Nothing other than the ‘catchy title’ holds you more on the first look of the book. With added interest in West Asian Islamic under-the-wraps feminine world, I was an instant buyer of the book. And I wasn’t disappointed. More than entertaining me though, it brought out a critical self of mine, both about the content and delivery of the book.
Ms Azar Nafisi is an erudite writer, no doubt about that; her professorship in English does give her the scholarly touch. She was present in Iran at its most happening time- the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Her teenage upbringing in US came in a direct clash with the restrained Iranian society post the Revolution. She protested against the imposed rule of mandatory veil covering, and in her fight, had to resign her job from the University of Tehran too. She took up the job again five years later in Tallameh University, but again things fell out after a few years. But her love of English literature never died down, and thus she selected a group of seven girls to attend a private tuition at her home. Nabokov, James, Austen, Fitzgerald et al were discussed in context with the ever-prowling Iranian society, and more often than not, it brought out a sense of despair, resignation and anger. She finally decided to leave Iran and move to US to start over a new life.
Ms Nafisi chose to highlight two aspects in the book: English literature and Iranian polity & Society. And she really gelled them well to fulfill the literary sense and also bring out the message across to the world. One is left fascinated by her elaborate discussion of the English writers and their books; she knows them all on the back of her palm. Her choice of words like ‘honesty of imagination’ to describe the sense of the character in Nabokov’s ‘Invitation to a Beheading’ does show her perspicacious self. The book is replete with her in-depth analyses of the characters of the famous books she has discussed. And it is indeed a delight to know them, esp. when you haven’t read most of those books.
While her literary discussion is layered with a honeyed and pleasing academic taste, her portrayal of Iranian polity does border on some extremes. She has rendered everything after the Revolution as evil. She fails to apprise us why the Revolution happened in the first place. If the Shah Rehlavi Pasha was so top-notch, why was he deposed with near unanimity by all? If the US had been such a well-wisher of Iran, why was there such a boiled resentment and anger against it? Well, things didn’t take the right turn (ala Orwellian Animal Farm, I should say) even after the Revolution. The adopted Islamic law in stead of ameliorating the societal condition worked on clipping human liberty and speech. Worse so, it acted against the feminine freedom, the most susceptible part of society since time immemorial. There was a concomitant suppression of arts, music, and aesthetics, all in the name of the religion. But even then, all this is beside the point that everything was hunky-dory before 1979 and everything catastrophic after it. That’s why critics were quick to label the book as US-aided propaganda book in support of its War on Terror, when the book was released in 2002.
The motives might be open to questions, but Dr Nafisi’s intentions are not. She wanted to pen down her feelings, and make the world sit up and take notice. And how brilliantly she has done! At least it brought out the inner self of mine to cogitate how wrong our lives can become if the ideals are not followed rightly.
