Reading Lolita in Tehran Essay -- Literary Analysis, Azar Nafisi

Azar Nafisi, the narrator of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books (2003), is a self-centered, self- righteousness character who, according to her claim, has very little contact with other Iranian people in general. (p. 11, 74, 186, 169) Being â€Å"very American† (p. 175), in several incidents she finds herself in a great distance of what others acknowledge as custom, ordinary or natural. (p. 32, 98, ..) Bear that in mind, she also admits that â€Å"events in [her] mind have become confused† (p. 89) Yet, do these shortcomings mean that Nafisi is an unreliable narrator? Should the fact that there is a lot she does not know about events or can only relate from hearsay, put one on guard against her judgments? In the first pages of the text, the narrator functions primarily to establish a representational frame within. At first, like a camera she presents an overall perspective, which is elucidating life in the Islamic Republic of Iran. An attitude that will always hover above the scenes to come that invites the reader to see the entire scenes and outlines under its shadow. Afterwards, the camera’s perspective changes as it introduces the close up image through two photographs. In these photographs, the reader is made acquainted with seven young woman who, in accompany with their teacher; Nafisi, form 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; she almost desperately asks them to be a part of the scene. The two photographs, being effectively graphic, almost instinctively engage the reader with the text. In this manner, taking the reader, the narrator esta... ...ngs [are] leaning against the wall†, â€Å"the vases [are] on the floor†, â€Å"the fireplace [is] in the corner†, â€Å"the love seat [is] against one wall† and â€Å"the peach couch [is facing] the window†. Therefore, at the end of the description, one, inevitably, feels a sense of familiarity with the living room as well as the narrator. As the narrator changes perspective, the audience respectively adopts the narrator’s point of view and sees and experiences events as she sees and experiences them. The same attitude, repeats in introducing the girls via the photos, as the narrator does not find it adequate to merely name the girls, she points out to their specific place within the photo. As if the reader is holding the photo, she indicate â€Å"the one to the far right is Manna†, Yassi is â€Å"the one in yellow, bending forward and bursting with laughter†, â€Å"I am the one in brown†. (p. 4)

Culture And Crime Essay

The crime rate of societies differs with each other. If the crime rates of European countries and American countries were compared, the results would be different. The same is true if countries from the East and West were compared in regards to their crime rates. This can be attributed perhaps to different norms and concepts on crime of different societies, as well as the overall way of life of the people in any given area. If this were analyzed further, it will be noted that culture plays a role in the way that crime is viewed in a given society. This essay deals with the concept of culture, especially in the way that it relates to crime. Culture, Society and Criminality Before juxtaposing crime and culture, however, it would be necessary to define the overly used and abused concept of culture. Generally, culture is the overall pattern of the way of life of a given community of people together with the structures of symbols and meanings that they attach to various aspects of their society. This also includes the morality of the society as well as the collection of acceptable and non-acceptable behaviors (Krober & Kluckhohn, 1952). Since the moral system is included here, it impinges upon the conception of what is right, as well as the way that people in a given society view law, together with the commission of crimes. Given that culture affects the overall lifestyle of peoples in a society, it is inevitable that crimes are also affected by culture. For example, in a study conducted by Karstedt (2001), she mentioned that culture has been recognized by criminology as one of the factors influencing crime. The study took note of various social control means in Asian countries with low crime rate such as Japan. Karstedt called for the introduction of methods and ways through which cultures may be effectively compared to study the differences in culture and its impact on crime. By conducting an extensive survey in one of the Southern States in the US, Warner (2003) found out that cultural disorganization affect crimes. Her findings show that a prevailing culture conditioned by disadvantage in the society and the disconnection of social ties have significant impact on the level of social relationships and ties of the community. This in turn impacts informal modes of social control in the society. Without these informal social control, it would the tendency for crimes to be committed becomes stronger. On the other hand, Leonardsen (2002) investigated the apparent anomaly of Japan—an urban country with very low crime rate. In his study, Leonardsen pointed out to apparent loss of too much individualism in Japan while focusing on the overall community. He argued that although the loss of individuality can be seen in Japan, it has much to teach to Western countries, especially regarding identity, obligations and social connections. Conclusion Based on the studies mentioned above, it can be seen that indeed culture has a significant impact on crime. Crime cannot only be prevented through formal means such as law, police force, and the prison system. Rather, there are informal institutions and norms that help prevent or perhaps encourage the occurrence of crime. When social ties are severed and a â€Å"negative† culture of the disadvantaged spawns, social controls are weakened, thus increasing the likelihood of the occurrence of crime. A focus on the community’s norms, however, can result to a more orderly society with low incidence of crime. These studies are congruent with Black’s theory that if the culture and the means of informal social control in a society are weak, then the tendency for that society is to have laws that are more powerful as compared with other societies with stronger social control means (Black, 1976). A combination of effective laws and informal social controls, are however necessary so that order can be kept within the society. Reference Black, D. (1976). The Behavior of Law. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Karstedt, S. (2001). Comparing Cultures, Comparing Crime: Challenges, Prospects and Problems for a Global Criminology. Crime, Law and Social Change, 36 (3), 285-308. Kroeber, A. L. & Kluckhohn, C. (1952). Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions. Cambridge, MA: Peabody Museum. Leonardsen, D. (2002). The Impossible Case of Japan. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 35 (2), 203-229. Warner, B. D. (2003). The Role of Attenuated Culture in Social Disorganization Theory. Criminology, 41 (1), 73-98.

When The Power Goes Out - 1167 Words

When the Power Goes Out Now I am seeing for the first time wonder in a true light. It started with my family. Beginning with my sisters... The one eldest of the two by three minutes was the curious one, that is of books. She loved to spend her days hidden beneath the covers in bright daylight until mother dragged her out from underneath the sheets. As for her looks she was fair with light golden hair. Her nose upturned with freckles. My parents would call her Rebeka for she was gifted with many talents. The other was considered very beautiful. A vary of light freckles and a clear complexion made her very attractive. Waves of long golden hair reached to the bottom of her back. She was named Noelle. I thought they were both beautiful. They†¦show more content†¦I was around seven when my father took me to his work office and I met his boss, Mr. Reed. I prefer to call him Mr. Boss though. It fit him not only because he was the boss, but because he always had a scowl on his face. My father had been tryi ng to get on the friendly side of his boss for years, but I guess he was naturally grumpy because few things could turn his frown upside down. His wife died two years from a car accident and his only joy in life was his daughter, Lauren. She did not mope as Mr. Reed did because she had knew she still had a kind of connection with her mother. I had met her before briefly and she seemed very sweet, but it wasn’t really my business knowing about her life my parents had said, so I left it alone. â€Å"Life is passion, life is family, life is food.† My mother said that when we all stood above the mounding smells from the fresh foods. The twins came in with no call but by the pure lure of the aroma. Mr. Boss and Lauren were welcomed just in time for the first course. Mother lifted the lid to several pots and pans and everyone stood in awe. Starting on the left was a cranberry-spinach-chia salad glazed with a spicy oil dressing. Next a Georgia style jambalaya with dirty rice and dressed pork. Homemade mashed potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, and chicken legs made the perfect American homestyle cooked meal. The second course was over for those who could