mock-trial in her classroom, Iran vs. Gatsby. The student prosecutor charges Gatsby with
containing "cultural rape," unpunished "adultery" and "the immorality and decadence of American society"
(126-127). The defense attorney, Zarrin, retaliates by accusing Mr. Nyazi of not being able to "distinguish
fiction from reality" (128). She does not defend Jay Gatsby's actions, but rather asks a deeper question: what is
the role of fiction? The class ponders this question through Gatsby even though it can be applied to all works of
fiction throughout every time period. Fitzgerald is not egging on adultery or forcing morals onto his readers.
Zarrin expresses "A good novel is one that shows the complexity of individuals, and creates enough space for
all these characters to have voice," therefore being democratic. (132). Within fiction there lies universal truths
which we are able to understand because of characters and stories. In the case of Gatsby, Nafisi emphasizes the
idea of lost dreams: "What we in Iran had in common with Fitzgerald was this dream that became our obsession
and took over our reality" (144). In other words, the revolution spiraled out of control because this dream of
Iran was unattainable, like Gatsby's American dream. But looking past Gatsby Nafisi delves deeper when she
notices her students arguing, "not over the hostages or the recent demonstrations or Ravaji and Khomeinu, but
over Gatsby and his alloyed dream" (136). Literature brings out human emotion, despite that its fiction because
it is the way people are able to connect with one another. These students disagree about secularity and politics,
but are able to take one of two sides in regards to Gatsby. It is the connection made when all other efforts of
reasoning fail. Zarrin wonders "why people bothered to claim to be literature majors" and this is her answer.

2. Just like we learn from science and history, about the past and the future, literature allows people to understand
their reality by analyzing a world that is not their own. This is a main theme in the book and is how Nafisi
chooses to tell the story of revolutionary Iran. She divides the story according to books. No matter her colorful
descriptions and stories, we will not ever understand Iran the way her students and her do. We can only connect
with it because we connect and understand these novels. The connection these novels provide, proves that
similarities exist between people in different times, places, and their realities.
SECTION 3 – JAMES:
Part three, “James” takes place when the Iran–Iraq War begins and Nafisi is expelled from the
University of Tehran. The veil becomes obligatory and the government wants to control the liberal-minded
professors. The state of Iran becomes an Islamic theocracy crushing all dissent through terrorizing citizens
(murdering them, depriving them of any civil rights). Nafisi periodically updates readers on the progress of the
war with Iraq, by doing so Nafisi reminds readers that the war is a continuous part of her life. At this point
section 3 became the most complicated, I weaved back and forth between narratives of what was happening
politically at large, to Nafisi personally as a teacher and an individual. Nafisi goes through a period of deep
withdrawal from the world. She wallows in her newfound irrelevance and subconsciously considers her options
to accept the veil and return to teaching, leave the country, pretend to comply but undermine the regime
secretly, or simply withdraw into silence. The government didn’t take long to pass new regulations restricting
women’s clothing in public, It is in the context of information like this, that we, as readers, are exposed to
aspects of Nafisi’s character, such as her feelings of irrelevance. The concept of her irrelevance is shared
repeatedly, “Now that I could not consider myself a teacher, a writer […] I felt light and fictional” (Nafisi, 167).
Nafisi becomes more ensconced in the world of literature by relating her real-life struggles to James's characters
in his novels, like Daisy Miller. The vast similarities between both Nafisi and James were apparent .James was
someone who wrote novels defending living lives of integrity despite the cost. He was “a perfectly equipped
failure” (Nafisi 201), like Nafisi the characters presented in James’ novels refuse to follow conventions and
seek success as it is defined the world.
These traits are the sins that most irritate the Islamic Revolution. Daisy Miller is portrayed as a
rebellious lady who died from the Roman fever despite Winterbourne's warning because she discovered
Winterbourne's indifference towards her. Her death proved her devotion towards Winterbourne despite his
betrayal. This fact establishes her heroine quality. Some of Nafisi's students thought that Daisy Miller was
immoral and deserved her death in the end. Contrary to her students' beliefs however, Nafisi concentrates more
on Daisy Miller's courage and the devotion she had in order to retain her sense of integrity. Like Daisy Miller,
Nafisi possesses the courage and resistance towards her corrupt government that she is forced to live in. This
idea is most striking when Nafisi encounters revolutionary students like Mr. Nyazi and Mr. Ghomi, Here
ambiguity and nuance become signs of decadence and characters' behaviors are consistently confused with
moral values.
