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I am absolutely livid. I have finished the novel and I feel as though I have completely lost sight of who Nafisi is. The last section of this novel describes her meetings with "the magician". Though it is never explicitly said, I do believe that she is having a romantic relationship with this man. I feel as though we have never truly gotten a glimpse into her marriage life, but now we are beginning to understand that she is having marital issues, which makes me think that this is what prompted her meetings with "the magician." This relationship she is having with "the magician" is so strange and confusing, and I don't know how to navigate it. Her responses to their interactions are so emotionally draining and upsetting, I can't help but lose some of my respect for her. I appreciate that she is honest about her instability in the relationship, but I just can't get past the fact that I see her as a weak individual. Reading the ending was difficult. I wanted to hate her for leaving, but I couldn't. I was disappointed in her choices, as she was deciding to leave everything behind in order to leave Iran, but I wasn't angry. I realize now that she needed to leave and if she hadn't then she would have never been able to write this memoir, but I do wish that she had left in a different context.

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I had read a brief summary of this novel before I picked to read it, and what compelled me to read it was the section titled "Austen". I have always considered Jane Austen to be my favorite author, so I was really anticipating getting to read this section. Nafisi focuses on the relationship between reality and fiction, specifically focusing on how literature reflects real life. Despite that being the case, Nafisi goes on to say that reading will always be an escape, even if it is just a representation of real life. This is what prompts the mentions of Jane Austen, as she writes about real life, but she avoids politics and international conflicts. Nafisi is told to be more like Austen, but she is unable to take this advice and decides that she further retreat into the fantasy world. I feel that she was told to be more like Austen so that she would defer from the political environment because she is a woman, which the prompts a new feminist based discussion. This section focuses on the legal mistreatment of women, but mostly talks about how every woman faces inequality no matter their skin color, religion, or creed.

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This section speaks on the normalcy of war. I found the reading to be strange, but I enjoyed how Nafisi handled to subject. She recounts the death of the Iraqi dictator, focusing primarily on the lack of fanfare that surrounded it, and not the death itself. It was so striking to hear that there was no funeral for this man, despite funerals being such an important part of Iranian culture. There was a focus on normalcy within this section. Trying to normalize the death, trying to normalize the absence of a funeral. There were still classes the day of his death, which added to this idea of normalcy. Nafisi seemed to want to end her thoughts on the war and return to "normal" life, but I still can't get over how she ended this section. After pages and pages of her fear and anxiety about the war, she ends her thoughts with "It did not go on as usual."

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"James" is the longest section so far, and it is bay far the most personal. Nafisi begins a journey of study that focuses on gender, culture, and politics in Iran. These chapters are reminiscent of the ones I read in the beginning of the novel, not in specifics, but I am having similar thoughts. Reading this section makes me, again, want to label this book as a piece of feminist literature. Nafisi focuses primarily on Iranian women, specifically characterizing their struggles based on family structure and religion. She also takes great care with talking about the possession of women's bodies in Iran, focusing a great deal on sexual assault and the power of women who still fight despite the trauma they have faced. It seemed odd to me that she mention family structure, but as I read I began to understand. Family plays a major role in how you develop in Iran, as well as how you interact with the culture. Nafisi mentions Mina, a family friend who lives in a mansion with her mother. Being wealthy has afforded her the privilege of being able to disconnect from Iran, which is a concept I found to be strange. In my experience, I have never been able to disconnect from America. I have definitely tried, but I can't seem to remove myself from the culture or politics.

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The impact of "Gatsby" on the university campus was so significant, and it caused great upset within Nafisi. The exhaustion that the novel yielded a cultural war within her classroom, and it felt like a political to her students. The primary focus of this section is the political forces that have begun to make their way onto campus. I felt a sense of pride when Nafisi began to speak about her aversion to wearing the veil, and her firm stance that she took. I found it really interesting to explore the meaning of the veil in a non-religious aspect, and more so a way to enforce the power dynamics of Iranian culture.

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Reading the "James" section makes me uncomfortable. It's like I can't find a way to make the words I'm reading seem less severe. Nafisi has become obsessive and compulsive in this section, do reading this feels very personal. She collects news clippings and pictures, then hoards them. It's like she can't get enough information. There is also the game that she plays. She imagines her body becoming invisible, being swallowed up by her clothing. I found that to be so upsetting. In the beginning of this novel I was drawn to her strength, so watching her retreat into herself is painful for me. This entire section was anxiety inducing, especially once I got to the part where she speaks about becoming a mother. Her motherhood is overwhelmed by the anxieties of having this new responsibility, but also the dangers of living in a war zone.

