Forgetful Freedoms: Reading Lolita in Tehran

We’ve all heard that saying, you haven’t missed something until it’s gone. It is those small things in life that we simply forget are so important in our everyday life, our forgetful freedoms. These small things are the basis of our life, and many of us would be shocked if our simple freedoms were taken away. Many people outside of America do not have the same freedoms as we do. As an American, the very thought of not being able to express myself in print is something that I would find extremely shocking. After all, I have been taught that I have the freedom of speech. I could not fathom the idea of having my basic freedoms taken away. However, everyday someone in the world is being treated unjustly by the denial of these basic American freedoms, such as those in Reading Lolita in Tehran. In Reading Lolita in Tehran there was one conversation that surprised me most about the lack of freedom in Tehran. The conversation that surprised me about the lack of freedom in Tehran took place when Sanaz showed up late to the private reading class at Nafisi’s house.

Her story was familiar. A fortnight earlier, Sanaz and five of her girlfriends had gone for a two-day vacation by the Caspian Sea…Sanaz kept emphasizing that they were all properly dressed, with their scarves and long robes. They were all sitting outside, in the garden; six girls and one boy. There were no alcoholic beverages in the house, no undesirable tapes or CDs. (Nafisi 72)

In the first part of this story there is so much that is surprising. Firstly, it is surprising that this is a “familiar” story. The fact that this happens all the time is shocking in and of itself. Secondly, it is shocking that these women are required to wear scarves and long robes. Of course, from the media I have already had prior knowledge on this situation, although it is still outrageous and surprising that in this day and age people are told what to wear in public. In American, it is our freedom to express our individuality through fashion, and there have been many disputes regarding mandatory fashion, such as in school systems. Thirdly, the fact that the people of Iran are not allowed to drink or listen to certain music is appalling. Many fine citizens of the United States partake in the consumption of alcohol, and listen to various types of music every night. Just within a few sentences of the conversation there are already a vast amount of freedoms that are denied of the people of Iran, and that is highly surprising. However, continuing with the story:

And then “they” came with their guns, the morality squads, surprising them by jumping over the low walls. They claimed to have received a report of illegal activities, and wanted to search the premise. Unable to find fault with their appearance, one of the guards sarcastically said that looking at them, with their Western attitudes......The truth of the matter was that their search for alcoholic beverages, tapes and CDs had led to nothing, but they already had a search warrant and didn’t’ want it to go to waste. The guards took all of them to a special jail for infractions in matters of morality.… They were held in that room for forty-eight hours. Despite their repeated requests, they were denied the right to call their parents. Apart from brief excursions to the rest room at appointed times, they left the room twice — the first time to be led to a hospital, where they were given virginity tests by a woman gynecologist, who had her students observe the examinations. Not satisfied with her verdict, the guards took them to a private clinic for a second check. (Nafisi 72)

This final part of the story has to be the most disturbing and startling incident I have read in Reading Lolita in Tehran. These girls were searched unjustifiably, imprisoned due to absurd charges, denied phone calls, and were given forced “virginity tests”. There are so many freedoms here that, from the perspective of an American, were taken away, freedoms that sometimes we take for granted in the United States.

Sometimes it is easy to forget what freedoms are in place in the United States. As Americans we think that there is no other way of living, and that freedom just exists. But that is most certainly not the case for the women of Iran. Some of these women have not even experienced the kind of freedoms we have here, and for them being thrown in jail for unjust reasons is the norm. They might be able to obtain freedom in other ways, like reading, but they never get to experience our kind of freedom. It is certainly surprising to see the kind of freedoms that the people of Iran lack compared to American society, and it really makes me appreciate America even more so. We mustn’t forget our freedoms.

Works Cited

Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran. New York: Random House, 2004. Print. 28 March 2011.