Persepolis is probably a book I never would’ve read if it
weren’t for this class, but I’m really glad it was assigned because it was
amazing. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began Persepolis, I mean how
impactful can a graphic novel be? But I was so wrong. Reading about the extreme
changes in Iran written by someone who experienced it was incredible.
As
a child, you don’t quite understand all of the things happening around you. For
Marji, this was definitely the case in the first part of the book. She talked
about the rebellion being almost a competition in school with the other
children. To be cool, you had to know someone who was in jail or had been
killed. Reading about children who bragged about things as serious as these
events was heartbreaking. To them, their family members being jailed or killed
was the new normal. It had become normal to be accosted on the street by a
group of grown women because they didn’t agree with what Marji was wearing.
Reading
a book that is truly written from the perspective of a child/teenager made me
truly realize the way a rebellion can affect people my age. Until I read
Persepolis, I had never considered what it would be like to wake up one day and
have my rights taken away. I never thought about what it would be like to go to
school one day and be forced to cover my head and hair in a scarf because that
is the new law. This book was eye opening to say the least. I will probably
move on to read Marjane Satrapi’s sequel to Persepolis hoping that it can be as
amazing as Persepolis.
Yes, I've been meaning to read the sequel to Persepolis. One of the million things I have on my to-do list after finishing my dissertation! The first book was also made into a film, which might include the second book as well. I haven't seen the film, but it looks like it would be good.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the children were subjected to violence so often that it did not even affect them. They acted as though murder and jail were completely normal and even cool things to be involved with, which is so sad. I compared that to the environment I grew up in, which was safe and loving, and immediately felt awful for the children of the Iranian Revolution. Had I been raised in such a harsh environment, I think I would be a very different person than I am. When learning about a revolution or war, it is easy to forget that there are children living in this situation, too.
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