A Tale Worth Told: Neoliberal Feminism and Conditional Hospitality in Masih Alinejad's The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran (2018)

Abstract

This paper explores the conceptualization of freedom in the memoir of the Iranian-American journalist and media activist, Masih Alinejad. It examines The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran (2018) with respect to Alinejad's activism in the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran. The paper utilizes a critical framework drawn from feminist critiques of neoliberal feminism and Derridean hospitality to focus on Alinejad' s repetition of the narratives of model minority and American exceptionalism. These neoliberal narratives have the potential to turn both Iran and the United States into inhospitable places for women. The paper concludes that an intersectional examination of Alinejad' s neoliberal approach to the experiences of women in both the United States and Iran will demonstrate that it does not coincide with the demands of"Woman, Life, Freedom".