Reading Lolita in Tehran
A Project by Meghana Antyakula
FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF A MEMOIR
All memoirs have certain characteristics. For example, some memoirs focus over a small period of time like a couple of years, weeks, hours, or even minutes. The memoir itself can appear to be fictional, but it isn't. Literacy devices, such as metaphors, similes, and personification can be found woven through the text. The most important characteristic is that author reflects back at his or her experiences and tells how they overcame their challenge. ''Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi is a memoir that can show these important characteristics.
-Focusus on a Certain Period of Time
In the book, "Reading Lolita in Tehran", the author mainly focuses on an 18 year time period. Its during the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War. During those times, women had strict laws such as no makeup, always wear the veil, and don't go anywhere without a male family member. Because of this, Azar Nafisi secretly teaches her most committed students forbidden Western classics.
-Story Structure
The Struggle
Azar Nafisi was becoming frustrated from all the strict laws that were enforced by the government. They even banned many American classics from everyone. But most of all, the women in her country were beaten or taken to jail for small and unimportant reasons.
Conflict gets More Difficult
As the Iranian Revolution takes place, the Iran-Iraq war begins too. This stresses all the people of Iran even more because there were many shortages of supplies, food, and water.
Book Finally Reaches Climax
Finally, the author debates to leave to the USA secretly without the goverment noticing. But she dosn't want to get caught or else she might be thrown in jail or even worse, she and her family might get executed.
Literacy Devices in Memoirs
Literacy devices help bring the novel to life. With it's smooth similes, confusing metaphors, and hair raising personification, it takes you to a world you that never exists. Take a look at some examples I pasted below!
Simile
"Her eyes were like a crow as she searched my bag."
Meaning:
This tells us how the police were looking very closely at the bag.
Meaning:
This tells us how the police were looking very closely at the bag.
Metaphor
" A strike of lighting raced down my spine as one of the soldiers walked up to my home."
Meaning:
It tells us that she felt scared as the soldier came up to her door.
Meaning:
It tells us that she felt scared as the soldier came up to her door.
Onomatopoeia
" The books fell to ground with a thunderclap as she walked into the room."
Meaning:
The author is telling us that the books felt heavily to the ground.
Meaning:
The author is telling us that the books felt heavily to the ground.
Thoughts and Feelings about Experience
The author uses figurative language, such as personification and similes, to help bring the novel to life. One example of how the author used this in her writing was "The world I knew suddenly turned into a blur of black and grey like charcoal smeared on a canvas." The author turned how her country suddenly changed and compared to charcoal smeared on a canvas. This is a form of a simile that helps us picture how sudden everything had changed.
Theme Statement
Theme Statement:
Literacy can guide you through your darkest time.
This theme tells us that the author dedicated her life reading books, and she even made life changing choices based on the books she read. This theme is true through the entire book.