Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books

“In the first [photograph] there are seven women, standing against a white wall. They are, according to the law of the land, dressed in black robes and head scarves, covered except for the oval of their faces and their hands. In the second photograph […] they have taken off their coverings […] Each one has become distinct through the color and style of her clothes, the color and the length of her hair; not even the two who are still wearing their head scarves look the same.”

At the opening of her memoir, Nafisi describes two photographs that are important in both literal and symbolic terms. The “seven women” in the photographs are Nafisi posing with some of the girls who have participated in her secret book club for two years, and they are now posing together for the last time before Nafisi leaves Iran. In symbolic terms, the photographs form a stark contrast: In the first, all the women are dressed “according to the law of the land,” which means that they are wearing heavy coverings and exposing only “their faces and their hands.” These coverings reduce the women to uniformity and compliance with the dictates of the Islamic regime, with the “black robes” and mandatory “head scarves” eliminating their individuality. In the second photo, the variety of styles and colors render each woman “distinct,” showcasing her unique identity. Throughout the memoir, Nafisi will often mention clothing and link it to her exploration of Individuality Versus Totalitarianism.

“What Nabokov captured was the texture of life in a totalitarian society, where you are completely alone in an illusory world of false promises, where you can no longer differentiate between your savior and your executioner.”

Nafisi asserts that she is not trying to form direct correlations between her own experiences and those of Nabokov’s characters, such as Lolita, but nevertheless draws inspiration from the way in which Nabokov’s fiction captures the essence of the “texture of life” for those living under oppressive regimes.