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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. Why does the literature professor dislike Manna and Nima?

2. Why is Mashid jailed?

3. Where do the intruders to Nafisi's house go once they are in her house?

4. What does the class strive to do in their study of literature?

5. What do the class members take turns doing each week?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is there a difference between the students' level of comfort in talking about themselves and their level of comfort in discussing the novels?

2. In Chapter 2, why does Nafisi describe the first meeting of the study group in present tense instead of past tense?

3. According to Nafisi, what is life like for a "normal Iranian citizen"?

4. How does the Iranian regime expect women to behave on the streets of Tehran?

5. What is the relationship between the imaginary rain shower and the meeting of Nafisi's class?

6. How is Professor X's method of teaching literature different than Nafisi's method of teaching literature?

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

8. Why does Nafisi believe the scene where Humbert picked up Lolita at summer camp is the heart of Nabokov's novel?

9. According to Vera Nabokov, what is the beauty in "Lolita" and why is it missed by critics?

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

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

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 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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