Reading Lolita In Tehran

I can't imagine waking up in a country where there is no freedom for women. In Reading Lolita In Tehran, Nafisi shows how the women in her "book club" were in exile in their own home involuntarily. When Nafisi went through a day in the life of one of the girls in the group (Sanaz-pg26), I was shocked. These women were forced to sit on the back of buses and be so fearful for their lives. The novel showed an internal exile because the women can't express their true identities and really accomplish whatever they want to put their minds to.

Dry
After reading Nabokov’s “Lolita”, Nafisi’s”reading Lolita in Tehran” was unable to keep my interest. i understood that it was a memoir but because of the title I figured that it would have much more to do with Nabokov’s “Lolita”. Overall I got the feeling that the book was more about women/feminist empowerment, more then the decision of the book “Lolita”. Even so, "Lolita" was not the only forbidden book that was read. In some ways Nafisi sets this up by defining the living room where she held her classes as a symbol of her “nomadic and borrowed life”. She also speaks of how Nobokov is a hero because he “refuses to be like the rest of us”. I think the goal of the author was to focus more on what Nabokov accomplished in writing Lolita,more then the novel itself. At any rate this was disappointing because I imagining their decisions and opinions to be more interesting. I'm not sure how this book was suppose to be read.

Her Veil

After reading the book: Reading Lolita in Tehran, through the eyes of an American, I realized the great lengths of Azar Nafisi's restriction and exile. I wonder however, how this would look in the eyes of an ardent Iranian...possibly inhumane? As it did, because her betrayal of Iranian culture, and refusal to wear a veil in the classroom dismayed and horrified others, and her exile from teaching was her lesson learned. I can't imagine being restricted to wearing certain clothes, or being a certain way, which is a very American belief, Nafisi risked her life, and the lives of those young girl to teach them classic western literature. Her exile remains in this secretive life she endures, and her exile from her former University. Disgrace in the Iranian culture: her request that she does not wear a veil while teaching seems so minor, because in America death has to occur before anybody does anything. (Embellished to make a point). Nafisi's courage and ultimate refusal of her veil, exiled her.

Appreciation for Literature

Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books instilled in me a great sense of appreciation for literature and the ability to freely read and discuss great works. Sometimes we take it for granted that our society permits us to study the work of authors like Austen, Fitzgerald and Nabokov. Just last week we read Lolita and some portions seemed shocking even to us. For a novel like this to be read during the Iranian Revolution, while it was "banned Western literature" is truly remarkable.
I also found it the relationship between Nafisi and her students to be fascinating. The sheer range of topics they explore together is what made this read so interesting. They don't only focus on the classic Western novels, but their personal lives as well. I felt like this was an intriguing dimension that Nafisi included.

What this is not

I find Nafisi's statement at the beginning of chapter 10 about how to relate her story to Lolita intriguing. She writes, "I want to emphasize once more that we were not Lolita, the Ayatollah was not Humbert and this republic was not what Humbert called his princedom by the sea" (35).
I find this statement particularly interesting because she is so adamant about it. It seems logical to relate Nabokov's story to this memoir in this way. Why should Nafisi feel so strongly that this not occur? It seems counterintuitive for an author to tell their reader that they should not read a text in one specific, and especially obvious, way.

Literature As An Escape

After reading the novel entitled Reading Lolita in Tehran I acknowledge how lucky I am because I can be an independent, educated, opinionated young woman. I have the freedom to express myself in whatever manner I wish, I can dress according to my individual choice, and I can do whatever a man can do, who knows maybe even better. This memoir really opened my eyes to the sad, but realistic lives, and challenges women in Tehran. In my opinion, these women turned to literature as an escape from society, and its unfair rules and regulations. If I was living in Iran I would have been one of these students, sneaking out and secretly attending the Thursday mornings session. By reading many different works of literature, I believe that they found it to be an escape, or some sort of familiarity. At some point in the novel it states, "...the most central of which was how these great works of imagination could help us in our present trapped situation as women. We were not looking for blue-prints, for an easy solution, but we did hope to find a link between the open spaces the novel provided and the closed ones we were confined to" (p.19). But as it is said, where there is a will, there is a way. This group of yound women, came together and worked together as a team in their fight against their repression, and the rise to their liberation.

Nafisi's Tale

This story is a certain example of exile because Nafisi was forever banned from teaching and her friend explained “You are aware….that you are more and more withdrawing into yourself, and now that you have cut your relations with the university, your whole contact with the outside world will be mainly restricted to one room” (11). Nafisi did resign from teaching on her own because of the unfair treatment of the university to teach her own lessons. Iran, where the story took place, is seen as a dictatorship because students as well as professors were reprimanded if rules were not followed.
It is sad to see that in this stage at life that people are still unable to do whatever they please. To have to undermine higher school officials and read forbidden topics is something that is still common in certain parts of the world. Countries like Iran should leave it up to the discretion of the professor to decide what should be read.

