Reading Lolita In Tehran

“The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage.” Throughout history, there have been multiple courageous attempts by individuals to gain freedom. The right of freedom is constantly being struggled for and is not easily earned. In the texts, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., and “Cairo: My City, Our Revolution” by Ahdaf Soueif great actions of striving and demanding freedom were demonstrated. Although citizens struggle to earn their freedom, the unity and determination of the people has proven to bring success. While trying to attain freedom, it must be demanded by having the courage to go against the rules of an oppressive government, coming together, and struggling and
For example, Nafisi states that men patrolled the streets with guns, “to make sure that women like Sanaz wear their veils properly, do not wear makeup, do not walk in public with men who are not their fathers, brothers, or husbands” (82). In this quote, a reader is shown the strict Islamic dress code that women in Iran are forced to follow. An action of women showing jewelry or makeup in public results in beatings, humiliations, and questionings. This controlling treatment is a primary example of the lack of freedom these Iranian women face. They are under the control of their government and have to pay harsh consequences if they do not oblige by the rules. However, despite the brutality and lack of freedom, Nafisi claims that it is direct example of why freedom must be demanded. For instance, she says, “Is she aware, Sanaz, of her own power? Does she realize how dangerous she can be… walking, talking, showing a strand of hair just to remind them that they have not converted?” (83) In other words, Nafisi is saying that the women in Iran do not have freedom because they are putting up with the abusive rules. Women have the power of breaking the rules, and as a result, they would remind the Iranian people of the lack of freedom that the women deal with. The government would be shown that no matter what women go through, they
Like Nafisi explained, the first step to demanding freedom is to have courage. Citizens must have the bravery to fight against the rules of a government, despite the possible consequences. In addition, King expressed the same concept, but also included that in order to demand freedom, citizens must also come together. Finally, Soueif explained that the final step to demanding freedom is to fight and struggle as a country. As one can see, earning freedom is a difficult task that does not come easily. Citizens like the Iranian women, black American citizens, and the people of Cairo risked their lives just to attempt to claim their freedom. Ultimately, freedom is the source of individuality. Freedom allows an individual to express their feelings, personalities, and interests. Without freedom, people are nothing more than just another individual whose actions are ran by the government. Citizens all over the United States are recognizable by their differences, however, in Iran, there are little differences that separate women today. Individuals without freedom do not have right to be their own person. This idea of individuality and being able to be an