SECTION 4 – AUSTEN:
In the last chapter of the book, Nafisi develops the subject of imagination, the essential element of a
living soul. It appears that Nafisi teaches or discusses every novel she mentions in the book unintentionally.
However, all the works of literature she chooses either create parallelism or contrast to current Iranian society.
Austen’s novel consists of many ongoing dialogues among diverse voices. Her ability to let two opposing
perspectives coexisting suggests the central democratic aspect of the novel. Austen’s work celebrates the
freedom of democratic life. She denounces unsympathetic characters who fail to listen and understand other
people’s idea. On a greater perspective, these characters represent current Iranian regime and its “incapacity for
tolerance, self-reflection and empathy” (268). In a world of black and white, the regime refuses to understand
diversity and rejects the freedom of imagination. In contrast, the female characters of Austen’s novels all dear to
love, hate, and say no to their traditional parents and society. “They risk ostracism and poverty to gain love and
companionship” for the basic rights of living: “the right to choose” (307).

3. In the early age of Nafisi’s generation, women were able to choose whom they want to marry. However
after they supported revolutionary change, where they sought to demand more rights, women’s social status
became valueless. Women, despite differences among religious and ideological belief, come together and
initiate protest. War makes Islamic women more aware of their capability and influential potential. The war
impact is contradictory to Revolution’s initial intent.
Mary wrote: "Nafisi through her class creates a fantasy world parallel to the fantasy world the Iranian
government created - a world of hope and freedom to challenge the world of religious fervor. ..."Nafisi has
revealed her concern for creating a “fantasy” world of the West parallel to that created by Islamic republic. She
fears that her stories would harm her students as they look up to something the current society denounces. I
strongly agree that Nafisi offers a “world of hope and freedom to challenge the world of religious fervor” like
you said. Whether with intent or not, she opens their window of imagination that ceased under the suppression
and censorship. From uncertainty on the first day of class to confidence in expressing opinions on literature and
life, the girls unconsciously reveal their dreams and passions; and that freedom of mind is the first step towards
individual freedom and liberty.
Rumana wrote: " people and groups like the Republic of Tehran’s regime bear a characteristic where
they choose to stay “blind to others problems and pains,” they only see things in black or white, they see no
layers in humans nor in ideas. ..."
Thank you for pointing out the subject of censorship. This is a political strategy used to gain “power and
fame” like you mentions above. In order to preserve the absolute rule, the Islamic Republic sacrifices human
rights and destroys all dissident voices including those not politically involved. For example, the secret killing
of intellectuals whom, according to the regime, challenge its political structure and most importantly they
provide knowledge and a world of possibilities for the citizens.
Hope is the moral support behind life. One of the most depressing moments that triggers my emotion is
when Nassrin describes how she misses “sense of solidarity…purpose…[and] hope” during her time in jail
(323). According to Nassrin, her jail life is much more hopeful than her time after being freed because that
imagination of freedom and life kept her going behind the bars. Now that she is out of jail, she could no longer
identify her existence with the cease of fear and desire. I can’t help but imagine thousands of young beautiful
Iranian women questioning their ability to love, their meaning of life, and their right of freedom.
Nafisi concludes the book with the ideology of her magician - “the right to free access to imagination”
(338) which is the central theme of the novel and also the essential proof of living. Only when one has the
ability to speak freely and realize their imagination without any earthly barrier, could he or she live a whole life.
Nafisi’s hope is not to praise Western literature and culture but instead she desires the girls to find their identity
and “imaginatively realize [themselves] and communicate to the world” (339).
Any great work of literature has the ability to present the complexity of the central issue and also
encourage the audience to reflect on current society. Reading Lolita in Tehran advocates the right to
imagination and enlightens this generation to appreciate differences and the power of freedom of human
beings.