The Reading of Reading Lolita in Tehran

In the reading of Reading Lolita in Tehran the power of language and speaking helped Azar Nafisi leave Iran and eventually come back to the United States. Azar Nafisi and her women peers were never accepted after the revolution and its aftermath. She had to obey the strict Islamic codes or she would get tortured, jailed, and humiliated. Azar Nafisi eventually resigned from the University of Allameh Tabatabai where she was teaching. It took the university two years to finally accept and acknowledge her letter of resignation. After the revolution her rights were taken from her. She couldn't even kiss her husband in public. She couldn't shake hands with her colleagues. This culture made her fear she would "become someone who was a stranger to herself." Azar Nafisi was a teacher at the University of Allameh Tabatabai. She resigned from the University of Allameh Tabatabai because of the strict policies and not being able to use her full knowledge of power and speaking. She couldn't concentrate and for two years she decided to teach seven students in her home. Azar Nafisi chose these seven girls not caring about their ideological or religious backgrounds. Azar Nafisi and the seven women were taking risks meeting every Thursday morning discussing literature. This was something they loved and did knowing the risks they took. Islamic Republic women didn't have freedom of speech. They were not equal to men and couldn't even dress normal. They had to wear their veils properly. They couldn't wear makeup. They couldn't walk in public with men who were not their fathers, brothers or husbands. If she got on a bus, the seating's were segregated. When she would take the bus they would have to enter through the rear door and sit in the back seats, allocated to women. When entering the university they would get fully searched to make sure they were obeying the rules. I don't think that is fair and it was invading their privacy. You have to sometimes be deprived of something in order to understand it's worth. These were all reasons why she decided to leave the community and return to the United States. Azar Nafisi realized how much literature is important to everybody. She was limited on what she was able to read and teach in the university. That was a reason that made her take her family and leave to the United States. She felt the culture would go downhill because they didn't take literature serious. I totally agree because knowledge is power. If you can't read or get taught on certain things then how are you going to expand your imagination and knowledge?

In the reading of "What's Your Name, Girl?" there was an African American who wasn't accepted because of her different culture. She was a victim of poverty, discrimination, and abuse. She confronts her pain and injustice of her childhood with her knowledge and it changed era in the minds