Part 1: Chapter 1 Summary

After resigning from her literature teaching post at the University of Tehran in 1995, Nafisi formed a group composed of seven of her best students to meet in her home and discuss literature. The seven were all women, as a mixed group would arouse suspicion from the Islamic authorities. One male student insisted on being part of the group, and he met with Nafisi separately. The group met for two years under the general theme of the relationship between reality and fiction.

Before finally departing Tehran for the United States, Nafisi had two photographs taken of herself and her students standing against a bare wall in the apartment where they conducted their meetings. Nafisi describes the photograph in great detail. In one, all seven are clad in the mandatory uniform black robes required by the Islamic authorities. Nafisi strips away this uniformity...