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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 20, Nafisi tells a story about what event that happened to Manna and Nima?

2. How do the students get enough copies of "Lolita" to study?

3. What does Nafisi see reflected in the mirror?

4. What happens to the everyday lives of Nafisi and her students as a result of the secret class?

5. What does Nafisi describe as the crux of the problem in "Lolita"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Nafisi agree with Nabokov's statement that every great novel is a fairy tale?

2. What is the significance of the green gate Nafisi mentions in Chapter 9?

3. What happens to disrupt the class discussion in Chapter 17?

4. Why does Nafisi include Part 1, Chapter 12 in her memoir?

5. What factors cause Nafisi to resign from her position at the university?

6. Why does Nafisi ask her children about their memories of Iran?

7. Why is it difficult to find a copy of "Lolita" in Tehran?

8. What is the similarity between Lolita's past and the past of Nafisi's students?

9. Why do the magician and Nafisi enjoy each other's company so much?

10. Why do Nafisi and her students feel so strongly about Nabokov and his works?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nafisi is the narrator for the actions of herself, the regime, and her students throughout the book. What would a credible witness say about the actions of a totalitarian regime? Is Nafisi a credible reporter? Is her credibility complete or does it have obvious biases that challenge her credibility? Does her credibility remain the same throughout the book? What evidence within the book supports your claims?

Essay Topic 2

"Reading Lolita in Tehran" centers around literature, a written form of art. Choose another art form (dance, music, visual art) and discuss the use of that art form in all four sections of the book. What is the role or roles of art in the Iranian Islamic Republic? What role or roles does art play in the fictional works Nafisi teaches? What role or roles does art play in the life of Nafisi? In the lives of her students?

Essay Topic 3

Nafisi addresses disappearance and absence as a major theme in the book. Write an essay that examines the issues of disappearance and absence in the novels Nafisi teaches, in the lives of her students, and in Nafisi's own life, both personally and professionally.

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