Reading Lolita in Tehran Discussion

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but sometimes it got a bit boring. I wasn’t expecting so much of it to be literary analysis. Maybe some of you are like James, who got a little bored and stopped after the first section of the book. Either way, if anyone wants to comment on something I haven't mentioned, feel free to.

Lolita in Tehran Question 1

What did you learn about Iran from this book? What, if any of it surprised you?

Lolita in Tehran Question 2

There were different attitudes toward the veil in Iran. Mashid wore it by choice for her religion, but resented its political enforcement. Nafisi suggested that the enforcement of the practice made her expression of faith meaningless. Do you agree?

Lolita in Tehran Question 3

Nafisi and her magician both make the argument that Ayatollah Khomeini and "they" "did to us what we allowed [them] to do." How is that true? How is it not true?

Lolita in Tehran Question 4

In pages 124-136 The Gatsby trial illustrates the thought process behind censoring in Iran. All of us censor media that we consider to be inappropriate, even if only on a personal level. How is our censoring process any different than the methods used in Iran? When, if ever, is censoring appropriate?

Lolita in Tehran Question 5

The Islamic Republic enacted a number of laws that were extremely oppressive towards women, telling them what they can wear, who can accompany them in public, and how they can act around members of the opposite sex. As a result, men seemed to view women more and more as sexual objects, being aroused at the mere sight of hair or a naked toe. Why would the regime be so oppressive towards women and not towards men? Why were men not expected to live up to equally oppressive standards?