Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

By MarjaneSatrapi

Fill in this chart as you read the novel.

The Veil - p. 3

1. What changes took place in Iran in 1980?

1979 – Islamic Revolution.

Changes that took place in Iran in 1980 were similar to a cultural revolution.

• The radical Islamists took control of the government and the Ayatollah Khomeini took over.
• Many civil rights of Iranians were limited.
• Wearing a veil became obligatory (mandatory) at school and in public.

1. Why are the bilingual schools shut down?

The religious right, which now runs the government, believes the schools to be bourgeois (symbols of capitalism and decadence).

1. How, in your opinion, are those schools “symbols of capitalism”?

They reflect a lot of western thinking. The new regime does not want the Iranian people to be learning things from the West.

1. Why is Marjane’s mother afraid when her photo appears in the newspaper?

She doesn’t want any attention drawn towards her. She is afraid of repercussions from the government.

1. How does Marjane feel about the veil?

She doesn’t like it – “We don’t really like to wear the veil” – p. 3

1. **Is Marjane religious? How does that coexist with her lifestyle?

Most definitely. Perhaps not in the same way as the men who have taken over her country, but she has always believed in God. “Deep down I was very religious” but also modern

1. How do others feel about her desire to be a prophet? What do you think of her desire to be a prophet?

She decided, at age 6, to be a prophet. Others feel she is being silly. She keeps it to herself.

1. Think about Marjane as a character. What is revealed about her through her narration of the events in this section?

She is a curious young girl with a vivid imagination.

1. Comment briefly on the form and style of the novel. What do you think of a novel that is written as a comic book?

Answers will vary

The Bicycle – p. 10

Fill out your character chart as you continue to read.

In this section of the book, Satrapi alludes to several historical figures:

Che Guevara – an Argentine Marxist revolutionary

Fidel Castro – Marxist leader of Communist Cuba

Leon Trotsky – Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army.

Karl Marx – German philosopher and economist. Best known for The Communist Manifesto

• Dialectical Materialism:
• What it is: Every economic order grows to a state of maximum efficiency, while simultaneously developing internal contradictions and weaknesses that contribute to its systemic decay
• What it means: Great societies develop and seem to become greater, but paradoxically as part of the process of them becoming great, weaknesses develop within that will eventually lead to their downfall. One example is a belief in educating all classes, and then expecting some people to accept low-wage, low-mobility jobs.

1. What kinds of games do the children play?

They pretend to play revolutionary games

1. Summarize the history of Iran as it is presented in this section?

Persian emperors  then Arab invaders from west  then Mongolian invaders from east  then modern imperialism.

1. Why does young Marjane read and know about these people?

Her parents are intellectuals and encourage reading.

1. Why does she begin to prefer Marx to God?

Marx appeals to young people. To Marjane, he looks like God. Also, he is more tangible than God.

1. On page 14, it says they burned down the cinema. Why the cinema?

To make a point. There were a lot of people inside, who were locked in.

Also, the cinema represents Western thought and business – capitalism and decadence.

1. What does Marjane want to do and why do her parents refuse?

She wants to go and protest. They worry that she will be punished or shot.

1. Why does God NOT come on the night she wants to demonstrate?

Answers will vary.

The Water Cell – p. 18

1. What are Marjane’s parents protesting?

They demonstrated against the King.

1. Why do they laugh when she wants to play Monopoly?

Because Monopoly is a capitalist game

1. How does Marjane feel about the King?

She loves the King and believes that he was chosen by God. She says she was told by her teacher and by God.

1. How was the Emperor overthrown? Why is this significant to Marjane’s family?

Fifty years ago the father of the Shah organized a putsch (coup) to overthrow the emperor. The emperor who was overthrown was Marjane’s great-grandfather.

1. Why do the British help Reza Shah?

Because they want oil.

1. Who was the Emperor?

Marjane’s grandpa’s father.

1. What happens to Marjane’s grandfather?

He was imprisoned.

1. Why does God come back to Marjane when she is in the tub?

She thinks of him when she is alone. It is her consciousness talking. Perhaps she dozed off and dreamed it.

Persepolis – p. 26

1. What was life like for Marjane’s mother, Taji?

They went from being quite wealthy to being very poor. They “fake cooked.” The Shah’s father took everything that the family owned. They were very poor, after being very rich.

1. Describe the Shah.

Very cruel, selfish, Held ridiculous celebrations; didn’t keep promises;

1. What won’t her grandmother tell her? How does she avoid it?

Won’t talk about her husband, who had been in prison. She talks about the Shah instead.

1. Why is this evening different from other evenings?

Marjane’s father had gone out to take photographs of the demonstration, as usual, and is late coming home. They are worried because of possible arrest or harm. There is a protest in the streets. People are protesting because they want a democracy.

1. What happened at the hospital? What is a Royalist?

First, they bring out the body of a young man and everyone claims that he is a martyr, killed by the Shah. Then another body is brought out of the hospital and call him another martyr.. Then a widow came out and said her husband had actually died of cancer. Then she begins to demonstrate against the Shah.

A Royalist is someone who supports the Shah.

1. Why is it funny?

Her husband had died of natural causes.

1. What does Marjane realize?

Marjane realizes that she doesn’t understand what is going on.

The Letter – p. 33

1. What does Marjane learn at this time?

She realizes that her family has a maid, and that her family are members of the upper classes (she hadn’t really thought of it that way before) The maid falls in love with a boy, but he is of a different social class. He doesn’t realize that she is a maid.

1. Why would this be politically prohibited in Iran?

An upper class person wouldn’t marry a maid—someone out of their class. People are confined to the class they are born into.

1. How does her family’s lifestyle conflict with her beliefs?

Her family is bourgeois. They drive a Cadillac and have a servant.

1. Describe Mehri. What happens to her?

Mehri was brought to Marjane’s family at an early age. Her family were peasants and could not afford to keep her. Also, Mehri is illiterate. Education is tied to class.

1. Is Ebi (Marjane’s father) a hypocrite?

Yes. He demonstrates against the Shah and the inequality among classes, yet he is of the privileged class: his maid eats apart from the family, she doesn’t read or write, and he believes she should not be involved with people above herself, like the boy next door.

1. What do Marjane and Mehri do? Why?

Marjane writes letters to the boy and signs Mehri’s name. When Marjane’s father says that she cannot see the boy because he of a different social class, Marjane and Mehri decide to go to protest. They go to the street. However, when they return home, they learn that it was a bad day to have chosen to protest. It was Black Friday. So many Iranians were killed and the Israelis were blamed. Later they learned it had been the Iranians who were responsible.

1. What happens to them? Why?

They were slapped by Marjane’s mother because they had demonstrated on Black Friday, when many people had been killed.