Friday, March 16, 2012
Prompt: Reading Lolita in Tehran
How is Nafisi's story of Daisy Miller different than the story you told or understood about Daisy from your reading? Use specific examples from reading Lolita in Tehran to illustrate Nafisi and her students' interpretations.
Remember that the book Daisy Miller was banned by the government in Iran at the time Nafisi is describing.
What is your new understanding of the truth (remember what Nafisi writes about truth and literature) of Daisy Miller and why was this important to Nafisi and her students?
What does this tell you about the power of narrative and the danger of a single story?
Full points will be awarded for a comprehensive response.
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Nafisi's story of Daisy Miller has some similarities and differences as to how I interpreted Daisy Miller. When I was reading Daisy Miller, I read the story for what it was, but didn’t really analyze it. I did analyze it to a certain point, but not very well. After reading this, I realized that I missed a lot in Daisy Miller that I could have picked up easily if I took more time to read and understand the story. I do understand that Daisy did not allow herself to be dictated while she was abroad. She wanted to control herself, but at the same time, she wanted Winterbourne's approval. She was outgoing and didn’t care what others thought about her, except for Winterbourne. It was really sad to see how much she wanted Winterbourne’s approval, especially towards the end.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the story is the same, it was interesting to read Nafisi's interpretation of Daisy Miller because she applied it to the lives of her students and their lives in Iran. "From the very first moment she appears with her parasol and her white muslin dress, Daisy creates some excitement, and some unrest, in Winterbourne's heart and mind. She presents herself to him as a puzzle, a dazzling mystery at once too difficult and too easy to solve". I believe that some of the girls in this class wished they could be more like Daisy. I was trying to imagine if I was in their situation and how I would relate to Daisy Miller. I would want to have the ability to do as I pleased and wear whatever I wanted, and even be able to have some power over men, which they have none of.
Because Daisy did not comply with the norms of society, for a girl in Iran, she was considered to be a bit wild, even promiscuous by some. Many women looked down upon her and criticized her. Yet, at the same time, Winterbourne was captivated by her spirit and was constantly trying to figure Daisy out. While discussing Daisy Miller in class, Mr. Ghomi, a student in Nafisi's class, talks poorly of Daisy, calling her "evil and deserves to die". Because Daisy does end up dying in the end, Mr. Ghomi probably feels that death is what Daisy deserved. I would have been really disgusted in his comments, but some of the girls in the class may agree with him. From reading this interpretation from Nafisi's class, I'm actually looking at Daisy Miller more in depth than I was before.
It's somewhat sad to see that some of Nafisi's students come up to her after class to let Nafisi know that most of the class disagrees with Mr. Ghomi, but they do not want to voice their opinions because of the society they live in and they do not want to be reported. It is difficult to know that these girls’ voices were oppressed and their personalities and growth were limited because of others’ beliefs.
Single stories are dangerous and can totally give someone the wrong idea about another person/item/idea. Nafisi seems like an amazing teacher who wanted her students to seek the truth and to be able to let themselves free.
Mr. Ghomi vs Daisy Miller
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read Daisy Miller I took her to be the girl whom desires to see a change in the world. She is the girl who had much spirit and was not afraid to show that to society. what I did not believe was that Daisy was "evil". In Nafisi' class interpretation such as Mr. Ghomi's opinions are quite harsh. As Nafisis feels that Daisy is mesmerizing and revolutionary, Mr. Ghomi states that he sees Daisy as "obviously a bad girl; [as she is] reactionary and decadent" (pg. 195). First reading Daisy Miller, this would never have been the idea which sprung into my mind of Daisy. Mr. Ghomi expresses his feelings that 'we live in a revolutionary society and our revolutionary women are those who defy the decadence of Western culture by being modest" (pg. 195). Even stating that she deserves to die. I found this to be completely startling that Mr. Ghomi feels so strongly towards Daisy. I felt that Daisy, although not being the most behaved individual, was making a difference and intriguing.
What I found interesting was the fact that other students were being affected by Mr. Ghomi's harsh opinions and they felt as if they were afraid of him. Nafisi was more upset, not with people like Mr. Ghomi, but of what Ghomi does to the rest of the class. [Her] other students were victims of Ghomis unambiguous attitude towards them" (pg. 198). I really found settlement when Nafisi performed her chair exercise to make students realize that you cannot see anything from just one perspective. We all had different perspectives with anything especially literature. This is where I found the connection to truth and literature. That there is no one truth because we all interpret literature in our own way therefore there is no one single right or wrong way to read something, such as Daisy Miller. This is important to Nafisi's students because of the fact that Mr. Ghomi is so adamant about his opinion that he makes others feel as if he right and there is no room for further interpretation when in fact there is.
