Stupid Overrun

Growing up is always new and exciting for children. What adults see as common, to children is a new lesson. When and where does name calling start? It does not take an expert to know that children take after what they see. May it be the people around them or the shows they watch in television, children learn name calling. Who decides what is innocent name calling and what it offensive? When does name calling take offense? Without a doubt, it starts with the connotation. Let’s take the cartoon show “Spongebob” for example. Although it does not have what the society would call “real profanity”, it still includes the words, stupid or idiot. Stupid and idiot are definitely one of the first profanity words that I learned growing up. It was new and “bad” but I knew what it meant. It meant that the person is not as smart or as intellectual as he/she should be. Kids definitely like to use these two words, including when they feel like ‘grown ups’ when saying them.

In the Philippines, the children are earlier challenged in academic work than in America. That is, the children are supposed to learn reading prior entering first grade. There is no age limit to applying children in school; the schools can start teaching children by the age of 3 or 4. I, on the other hand, was always behind; may it be physical or mental development, I always learn last. Because I was considered slow, I was often called “stupid”. Of course I failed to beg the differ; I accepted all those name callings. I definitely could not find any defense. I did not learn how to read until the middle part of 1^st grade, I had the poorest grade in math, and it went the same for the other subjects. What being called stupid did for me was lower my self-worth. Often, I was scared of growing up because I overanalyzed everything. I would study my parents, my older siblings and other adults around me and think that what they did was hard –it was too difficult for me and I am scared of reaching that point.

Accepting being stupid gave me a limit –although it was a pretty pathetic standard, it was something. I promised myself not to get dumber than that. Although I was often called slow publicly, I never showed that it bothered me. I would look at other kids and see how they react to name calling. Predictably, the kids would cry because of overwhelming emotions. Often, they were seen immature and they were never taken seriously, I did not want to be like them. Consequently, despite my overflowing pained emotions, I never cried and would just laugh it out. As it is today, stupidity and intelligence is a subject that hits too close to home. When it is my intelligence being questioned, I often get too caught up with emotion and fumble on my words. Perhaps I am traumatized, but I cannot tell for sure.

You Should Read This Book

            The first page of the part I, “Lolita”, I was forced to keep reading. In all honesty, I only read it because it is part of the class requirement and I am glad I did it. Reading Lolita in Tehran is not like other books; it is far more personal and comprehensive. This book is in the top of my “recommendation” list because Nafisi does not write formally with perplexing words; she simply has a story that she wants to share, which everyone can relate. Everyone I know has either questioned why read fiction; why take interest in “bad” movies, books, etc; why go on? All these questions I have a hard time answering I felt were sassy because there is no definite answer. Those questions should be common sense and if they were asked, it is only to start an everlasting argument. It was not until those questions were answered by this book that I finally took them seriously.

            As a simple answer, everyone should read fiction like the classics: Romeo and Juliet, Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment, and etc. because they are hard to comprehend –in that, anyone will go far after reading Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky. Thinking about that sentence, it does not even have an answer! With Nafisi’s reason I understand that fiction is important because it sets the reader apart from reality. It has the power of influence, encouragement, and enlightenment. It allows the deep thinkers to think deeper and look for far depth answers. Fiction speaks out for us at times we feel most helpless and mute. I have read many fictions but whenever I am asked as to why I read and why it is good, I never really knew. Truth be told, like others, I also ask why I am reading these fictions; what is it about these stories that I like. I never understood and merely reasoned to myself that I read because of the story, I am into drama and intrigue. As Nafisi went on to comparing Lolita, to her girls, my eyes were just hypnotized as if I was listening to her in the same room. The more she described their personal situations and why Lolita became a big part of their class, I also knew why I like Crime and Punishment, Lolita, and Anna Karenina. It is not simply because they are taboos to mine and their own cultures. I like these stories because they have very complex characters like in reality. People do not only have one side characters but they change their moods and their attitudes almost randomly. The authors of the books have deeper intentions than making drama. On that note, what is the “honesty of imagination”?

            These books were often rumored and blamed for spreading malevolence. They are much more mature than Peter Pan and their characters are evil. It is hard to find the stories’ true value because people often focus on the murder, adultery, and immorality of a young girl. Reading Lolita in Tehran exposes these characters’ profound symbols. Nafisi elaborates on Gatsby’s dream and his corrupt ways of getting there. But like many average people, Gatsby is merely stressing his desire and his relentless attitude. Nafisi shows that these characters are worth time and focus because they are strong, victimized and related to the readers. This book should be recommended because it advocates an apparatus (fiction) so powerful that it is invisible to the naked eye but very much alive in the beholder’s heart. “Fairytales are more than true: not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten” (G.K. Chesterson). Nafisi believes that people of any situation, no matter how lowly his station in life, is worth a fight. Her book demonstrates the power of personal strength, through fictions.