Reading Lolita in Tehran and the lack of Colors

Reading Lolita in Tehran is deeper than just the mere act of reading lolita, it is the act of creating a parallel dimension under the name of literature. It is a memoir of the creation of colors in a moment and place in time in which everything seems clear. Nafisi mentions her fascination about the idea of creating colors of from dreams she says: The color of my dreams, I repeated to myself [...]I liked that. How many people get a chance to paint colors of their dreams?(11). What she does not seem to realize is that, that is exactly what she creates for herself and the girls through the exploration of various literary works and their colorful characters.
Furthermore, this book is about exile,but not just any exile, the exile of a woman in her own country "This is Tehran for me: Its absences were more real than its presences." (Nafisi 5). Nafisi establishes the fact that being in tehran was the lack and nostalgia for what she remembered of her native country, as if returning to her homeland in 1979 was the same as destroying every single one of the memories that she had ever created.

Internal & External Exile

In Lolita, Humbert experiences two types of exiles: an internal exile and an external exile. His internal exile comes from his sick views of love and lust. Humbert believes that there is nothing wrong with loving his underage "nymphets", but we all know that it's not the norm. His internal desire for young girls causes an exile which he is subconsious to: an exile of normality. Humbert is out of reality, internally trapped by his lust for the wrong type of women. He has become so detached from normal society that he doesn't realize how rash his actions are. His voluntary external exile occurs when he comes from Europe to America, and becomes nomadic, moving constantly and not belonging to one fixed place.

Annabel

One of the more fascinating aspects of Lolita was actually getting a sense of why Humbert turned out the way he did, and why he developed such disturbing thoughts about young girls. His relationship with Annabel and the lack of closure that he received had a signigificant impact on Humbert as he grew older. Humbert was never able to consummate the relationship with his young, first lover. This had reprecussions on his character for years to come. When Annabel dies it is as though there is a void in Humbert's mind, which can only be filled by someone he can compare her to. He developed such strong feelings about Annabel, or perhaps the idea of Annabel, that he starts to become obsessed with "nymphets" like Lolita The problem is that he continued to grow older and older, his feelings remained toward young girls, even when he was able to have relationships with adults. This in no way rationalizes Humbert's feelings or his actions, but it does give a little bit of insight as to why he behaves in such a sick way. This also made me think about why people become exiles, and how often a traumatic experience can play a major part in making someone an exile. It is important to try and understand the psychology of an exile in order to determine why they do what they do, and why they have become isolated from social norms because of it.

One of the finest English professors I've ever had explained to my class that writing creatively means creating sensations through expression. In her own words, "if you try to describe a homeless person on the streets of New York, I want to be able to smell him." It may sound a bit theatrical, but that is because very few writers are capable of producing such an effect on the reader. Only a master can elevate language to the point of transcending mere communication or even eloquent description. In Nabokov's Lolita, he succeeds in establishing himself not only as a 'writer in exile', but as one of the finest American authors of this century.
More than anything, I believe Lolita shows that the content of a novel-- and in this case, I found the topic very disturbing-- has little to do with the craft of writing. Nabokov chose an "untouchable" subject matter, one that conventionally is viewed with disgust. To many, pedophilia is seen as a more repulsive crime even than murder. The storyline has all the elements of a twisted, dark, and sordid tale even by today's standards, yet was hailed as a masterwork, which it is. Reading Lolita was a profoundly moving experience, but not because the story or the characters are inspiring or pretty. Rather, the quality of the writing and the boldness of the narrator in revealing his life's deepest secrets transforms the book into a journey. If the reader commits to the book, he commits to entering a life, a forbidden world that Nabokov bravely created.

Attraction

Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita depicts the psychologically disturbed narrator, in exile as he hopelessly attempts alluring a young teenager. Meanwhile, throughout the narrative, the reader is in distrust of the narrator Humbert for he is conveying Lolita's lust for him as factual, when his reality may be derailed by his pedophilia desires.
While there may be many levels of exile contained within this book, the most concerning form is found within the character Humbert, and his desire for younger girls. It isn't perfectly clear whether or not Lolita lusts/loves Humbert...for she is only a teenager. As in: "She was not pretty, she was a nymphet...The pale child noticed my gaze (which was really quite casual and debonair), and being ridiculously self conscious, lost countenance completely" (Nabokov 126). Lolita isn't taken for what she is, she's a young girl who just might be attracted to Humbert's charms, and active infatuation, but all in all, she's unable to make a decision. And even if she were to decide, Humbert would be in the wrong anyway because he should know better than to pursue a young girl. Humbert however presents his exile by means of his blatant attraction and inability to contain a desire that is not kindly viewed in society.

