After beginning school, the students are called into a lecture hall. After a moral lesson, Marjane speaks up, demanding to know why the women’s required uniform is so stifling while the men may wear whatever they like. She is called before the head office to meet the man who admitted her to the school. He asks her to design a better uniform, one that meets her needs as a student but also follows the teachings of the Koran. She designs a uniform that is a bit baggier, with a shorter headscarf. Later, Marjane’s grandmother forgives her for her moral impropriety.

The situation at university is stifling, and Marjane finds herself in constant petty conflict with the regime. She is asked not to run because it makes her rear move in a way that the guards find seductive. She is chastised for wearing red socks. The students no longer protest, because so many have died. Instead, they rebel in little ways and Marjane adopts these as well. By wearing makeup, showing their wrists, or listening to music, they feel freer. Slowly, Marjane finds community among the more rebellious students.

They are arrested time after time at late-night parties, and their parents pay the fine for immorality.