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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. Who does Nafisi meet with in Part 3, Chapter 10?

2. Why does Nafisi say that war was a blessing to some Iranians?

3. Nafisi describes Austen as being most interested in depicting what?

4. Why does Nafisi state it is important to introduce her students to the works of Saul Bellow?

5. What gift does Nafisi give to the magician?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Nafisi refer to the concert she attends as a parody of the real thing?

2. What is the impact of Iran's war with Iraq?

3. What does Nafisi mean when she says that the real day of the Ayatollah's death has not yet occurred?

4. How are Mr. Ghoni's statements about "Daisy Miller" in Part 3, Chapter 15, similar to Mr. Nyazi's statements in Part 3, Chapters 17 and 18, about "The Great Gatsby"?

5. Why does the magician tell Nafisi to stop blaming the Islamic Republic for all her problems?

6. Nafisi first mentions the magician in Part 1, Chapter 10. Why does she wait until Part 2, Chapter 20, to describe him more fully?

7. In Part 3, Chapter 14, why does Nafisi describe her students in such detail?

8. Why does a university staff member describe the Ayatollah's funeral as an event?

9. Why does Nafisi call Catherine in "Washington Square" the inverse of our ideas about what a heroine should be?

10. Why does Nafisi think teaching "The Great Gatsby" was the right choice for that time and place?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Women are central characters in Nafisi's text and in the texts that Nafisi chooses to teach. Early in the book, Nafisi present three types of women in "A Thousand and One Nights." Of those types, which best represents the majority of the women in the Iranian Republic? Which type represents Nafisi's students? Which type represents Nafisi?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

In Section I, Chapter 14, Nafisi quotes Nabokov: "Curiosity is insubordination in its purest form." Write an essay that addresses the following questions about Nabokov's quote: What is the meaning of this quote? Why would curiosity be considered insubordination? What is the role of curiosity in Nafisi's book? Who is described as being curious? How does Nafisi's curiosity impact her students? How does their curiosity demonstrate insubordination?

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