I have learned from reading the different perspectives of the class that a single story can be very limiting because it can predispose one to judgment and not leaving any room for further explanation. If we all create a single story for someone or something than we limit ourselves of having any space for changing that single story into a life story of understanding.
Same Story, Different Crowd
ReplyDeleteOriginally reading Daisy Miller, I perceived as someone who held a false sense of self-entitlement, as though she could prance around acting however she wanted, giving the impression that she was superior. Her aura held an attitude of impressing others, but only those who were worthy of it, while people “below her” weren’t deserving of her time in presence. She was a slightly seductive woman who led on a man who could not resist her, toying with emotions as if it were nothing more than a game she played. That was the idea I had created of Daisy Miller when comparing and contrasting her to the Mimi’s.
After reading Nafisi’s story of Daisy Miller, I portrayed her in a different light. Instead of misguided and self-entitled, she appeared to be strong and independent, making her own decisions rather than being told what to do and who she was. Her defiance became strength. When comparing Daisy to the Mimi’s, she seemed like a clone; someone creating an image to fit in, but Nafisi helped me to see her as someone who maintains her own image, causing her to stand out. Some shared a similar perspective at first, although more intense with sentiments of, “Daisy is evil and deserves to die” (Nafisi 195).
The truth that Nafisi shed light on is that, in Daisy’s circumstance, she could be perceived as a heroine because of her independent mind. She didn’t succumb to the pressures of society, a society oppressive to woman, and instead found herself and her own truth, despite how others might have interpreted it. The concept of “The Danger of a Single Story” was an example of the view I held on her originally, but after being exposed to various interpretations of the same story, I began to see it differently, not compromising my on views but allowing others to influence my thoughts.
The perspective of Nafisi didn’t make Daisy Miller seem entirely good to me because I still hold my own views on some of the things she did, but it did open my mind. For some on the other side of the spectrum, she was also seen as, “a role model for them and this literature class that Nafisi conducted was a place in which her and her students could go beyond the bounds of politics” (Nafisi 8). In the end, Daisy Miller was a figure that, on her own, found her way of being herself despite the outside forces of the world that may have conflicted with her character.
Nafisi’s story about Daisy Miller is very complex. I liked best the students’ disscussions about the character Daisy Miller. Some students have very opinionated stands regarding Daisy. Mr. Ghomi expresses a sort of hatred tone towards the Daisy character. He states that she is " obviously a bad girl' ,she is reactionary and decadent" (195). He describes her as conservative and immoral. I had the idea that Daisy was very conservative by the way she spoke to Winterbourne. She had a very formal tone when she calls him “Mr. Winterbourne” instead of addressing him by the first name.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Daisy Miller, I got the idea that Daisy was a teaser and always gets what she wants. She wants all the attention towards her, including Winterbourne’s and all the other men that are going after her. However, after reading Lolita, it gave me a different perspective about Daisy Miller. One great attribute is that of courage. One of Nafisi students Nassrin explains that Daisy tells Winterbourne to not be afraid. “She means to not be afraid of conventions and traditions- that is one kind of courage” (Nafisi, 248). Although Nassrin is portrayed as a very shy student, one that hides behind trees when taking pictures, she speaks up that Daisy has a lot of courage. Nassrin gave me a different perspective on how I look at Daisy. Daisy is not after all just an American girl who teases men around, but a woman that stands up for herself and tells Winterbourne to not be afraid of speaking up. To not be afraid of traditions is to do what your heart desires no matter what everyone else is doing around you. To challenge traditions and make up your own that suits you best.
Narratives can be perceived in different ways. We all interpret narratives according to our personal experiences or something we may be familiar with. However, we often find ourselves interpreting these narratives as a “single story.” This is why is great to ask for other people’s perspectives and read other literature reviews and always have a n open mind when reading narratives.
Like many of my fellow classmates I too when I was reading Daisy Miller was focusing more on connecting her to a Mimi. I was so blinded by the bigger picture of the story which Nafisi helped me understand. I only thought of Daisy Miller as being someone she wasn't, trying to fit in. I saw her as a little stuck up. She seemed very superficial.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading how Nafisi's interpreted Daisy Miller it really opened up my understanding of the novella. Nafisi described Daisy Miller as confident and sort of an innovator. I started seeing Daisy Miller in a different light. Nafisi describes her as "having courage".
I find the idea that another person perspective of a story or a subject really allows us to question our own idea of how we interpreted something. That is one thing that I really like about this class is that when we discuss topics like Kony or other topics and people share their opinions it helps me better understand my own opinion. People understand stories usually based on their background or what they have experienced and when we all come together and share our ideas and perspectives it really helps the whole group. Any persons narrative can be interpreted in millions of ways.