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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 Nafisi see a parallel between Humbert and contemporary Iranian society?

2. What is Nafisi doing at the beginning of Chapter 11?

3. Why does Nafisi's apartment lack matching furniture and fancy window dressings?

4. In Chapter 14, what question does Mitra ask about "Lolita"?

5. How does Nabokov's character Cincinnatus C. become a hero?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In Part 1, Chapter 18, the room where the class meets becomes a character. How does Nafisi describe the room?

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

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

6. Why do Mitra and the other students find the Thursday study group to be significant?

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

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

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

10. Why does Nassrin say she has been caught in the middle of tradition and change her entire life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several times Nafisi refers to the individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Write an essay that focuses on one of those rights. How is that right viewed by the Islamist Iranian Republic? How is that right portrayed in the literature Nafisi teaches? What does Nafisi do to assert her rights?

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

"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?

(see the answer keys)

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