Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________________ Class Period: ___________
Funny in Farsi: Discussion Questions for Vignettes 1-4
1 – “Leffingwell Elementary”
1. What can be inferred about Firoozeh’s character when the Barbie doll she receives from her brother easily
replaces her sadness? What does this reveal about her age? What does this tell us about Iranian culture vs.
American culture? Support your ideas with specific examples from the text.
2. How does the father’s view of America contrast with that of Firoozeh’s view of America? Look back at the
father’s view on pages 3 and 4. Think about what Firoozeh addresses and the tone of voice she takes. Support
your ideas with specific examples from the text.
3. Based upon the previous ideas, predict the conflicts that Firoozeh and her father might face. Support your ideas
with specific examples from the text.
4. Based on the encounter that Firoozeh and her mother face when enrolling in school, what differences can you see
between the American education system and the Iranian? Predict a conflict that may arise due to this difference.
Support your ideas with specific examples from the text.
2 – “Hot Dogs and Wild Geese”
5. In what ways does each character have to adapt to his/her new surroundings? What coping mechanism does each
character choose? Support your ideas with specific examples from the text.
6. Look at the last paragraph of this chapter. How does the tone of this chapter differ from that of the rest of the
chapter? Support your ideas with specific examples from the text.
3 – “In the Gutter”
7. What type of character traits would you expect out of a successful engineer? Do you feel that this chapter shows
Firoozeh’s father possessing these character traits? Explain why.
8. What role do you think being in America plays in the father’s decision making? Support your ideas with specific
examples from the text.
4 – “Save Me, Mickey”
9. Firoozeh says, “We roamed through Disneyland like a herd of buffalo, stopping only at the rides deemed worthy
by my father.” What does this show us about their culture? Is this indicative of families in the United States? Do
you feel that the father is worthy of this treatment? Support your ideas with specific examples from the text.
10. Vindicated means justified. When Firoozeh says, “Although I was sorry for the little boy, I also felt vindicated.”
Why does she choose to use the word vindicated? What does this imply? Why does she feel this way? Support
your ideas with specific examples from the text.
11. Firoozeh’s attitude about Mickey Mouse changes throughout the chapter. How does her attitude change and what
causes it to change? Support your ideas with specific examples from the text.
12. Discuss your figurative language chart with your group. See if you have the same answers. Why does the author
include so many examples of figurative language? What is Firoozeh trying to accomplish by including them in her
writing? What is the purpose? Does it add to the novel? Would the novel be different if the examples weren’t
there? How?