Lolita as a form of Exile

The novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov can be seen from two different perspectives one as a man who has been deeply hurt due to a frustrated love and therefore, has gone mad and committed a great number of immoral and unethical acts; or two, as a man who has deeply fallen in love with a GIRL and cannot see beyond that point, and cannot measure the degree of his acts, and ultimately learns his lesson and receives what he deserves, or better yet what he has generated from the beginning. However, in both perspectives Lolita seems to be Humbert's way of exile from a painful world in which he cannot seem to fit in, either because of his terrible and frustrated love for Annabel, or the constant appearance or encountering with "nymphets" that are provoking him.
What is most outstanding of the novel though is that at the beginning Humbert seems completely mad and just out of all his senses, but as the novel progresses he seems to reach closer to serenity and understanding. When he starts making his case and defense, he can only talk about the nymphets, but at the end he seems to realize that his behavior is damaging, and Lolita's ultimate fate is only the result of his misdoings to her, and that perhaps she deserves to be away from him.

Eyes on Both Ends of the "Exile Spectrum"

After reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov I realized that there is a strong theme of exile flowing through the novel. Two of the main characters, Humbert and Lolita are exiles but what sets them apart from eachother is the fact that one of the character's exile is voluntary, while the other is involuntary. This is where Nabokov allows the reader to examine both ends of the "Exile Spectrum". Humbert chooses his exile willingly when he leaves Europe, and journeys to America. Lolita on the other hand is forced into exile when Charlotte dies, leaving her behind with Humbert. They are alienated from the societies which they are familiar, and they find themselves in ambiguious moral territory where the old rules do not tend to apply. Humbert and Lolita are so disconnected from odinary society that they can acknowledge how immoral their actions become, Humbert can see the claws he sprouted, and Lolita maintains the role of a silent lamb. Tqwards the end, both Humbert and Lolita experience the ultimate blow from exile's thunderous fist, Lolita held by Dick Schiller, and Humbert held by the iron cage in prison. Exile in this novel is final, there is no way out, no mobility. Here we see the both ends of the spectrum, but when it all boils down, for these characters Exile is not a bed of roses, but a harsh and brutal way of life.

Lolita Starts a Trend That is Unfortunately Followed

The story of Lolita reminds me of how today’s society is when it comes to adults having sexual relations with young adults specifically under 18. Today in our society, it has happened and people condemn things like that. Maybe Humbert felt that it was the norm. Though it was wrong for Humbert to have feelings for Lolita in that way, you can’t help but feel sympathy for him because he wanted to fill that void of extra space with companionship. What was wrong about the whole situation is that he married Charlotte to get to Lolita, which was wrong because she had hoped that he was the man of her dreams. Sadly this was not the case.
Humbert did what he did because he missed Annabel and wanted to recapture that moment in time, when he was thirteen. The only problem is that he waited until he was a lot older and fell in love with a girl the same age as Annabel. It’s a sad ending to a rather unique love story, but received criticism because of its plot. Age is nothing but a number but when it is thirteen, then it becomes wrong whatever way you think of it.

Lolita- The View of a Pedophile

Lolita , a beautifully written novel by Vladimir Nabovok is also an eerie tale of a pedophile and his obsession. Humbert begins his memoiré by recounting his childhood and his first sexual experiences. Ironically the first sexual experiences he can remember are with a young American boy in the rose garden talking of “purely theoretical…pubertal surprises” (p11) After recounting these he goes on to his first love Annabel who was twelve when he was thirteen. He explains his sexual encounter with her in graphic, however beautiful detail. In the end though, Annabel and Hunmbert can’t finish their sexual experiences and 4 months later Annabel dies of Typhus.
Humbert becomes a pedophile after this, watching little girls and referring to those who catch his attention as “nymphets”. The referral to magic and spells is to discredit the psychological field and steers the explanation of Humbert away from being considered a pedophile and instead into that of a bewitched man. This is a frivolous attempt on Humbert’s side to clean up his image.
These “nymphets” that infatuate him are in fact 9-14 year old girls. He falls in love with Lolita, also known as Doris while taking a trip to America. His trip to America is his willful journey into exile. Humbert marry’s Lolita’s mother in order to stay close to Lolita, and when her mother dies he takes Lolita on a road trip where they become nomadic. Humbert and Lolita willfully exile themselves from any specific home.
Humbert is obsessed with these "nymphets" because of his unrequited love for Annabel, and he is still in the mind-frame of her twelve year old figure. He makes frivolous attempts at love but no woman can compare to Annabel, and until Lolita, his nymphets couldn’t fill his memory of her either.
Memory is another important aspect of the novel, Humbert recalls two types of memory and attributes the general memory to Annabel where he can “skillfully recreate an image in the laboratory” of his mind, and the more passionate, vivid memory is attributed to Lolita which is an “absolutely optical replica of a beloved face”.
Nevertheless, the novel captures the inner workings of a select pedophile’s mind and then shows how this man, H.H. justifies his feelings for young girls.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

In Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov we take a look at Humbert Humbert's obsession with "nymphets" in particuarly Dolores Haze. Throughout the novel is apparent that because of his obession with adolescent girls, Humbert feels exiled. We see him rationalize this obession multiple times, including illusion to historical figures, like Dante or Petrarch whom both fell in love with their lovers when their lovers were young. This shows an exile in time period. Humbert feels like he is exiled by his time period because as he even mentioned in 1840 over 1940 it was acceptable for a young girl to be married off to a man. He is exiled by his time period because he sees no problem with this obession of "nymphets". One could call it his rationalization of a morally unacceptable obsession, but he defends himself throughout the whole book. He constantly mentions other cultures that are still around in which it is socially acceptable to marry young girls. Humbert's exile is one of time, and place. In America and Europe it is unacceptable for him to have any form of relation with a young girl, when 100 years earlier or in a different country he very well could. He feels that the normal standards for living are not what he believes in. This exile of time and place I feel is the most important in the novel, because even when he is finally able to have his Lolita any time he wants, he still has to hide it from everyone around him because it is not socially acceptable, when he sees no problem with it. Throughout the novel we also see a small exile on Humbert for being European. We see that Charlotte and other people considered him a European man due to his accent, and mysteriousness. Dolores even teases him at one point for his polite European way of asking for directions. He could tell that other people would tease him to, because he does do what she imitates. This exile due to his descent is important for Humbert's exile from the place he is currently in. Due to his descent is exiled from America just like his obsession with nymphets.

Exile in Suicide

In the book: "Things Fall Apart" the author Chinua Achebe presents the ultimate downfall of the Ibo tribe as they are forced into the 'white world.' One of the main characters Okonkwo, a devout presence in society, feared by many due to the fact that he cruelly beat his wives. In the core of Okonkwo's being is a sincere and dreadful form of exile that exposes itself the moment he decided to commit suicide.

Throughout the novel the reader was given many different descriptions of gods and ceremonies engendering the sacredness of this tribe. Their beliefs and holy commitment definitely infiltrated itself on every day life, even when their tribe was slowly heading toward extinction. Okonkwo, a brute was affected greatly by this change the Ibo tribe faced...rather than having to succumb to customs not of his own he hung himself, ultimately exiling himself from his Ibo tribe. Suicide is highly condemned, and a refusal of burial is enforced to those who commit the ultimate sin. A painful moment in the book would be toward the end when members of the tribe ask the 'white men' to bury Okonkwo for they cannot, it is against their beliefs. The reader is able to see the connection between these tribal members, and even though Okonkwo went against the tribal rules they still wanted him buried.

Things Fall Apart

Things fall Apart:
Perhaps the most interesting thing about "Things Fall Apart" is Achebe's character: Okonkwo and Hemingway's Cohn. Both authors start off describing these characters strongest points and how thoses pionts make them week, both of them want to be liked or excepted but fail. Okonkwo does this by making it his personal goal not to display any of the qualities that were like his fathers. Because of this he was a rich man with several wives and was well know throughout all the villages. Cohn was admired for his ability to stay calm and not fight although he was a boxer, the same way in which Okonkwo was admired for his display "manliness". Unfortunately, Cohn snapped one day by beating up the bull fighter and that display of anger became his down fall, the same way in which Okonkwo's need to be ultra manly leads to his distruction at the end of the novel.

Achebe's Exile

I have read this novel before and remember being struck by the same question: how personal is this story? Does any one character in the novel represent Achebe? I do not know for sure but if I were to guess I would think that it is Nwoye. Nwoye leaves his family and all things familiar in search of something new. This seems similar to Achebe's writing of the novel and exile from Nigeria. Achebe clearly has very mixed feelings about tribal life and very strong feelings about the colonization of Nigeria. Perhaps however, he is not a character in the novel but rather in the novel itself.