Part 4: Chapters 1 - 6 Summary

Before the 1979 revolution, the rights of women in Iran were hardly distinguishable from the rights of women in the West. In fact, at one point, Iran may have had more female parliamentarians than most Western countries. The revolution was seen by educated women as a way to gain even more equality. In fact, the revolution brought about a disastrous rollback of women's rights.

Nafisi notes the distinguishing feature of the Iranian revolution in contrast to all other totalitarian revolutions of the twentieth century - it occurred in the name of the past, not of the future. Normally, revolutions seek to stake out the territory of the future.

Now Nafisi is with a small group of students after class. Stating that the structure of Pride and Prejudice was akin to an eighteenth century dance, Nafisi urges them all to get...