Persepolis Blog 2

Q:Written as a memoir, is Persepolis more powerful than if Satrapi had Ficionalized the story? Why or why not? Compare this book to other memoirs you have read what are the benefits and drawbacks of memoirs?

A: I think that it is more powerful because Satrapi has taken the inicents of a comic book (very little difference between comic book and graphic novel) and used it to talk about the dark era in which she grew up. If she had fictionalized the story it would've been just another story about a child growing up in dark times (which are some how all original). I personally like this book more than most memoirs I've read because I can finish it quickly and get it over with. I absolutely hated The Diary of Anne Frank with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. This may sound childish but in a dirt boring book it helps to keep you sain if there is something to look at.

Q: "Every situation has an opportunity for laughs." Give some examples of how the ordinary citizens of Iran Enjoyed life despite the oppressive regime. What made you laugh? How does Satrapi add comic relief? How are these scenes relevant to the story?

A: Most of the laughs happened during school. Eventually all the girls started making fun of the various ceremonies. Marji would pretend to be a dying soldier. When told to decorate the class room they used toilet paper. Most of the other enjoyment came from pretending everything was fine and just living their lives. Nothing made me laugh. Satrapi adds comic relief by showing the characters TP-ing the class room and stuff like that. These scenes are relevant because the story is about Satrapi's child hood and not the revolution.

Q: At the core of the book is Marji's family. What are they like? What is important to Marji's parents? What environment do they create for their daughter? Where do they get their strength?

A: Marji's family is more or less a regular high middle-class family. Marji's parents keep up with the news and are really into what's going on. They went to several protests. They do not keep Marji in the dark about what's happening. They don't just up and tell her everything but if she asks they sit down with her and explain. They have lots of friends who are wrongly imprisoned which helps to drive them on to oppose the government.