Paper short abstract:

Azar Nafisi's "Reading Lolita in Tehran" examines the position of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. I read "Lolita" as a multidimensional symbol of suppressed femininity, and explore the cultural bases for oppressive systems in Iran and worldwide.

Paper long abstract:

Iranian women protesting in the streets attract the world's attention. The observed conflict has two dimensions: the 'male' vs the 'female'; the 'individual' vs the 'systemic'.

The purpose of this paper is to present the process of depriving a woman her identity, and to show cultural foundations for occurrence such a phenomena. The literary story of the women who have been deprived of their individuality by the Islamic revolution will be confronted with legal regulations and the process of changes that took place in Iran after 1979. The cultural mechanisms that laid the foundation for such radical changes will be revealed: linguistic representations of dependence, Islam's fear of femininity. A question will also be asked about the position and role of men in and towards the oppressive system. They are "Lolita" too.

The symbol of "Lolita", coined in Vladimir Nabokov's novel by the same title, will also gain a new interpretation.

The research questions are as follows: What are the cultural bases for oppressive systems forwarded against femininity and masculinity? Who is "Lolita" within the frames of cultural interpretations? Is Islamic fear of "Lolita" the fear of creativity and individualization? How was the process of depriving women of their identity supported and enforced by legal regulations? Is the 'male' vs 'female' sealed by a culture in language and symbols? Can a piece of literature supply women in other cultures with a key to overcome oppressive systems with the help of men?