The More We Die, The Stronger We

The Negative Side Of The American Dream Comes When People Pursue Success At Any Cost, Which In Turn Destroys The Vision And The Dream.

We Do Not Read In Order To Turn Great Works Of Fiction Into Simplistic Replicas Of Our Own Realities, We Read For The Pure, Sensual, And Unadulterated Pleasure Of Reading. And If We Do So, Our Reward Is The Discovery Of The Many Hidden Layers Within These Works That Do Not Merely Reflect Reality But Reveal A Spectrum Of Truths, Thus Intrinsically Going Against The Grain Of Totalitarian Mindsets.

Empathy Lies At The Heart Of Gatsby, Like So Many Other Great Novels-the Biggest Sin Is To Be Blind To Others Problems And Pains. Not Seeing Them Means Denying Their Existence.

There Is Little Consolation In The Fact That Millions Of People Are Unhappier Than We Are. Why Should Other People's Misery Make Us Happier Or More Content?

I Finally Returned To Iran In 1979, When I Got My Degree In English And American Literature, And Stayed For 18 Years In The Islamic Republic.