Power to the Females

Nafisi’s story of Daisy Miller is vastly different from the story I read and understood.  When I read Daisy Miller initially, the titular character came off as assertive, entitled, and unrefined.  However, Nafisi describes Daisy Miller as some sort of heroine, noting how she was “revolutionary” during her time period.  When one of Nafisi’s students, Mr. Ghomi, adamantly expresses his disdain for a character like Daisy Miller, the female students privately went up to Nafisi after class and expressed to her that they didn’t agree with him.  They had to go to Nafisi privately because they live in a society where women cannot speak up for themselves.  Additionally, they tell Nafisi that they appreciate her class as they are learning about female characters they aspire to be.  They admire Daisy Miller for her courageousness about marching to the beat of her own drum.  So, when the students found out that the story did not end with Daisy’s death, they were puzzled.  They didn’t understand why they story had to continue on without her and with the male Winterbourne.  One of the students actually pointed out that her death could have been a nice way to end the story for all the parties involved.  Mr. Ghomi, however, found that she had to pay for her sins, implying that ending the story with Daisy’s death would only glorify her.

My new understanding of the truth is that Daisy Miller can be seen as a heroine.  Although her ways are unorthodox, she is still admired for standing on her own two feet.  This is important for Nafisi and her students because they need to know that there are people like Daisy out there in the world that are not afraid to speak their own mind. Learning about another perspective of the Daisy Miller story tells me the dangers of a single story.  I found Daisy Miller to be this spoiled rich wannabe initially.  However, after reading Nafisi’s story, I can see how she can also be seen as a role model for those who don’t know or can’t stand up for themselves.