Topic > Reading Lolita in Tehran - 752

Azar Nafisi, the narrator of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books (2003), is a self-centered and hypocritical character who, according to her statement, has very little contact with other Iranians in general. (p. 11, 74, 186, 169) Being “very American” (p. 175), in several incidents she finds herself at a great distance from what others recognize as customary, ordinary, or natural. (p. 32, 98, ..) Keep this in mind, he also admits that “events in [his] mind have become confusing” (p. 89). However, do these flaws mean that Nafisi is an unreliable narrator? Should the fact that there are many things he doesn't know about events or that he can only report from hearsay warn him against his judgments? In the first few pages of the text, the narrator functions primarily to establish a representational frame within. Initially, like a camera, it presents an overall perspective, which clarifies life in the Islamic Republic of Iran. An attitude that always hovers above the scenes to come and that invites the reader to see the whole scene and the outline under its shadow. Next, the camera perspective changes as it introduces the foreground image through two photographs. In these photographs, the reader gets to know seven young women who, accompanied by their teacher; Nafisi, forms a literary group to discuss literature. These photographs, however, perform another significant task; they are complementary in the narrative discourse. While the narrator addresses the reader repeatedly and directly; he asks them almost desperately to take part in the scene. The two photographs, being effectively graphic, almost instinctively involve the reader with the text. In this way, taking the reader, the narrator esta...... in the center of the sheet ......ngs [are] leaning against the wall”, “the vases [are] on the floor”, “the fireplace [ is] in the corner", "the sofa [is] against a wall" and "the peach colored sofa [is facing] towards the window". Therefore, at the end of the description, there is, inevitably, a sense of familiarity with the living room as well as with the narrator changes perspective, the audience respectively adopts the narrator's point of view and sees and experiences the events as she sees and experiences them. The same attitude is repeated by presenting the girls through the photos, since the narrator does not find it adequate to simply name the girls, but highlights their specific place within the photo, As if the reader is holding the photo, he indicates “the one on the far right is Manna”, Yassi is “the one dressed up”. in yellow, who leans forward and bursts out laughing”, “I'm the one dressed in brown”. (p. 4)