In the late nineteenth century, rumors of the women's movement began to circulate in Iran. To counter these new ideas, an anonymous author decided to write a guide to proper behavior for wives.
The ten chapters reiterate commands to stay pretty and obey their husbands in all things. Soon after, a woman, Bibi Khanom Astarabadi, wrote a point-by-point rebuttal to the guide along with a
list of the "Vices of Men." This book was not published until 1992. Javadi and Floor have translated both books, keeping the flavor of the original. They include an introduction on the previous
translations of the guide and a biography of Astarabadi. At the end there is an essay on women in Iran and the history of satire. Putting these together illustrates attitudes of men and
complaints of women that are not exclusive to Iran. Astarabadi's writing shows that, although the voices of women were not attended to, their resentment over mistreatment has always existed.
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