2nd Persepolis Blog

(Question 11)
At the core of the book and the core of Marji is her family. Almost all of her stories are about the members of her family. They are the ones that shape who she is. From what I can tell her parents are a little less conservative and more "progressive or modern" compared to other parents. They got her an Iron Maiden poster and her mother was one of only a couple that would let her go out on her own. This seems kind of silly to me because she is a teenager and she still has to ask permission to go outside but this shows how oppressive standards were in Iran. I think her parents gave her the freedom to do what she wanted because that is probably the environment they grew up in (back before women had to wear a veil). And like any good parents, they didn't want to take away opportunities. I think Marji's parents got their strength from there own parents. When her grandmother came over we got to see where Marji's mother's morals came from. Before Marji had to leave to go to Austria her grandmother gave her some advice. She told her never to react to people's cruelty and to stay true to herself.

(Question 14)
Persepolis tells the story of a little girl growing up, and it comments on the importance of telling your own story. While reading the story I had the sense of relating to Marji but I could also tell it was something personal for the author. There are so many stories of her learning and growing up that it would be hard to deny that stories don't shape who you are. The stories you have are part of yourself. Uncle Anoosh's story influenced Marji's idea of a hero. After hearing that Anoosh went to jail she automatically thought everything he did was heroic. And there is also a moment in the story that Marji realizes she cannot be like her uncle because she would get executed. She was saying all of the beliefs she shared with her uncle in front of the class and her teacher told her mother. And her mother yelled at her about the danger of doing that. It was a turning point for Marji.

(Question 15)
My take on the past and the present after reading this book is that people change as they learn. Some people might think that people never change. But through the course of this book I have seen Marji develope into a more informed and sensitive per as she hears stories from her family and classmates who have loss people in the revolution. I think personal history is much more interesting and more real feeling than textbook History. It puts a face to the events that have occurred. Marji's family history must make her see where she is in history.
(**Note, I just posted my 1st Persepolis Blog, sorry it's a little late)