In Azar Nafisi's memoir, she reflects on a moment after class when she realizes the disturbing parallels between her life and that of Gatsby. Gatsby's obsession with the past and his futile pursuit of a dream ultimately lead to his downfall, as he finds that the past cannot be revived and the present offers him no real promise. This revelation prompts Nafisi to draw a connection between Gatsby’s fate and her own society’s revolution, which also seeks to reclaim a glorious past yet has resulted in despair and unfulfilled dreams.

Nafisi's insight highlights the irony of pursuing ideals that may be rooted in the past while ignoring the realities of the present. Just as Gatsby’s life crumbled around his unattainable desires, she questions whether their revolution truly served its people or merely enacted a dream that had become destructive. The pursuit of these dreams, she suggests, can lead to a dead end, reflecting a shared tragedy between literature and real life.