View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. The desire for what intangible object drives Nafisi's students?

2. What does Nassrin's mother teach her daughter?

3. Chapter 15 presents a clear parallel between the character of Humbert and which group of people?

4. Why does Nafisi return to the two photographs of her students in Chapter 7?

5. Why are Nafisi and her students in the room?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How is the generation of Nafisi's students different from the generation of Nafisi and her peers?

5. Why does Nafisi consider Humbert to be a seducer of the readers of "Lolita"?

6. What is the role of literature in Part 1, Chapter 20?

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

8. Why does Nafisi describe the three types of women portrayed in "A Thousand and One Nights"?

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

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

In his "Letter from the Birmingham Jail (April 1963)," Martin Luther King, Jr. responded to critics who called him an extremist by pointing out examples of what he called extremist behavior by famous political and religious figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Jesus. King challenged the notion that "extremist" was a negative behavior, and stated that "the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be."

Choose 3 of the characters listed below. Provide examples of how they are portrayed as extremists in the book. Would the character have the same perspective on their behavior as the author? If not, would the character see himself or herself as an extremist? Would they consider being an extremist to be a positive or a negative characteristic?

~ Nafisi

~ The magician

~ Mr. Bahri

~ Mr. Nyazi

~ The Iranian Government

~ Nafisi's students in the study group

Essay Topic 2

America is presented as both reality and symbol, as a concept and a country. Describe the various ways America is interpreted and understood by those in Nafisi's classes and the Iranian government. How do those interpretations compare to Nafisi's personal memories and descriptions of America? What elements of America are emphasized? What elements of America are omitted? Why are there omissions?

Essay Topic 3

In Part 3, Chapter 18, Nafisi describes a "perfectly equipped failure." In Part 3, Chapter 26, Nafisi provides characteristics of a traditional heroine. Using the descriptions and characteristics provided in these chapters, write an essay that addresses the following questions:

1) Would Laleh be considered a heroine or a perfectly equipped failure?

2) Would Razieh be considered a heroine or a perfectly equipped failure?

3) Which does Nafisi consider more worthy of admiration, a heroine or a perfectly equipped failure?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,348 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample