Azar Nafisi's memoir, Reading Lolita in Tehran, deals with the changing and increasingly oppressive conditions in Iran after the revolution and subsequent rise of Ayatollah Khomeini. When teaching this book, you might want to provide information on the history of the Iranian Revolution, how this event affected women's rights, and the Iran-Iraq War. This will help students understand society in Iran at the time and events taking place under the new regime.
Much of the memoir involves a book club that conducts literary analysis. Nafisi references many books, but focuses primarily on Lolita, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Miller, Washington Square, and Pride and Prejudice. These novels can be assigned along with the corresponding sections in the memoir; at the very least, students should be familiar with the plots and themes. This bookish aspect of Nafisi's work is a great way to introduce students to intertextuality and deeper literary analysis. Class discussion can involve Nafisi's interpretations of the works, her students' responses, and how the novels highlight other events within Nafisi's story.
Summary
Nafisi returned to Iran during the revolution in the late 1970s. As Islamic morality squads conducted arbitrary raids in Tehran and she was expelled from her teaching position at the University of Tehran for refusing to wear a head scarf, Nafisi formed a book club. In secret, she and seven dedicated female students gathered once a week to discuss forbidden Western literature. This memoir interlaces events in Iran with the personal stories of the book club members and the texts they read.