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This section of the novel is entitles, "Gatsby." Before reading this section I want to talk about what I believe this part of the story will cover. I am aware that Nafisi studied in the United States, so I think she will talk about the "American Dream" or possibly about the conflicts that Iran has with popular Western Culture. Reading this portion is interesting, and it feels more personal. Nafisi speaks on the mounting tensions within Iran, and the constant overwhelming sense of being watched. She briefly talks about her time in America, specifically focusing on her marriage and the political environment that she was exposed to. I always find it interesting to hear foreign opinions on the American political atmosphere, so I was really excited to read about hr thoughts. Also, the more I read this novel I find myself wanting to categorize it as a piece of feminist literature, but I can't help but feel a little hesitant because I know that feminism is not Nafisi's intended purpose in her writing.

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The section of the novel "James" is a shift in the story. In the first two sections, Nafisi titles them by a character's name, but uses the author's name for the title of this section. In this portion of the novel, Nafisi focuses on the privilege and Muslim men in Iran. The men are allowed to engage in discussions regarding the actions and rights of women, specifically focusing back on the issue of the veil. Nafisi mentions the thoughts of a student in her class. He is unable to understand why she doesn't just adhere to the rules, as there are bigger problems in the world than being forced to wear a veil. This strikes me as odd, maybe because I am a young woman, but I can't get it out of my head. This is such a common theme throughout the world. Women are subjected to unnecessary rules and regulations, but we are unable to complain because there are more pressing issues. It is also interesting that the veil is a symbol against Western influence, but while Iranians consider women to be weak, they are forcing women to bare brunt of the fight by wearing their veils.

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The first section of the novel is entitled, "Lolita". I find this to be extremely fitting, as I have read "Lolita" and find that Nafisi is emulating the same feelings of freedom and insubordination that are present within in the novel. Her desire to defy the censorship of Iran is inspiring, and I find myself so drawn to her passion. There is also something to be said about the dedication and love she has for her students. I believe that there is something so special about the way she interacts with her students, as they are all engaging in a constant dialogue. The character dynamics are so interesting and rich. I loved reading about the sections about her children. It is always so interesting for me when people are able to acknowledge the barriers in humanity, and I really enjoyed that she mentioned that her children had difficulty aligning themselves with the people of Iran.

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The novel begins with the narrator explaining that she has resigned from her final teaching job. I found this to be a profound way to start the story, as I surely wouldn't begin my memoir by mentioning the end of my career, but to each their one. Azar Nafisi establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with, and I have an instant respect for her. She is so forthcoming about her love for literature, and her desire to explore "taboo" topics, despite the danger that may occur. As she begins to paint the picture of her life, I love how she takes such care in describing the people that are present with her in her experiences. Paragraph by paragraph, she presents us with a new person to digest, and even though we can't see the photo she is referencing, I can vividly picture each and every individual. Her writing, even though it is in the context of a memoir, feels like it belongs in a fictional novel. It mirrors the lines between fiction and reality, which makes reading this novel feel magical. It's like she's stepped out of herself and is writing this memoir about a character that she has come to adore, even though it is still being told in the first person.

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I was immediately drawn to the second portion of the story because of the character dynamics. Hearing the account of the older woman who claimed that her daughter was the wife of the murder victim really struck me. I found it very realistic that her position prompted her to immediately come to the defense of her daughter, even when there were no accusations present. Moving onto the confession(s), I loved how this story explored the concept of there always being three parts to a story. In this case, we hear Masago's story, Tajomaru's story, and Takehiro's story (which is meant to be the "truth"). Even though we hear various accounts of the story, I am unable to pinpoint what actually happened and I am still unsure of who the murdered is.

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The layout of the piece allows for numerous accounts of the murder, which adds depth the story with each re-telling. I find it to be quite intriguing and realistic, as in real investigations a variety of witnesses are interrogated. It seems quite eerie to me that the High Police Commissioner is a spectator in each chapter, and sometimes I almost feel as though I am the person in which the characters are addressing. The information being relayed sometimes feels contradictory, but then I remember that each character is independent of its predecessor, and their account serves to provide a new piece of information to the story.