11. Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

 Sartrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis.  NY: Pantheon

Persepolis 1 begins by introducing Marji, the ten-year-old protagonist. Set in 1980, the novel focuses on her experiences of growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Her story details the impact of war and religious extremism on Iranians, especially women. Belonging to an upper-middle class family, Marji has access to various educational materials, such as books and a radio, which expose her to Western political thought at a young age. By discovering the ideas of numerous philosophers, Marji reflects on her class privilege and is eager to learn about her family's political background. This inquiry inspires her to participate in popular demonstrations against the Shah's regime in which people are asking for his exile as a way to safeguard their rights. Unfortunately, after the Shah's departure, Marji notices the rise of religious extremism in her society and is unhappy about it. Her uncle Anoosh's visit deepens her interest in politics when he tells her stories of being imprisoned as a communist revolutionary. His stories cause her to value ideas of equality and resistance. The new government then begins to reform Iranian society, especially having women cover themselves while out in public and putting restrictions on social freedoms. Marji's family begins to fear for their lives since many of their friends and thousands of Iranians had fled the new regime to Europe or the USA, but they resolve to stay. Anoosh is arrested again and accused of being a spy. He is executed for his political beliefs. Marji is upset that God didn't do anything to help her uncle and rejects her faith.

After an abrupt family vacation to Europe, Marji returns to Iran where she learns from her grandmother that the government has declared war on Iraq.   As her hometown of Tehran comes under attack, she finds safety in her basement, which doubles as a bomb shelter. One night, the family hears the Iranian National Anthem play on the TV, moving them to tears. It is later revealed that the government released the soldiers and air pilots from prison who were in jail for protesting. The soldiers agreed to fight on the condition that the country's National Anthem be played on the public broadcasting. Amidst the chaos of an ongoing war, her family secretly revolts against the new regime by having parties and consuming alcohol, which is prohibited in the country. Two years of war force Marji to explore her rebellious side by skipping classes, obsessing over boys, and visiting the black market that has grown as a result of the shortages caused by war and repression.

As the war intensifies, Marji rushes home one day to find that a long-range ballistic missile has hit her street. Her family escapes the missile as it hit the neighboring building, which housed their (rare) Jewish neighbors the Baba Levy's. Traumatized by the sight of her friend's dead body, she expresses her anger against the Iranian political system. Her family begins to worry about her safety and decides to send her off to Austria for further study and to escape the war. The novel ends with her departure to Europe.

Persepolis is an autobiography written as a graphic novel. I was thoughtful as to where the title of the story came from.  I found that the name Persepolis comes from the capital of an ancient Persian empire.

The author uses flashbacks throughout the story. There are three specific instances where it is used in the story. The first is when Marji is bed listening to her Uncle Anoosh tell her the story of his life and past experiences. He told her of how he was the secretary to his uncle who was the Minister of Justice and of how the shah took over. He recounted to her how his uncle was killed and how he escaped to the USSR. He then told Marji that he has a family but is divorced.  He missed his family and country and tried to return. Upon returning, he was arrested and put in prison. There are different things that this flashback provides. It gives some historical context about that time and what was going on in the Middle East. The flashback also personalizes the story through the family member connection of her to her uncle. The flashback shows that Marji is closer to the war through her uncle’s experience as well.

The second is when Marji is saying how one of her classmate’s father was a fighter pilot and how he went to prison and that the classmate was gone for a month. She does not just say that her classmate was missing. She has two panels that are side by side and pretty much identical with what is drawn in the picture. The first panel has everyone, including the classmate, in class and smiling. The second panel, however, has the classmate missing and the other girls frowning. This flashback adds to the story because it is a personal flashback of the narrator/author. The panels also help to validate what the narrator is saying through actually showing the missing classmate.

The third is when Marji and her mother are talking with her cousin Shahab. The flashback is of when Shahab was in the army. It takes us to the front lines of the war where there are buses bringing in new, young recruits. The recruits are just poor children that have been brainwashed. The panels of the flashback have black backgrounds to express the fact that this is a dark and depressing memory. It also provides historical context into the military side of the war.

I found a teaching guide created by Chris Griffith from Prestwick House.  It includes learning objective, literary elements, themes, and related books.

 https://www.prestwickhouse.com/blog/post/2020/08/how-to-teach-persepolis