Considering the ideas and themes of Martha Stout and Maggie Nelson, develop a thesis that investigates how these concepts may inform our reading of Nafisi’s memoir.

Readings: 

Maggie Nelson, “Great to Watch”

Martha Stout, “When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday”

Azar Nafisi, “Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran” 

Rough Draft (4 pages) due Wed. 11/20 (bring 2 paper copies to class for Peer Review and upload

To Canvas) 

Final Draft (5-6 pages) due Wed. 12/4 (upload to Canvas)

Question for Writing: 

Azar Nafisi reflects on her experiences as a woman living in Tehran under a totalitarian regime. In secret, with a select group of female students, Nafisi and her class explore the world of forbidden literature as a form of mental resistance against their loss of freedom. Considering the ideas and themes of Martha Stout and Maggie Nelson, develop a thesis that investigates how these concepts may inform our reading of Nafisi’s memoir. Themes include (but are not limited to) the utility of subjective mental states such as dissociation and imagination; the role of violence in the media; and the creation and preservation of self-identity. 

Remember: 

Connections between authors are not only parallels, but include complications, contrasts, frame-case relationships, etc. A quality Expos essay has complex connections!