Part 4: Chapters 7 - 12 Summary

The magician tells Nafisi to be wary of making the Islamic Republic of Iran the root of all her problems. Problems do occur in all societies. Nafisi did admit that it felt good to have a convenient scapegoat for all problems. Nafisi had been telling the magician about the myriad problems her girls were having in their lives and how unhappy they were. The magician responds that happiness cannot emerge from being a victim and that happiness must be fought for and attained. Political freedom depends on individual freedom. Nafisi's surreptitious class is important in this regard because it helped the girls to win back their imaginations. He recommends that Nafisi spend less time and energy focusing on what the regime does and says, and more time on creating the democratic space that is the Thursday class, however small...