My initial thought when reading "Lipstick Jihad" was Moaveni's identity struggle. The fact that while she was in America, she dreamt and longed for a life in Iran and to find a "niche" of some sort to fit in. She felt out of place in America, never confident with her Iranianness, almost second-guessing it when she had to tell people about herself. When she finally got to Iran, she discovered that she felt the same way and just as alone and out-of-place as she was in America. After reading only this far in the novel, all I could think was how she was simply not okay with who she was. She did not accept herself for being truly herself, which is why I believe she had such an identity struggle/crisis throughout the novel. All of the conflicts seem to come from within for her, which is why she had such a hard time "fitting in" in America and then again in Iran. No matter where she traveled or decided to live, she was not going to feel content and at peace, especially if she was struggling with her inner-self.
In end, I found this book interesting, but it just seemed as if Moaveni was dealing and centering on an identity struggle if nothing else in the end. I did not mind reading this book, while it was a bit hard to get into at the beginning, I found it interesting overall because it showed many aspects of the Iranian culture and daily lives that I became aware of, but I would not recommend it.
The inner struggle seems more engaging to her than what is happening around her -- that makes sense to me with this book.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Allen. She is so neurotic and self-concerned at times, it becomes annoying. Everyone has issues with their identity! That's life! I do think that she has a uniquely interesting perspective as a bi-cultural woman, but her memoir did not come off as particularly enlightened.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, it was hard to focus on anything else in the book other than her struggle with identity. I think that it really took away from the stories that she was trying to tell.
ReplyDeleteLook at it this way, if you came from a country that was vilianized the way Iran is...wouldn't you have an identity crisis. My family was German during World War 2. My grandparents spoke German in to home as a first language to my father until the war broke out, then tried everything they could to be more "American" to avoid the wrath. Heaven forbid you were Japanese in this country during WWII.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am saying is that we are completely ignoring the legitimate struggle that she is having. You love your homeland, but it is viewed by others around you as the bottom of hell. How would your self esteem hold up? As a female, in a country were the object of beauty is blonde hair, blue eyes, how could you not look at your distinctly ethnic body as hideous.
As Americans, we say that we are accepting, that we are a melting pot...but our actions do not always back that up. Naturally, she thinks that when she moves to Iran that the epithiny will happen. Maybe for once, she will live in a world where she is understood and accepted. But, she can't even find that there. She is too Americanized to be really Iranian. Her family and friends remind her of that constantly. It is not enough to wear the garb, and get beat up on occassion by Guardians on the street. To be Iranian is deeper. She can't connect to it because she didn't live through the hell, the struggle, etc.
So, after that realization....what the hell is left? You can't go back to the US because you might as well be the cousin of the Anti-Christ, and you can't live in Tehran because the veil is just a little too itchy... You are in limbo.
I think we unfairly want this book to give us a window into Iran because there is so little information about it. I think we unfairly place on the author the responsiblity of describing an entire culture, when she has just told you that she doesn't get it and may never get it right.
The publishers even force it on her by calling the book "Lipstick Jihad." There is no real lipstich or jihad. It is ridiculous how much we want to make this square peg fit a circular hole. If you want to compare it to other stories of immigrants or refugees....I think that is fair. Don't hate her because she is centerly focused. I truly believe that that is the real story of this book.