In "Reading Lolita in Tehran," Azar Nafisi reflects on how her students frequently shared their personal stories, filled with humor and despair. These tales were shared in various settings, becoming a source of both amusement and sorrow. The act of telling these stories allowed the students to express their emotions, creating a space to confront the difficult realities they faced. Through laughter, they found a way to cope with the weight of their experiences.

Nafisi emphasizes that the way they recounted their experiences, often with a self-mocking tone, helped diminish their emotional impact. By narrating their struggles in a humorous light, they were able to reclaim some agency over their stories. This process, intertwined with moments of camaraderie, enabled them to process their lives amidst the challenges they encountered, highlighting the therapeutic power of storytelling in difficult times.