Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books

In the memoir, Iranians respond to the Islamic revolutionary regime in different ways: some actively collaborate with the regime, some acquiesce to varying degrees, and some actively resist. Compare and contrast the experiences of some of the major figures. What beliefs and motivations shape their behavior? What wider religious, political, and/or cultural insights into Iranian society do their varying responses give?

Many of the struggles faced by Nafisi and her students center upon issues of agency. How is agency represented in Reading Lolita in Tehran? In what ways do Nafisi and the other women attempt to assert agency? Do they succeed? Why or why not?

Explore the representations of religious faith in the memoir. For example, how does Mr. Nyazi’s conception and/or experience of faith differ from Mahshid’s? In what ways is faith depicted as a force of liberation or oppression?