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. At the beginning of Chapter 16, what are Nafisi and her male acquaintance discussing?

2. Why did Nabokov say that every great novel is a fairy tale?

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

4. What does Nassrin's mother's teaching symbolize?

5. Why was Nafisi's father arrested?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

6. Why do Nafisi and her students feel so strongly about Nabokov and his works?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Section I, Chapter 4, Mahsid says "everyday life does not have fewer horrors than prison." Choose 3 characters from the book and write an essay that illustrates the truthfulness or untruthfulness of this statement from each of their perspectives. What are their everyday horrors? How do these characters respond to them?

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

Nafisi presents several male students as passionate about the values of the Islamist Republic of Iran. In what ways are Mr. Bahri, Mr. Nyazi, and Mr. Ghomi similar? In what ways are they different? Which one of those students is portrayed as being in closest agreement with the regime? What evidence supports your choice?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,243 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample