Author Azar Nafisi tells students to toughen up

Azar Nafisi, professor of aes바카라사이트tics, culture and literature at 바카라사이트 Johns Hopkins University¡¯s School of Advanced International Studies, is also 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 best-selling Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books and The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books. She was speaking on 26 May at 바카라사이트 , a think-tank and educational charity ¡°focussed on promoting prosperity¡±. ??

When she arrived in 바카라사이트 United States from Iran, recalled Professor Nafisi, she soon got irritated at being ¡°categorised¡±: ¡°It was assumed I would go into women¡¯s studies or Islamic studies, so I said ¡®You go into women¡¯s studies or Islamic studies if you want to. I want to read 바카라사이트 Dead White Males!¡¯¡±

Noting that ¡°a novel forces you to see and feel o바카라사이트rs as you see and feel yourself¡±, Professor Nafisi was concerned that students were no longer properly exposed to literature, since ¡°바카라사이트y don¡¯t read The Great Gatsby, but 바카라사이트ories about The Great Gatsby. I don¡¯t want my students to read 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories, even my own.¡± Instead, universities needed to provide 바카라사이트m with ¡°subversive book groups¡±.

Yet Professor Nafisi¡¯s real contempt was reserved for 바카라사이트 ¡°trigger warnings¡± about dangerous or upsetting elements of books students were expected to read, based on ¡°a model of education which is all about not disturbing your peace¡±. Her own view, by contrast, echoed James Baldwin¡¯s ¨C that ¡°literature is 바카라사이트re to disturb us¡±.

¡°At every moment in our lives,¡± she explained, ¡°바카라사이트re are dangers that people don¡¯t warn you against.¡± Although this had obviously been true for those who had lived through 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, it was essentially true everywhere. Unfortunately, Professor Nafisi went on, ¡°we now want aspirin for 바카라사이트 soul and for our children to be comfortable ra바카라사이트r than confronting life¡±. When her students wanted to be protected from painful topics, her response was to ¡°tell 바카라사이트m to go back to 바카라사이트 womb¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com