2. Reading Lolita in Tahran Azar Nafisi

3. Background  Reading Lolita in Tehran is about the impact of the Islamic revolution on the lives of educated women in Iran.  These women are oppressed by the men in their society and have been robbed of their identities.  The book group they are invited to join is their escape.  Through reading these novels, and spending time together, the women learn to feel confident and ready to express their thoughts and dreams.

4. Reading Lolita in Tehran, A Memoir in Books  Reading Lolita in Tehran is a powerful memoir about resilience of one teacher, Azar Nafisi. She lives in a country that is becoming more oppressive with rules, regulations, and religious beliefs, Nafisi is trying to bring forbidden books to her female students.  After leaving her job at the University of Tehran due to the joy of teaching to be removed due to politics and arbitrary rules from the government. Nafisi invited a select group of students to her house every Thursday morning to discuss and immerse themselves in the stories of Valdimir Nobokov, Jane Austen and Henry James. As the story unfolds, we learn about the intertwining of the books into the students’ lives.  The women learn to face the tribulations in their lives. (Nafisi, 2004).

5. Culture Affects Learning and Achievement  In the beginning of the novel, the women are reserved and hesitant to share their knowledge. This is because their world, revolutionary Iran, oppresses women and punishes those who express individual opinions.  However, the women are in a new culture. Their new culture is the home they are invited into to explore and express their opinions.  The women meet to feel like individuals who have power. They live in a world where there is no individuality  Despite their fears they take risks to grow and be individuals

6. Teaching through the use of books  Lolita  Known through the narrator, Humbert. Lolita doesn’t have a voice.  The women in the story are only know and have a voice because of the men in their lives. “ We live in a revolutionary society and our revolutionary women are those who defy the decadence of Western culture by being modest” (Nafisi, 2004 p.195)  The Great Gatsby  The book is hopeful and dreamy “distinguish fiction from reality” (Nafisi, 2004 p.128).  The women live in a world that worships the past.  Relating the theme to dental hygiene  The empowerment of giving students the knowledge to work independently  Allowing the students to relate their own experiences to working with patients

7.  “School is a place where students can bring their cultural experience that shape their habits and ways of knowing” (Meyer & Crawford, 2011 p.530).  Nafisi through the use of books and discussions allows her students to express themselves and talk freely about their own cultural experiences.  “ If we never discuss issues about racial inequality than we can never fix them” (Pollack, 2012).  The women are fragile and courageous and ready to grow when they are exposed to new ideas. Nafisi allows this in her home to give the women a sense of independence.  “To be a good person and connect with my own imperfections” (Smooth, 2011)  Nafisi finds imperfections in her Islamic country and while doing so, helps the women of the group move forward to help themselves.

8. Conclusion  As the novel progresses, the students in the novel are living more and more oppressive lives. War torn Tehran is in the midst of a civil war that bring chaos to their daily lives. As they read, their shared experiences of the main characters motivate and inspires our women to live with more assentation and independence.  Learning how the resilience of one woman can impact the lives of her students is inspiring and I hope to one day be as impactful as Azar Nafisi.  Further research  What impact does western literature have on society in America?  Can we use books like Reading Lolita in Tahran to help bridge achievement gaps in our society today?

9. Reference  Auguilera, C. (2002). Beautiful. Stripped. Streaming. RCA Records Label  Meyer, X.x., & Crawford, B.b. (2011). Teaching science as a cultural way of knowing: merging authentic inquiry, nature of science, and multicultural strategies. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 6(3), 525-547.  M.Pollack. (2012, March 15). How the concept of race evolved over time. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92VfvaWoi3Fhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92VfvaWoi3F  Nafisi, A. (2004). Reading Lolita in Tehran. New York: Random House.  Teaching Tolerance. (2012, March 15). Institutional Racism. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1z-b7gGNNc