Revolution, Fanaticism and Hypocrisy

The revolution turns out to be backward looking, not forward looking as would be expected, and steeped in a bizarre religious fanaticism that is wholly unconnected to reality or human nature. The hypocrisy in the differing status of men and women is thick. The revolution is composed of a fanaticism that dreams of some past perfect society.

Reality, Fiction and Dreams

The interweaving of reality and fiction and the importance and danger of dreams are important themes of the book. Close parallels are apparent between the works studied in Nafisi's class and the reality of the situation in Iran. In Lolita, for example, Humbert's dream of possessing a perfect Lolita closely mirrors the regime's dream of a perfect Koranic society. Pursuing the dream destroys Lolita and, Nafisi would contend, Iran.

Resistance

One of the primary themes of Reading Lolita in Tehran is resistance. Nafisi continually...