PIctures, Facts, and Fictions.

I agree with Bryan and Christina’s analysis of the Satrapi’s panels; however, I did not notice anyone specifically mention the significance of the author’s use of images over the traditional method of words to tell a story.  In my opinion, the graphic and visual representations of her memory, in combination with a few simple sentences were much more effective than words alone.  They showed her point of view, which helped us to feel like we were a part of it, and therefore, served to greatly intensify the novels impact.  Although her memories may not be completely accurate, they are still true because they represent what she has felt, what she saw, and most importantly they are the way she remembers them.  She shows us which moments had the greatest impact on her by the size and layout of the panels.  In some ways, if it only had the facts, it would almost have had the same dulled effect as a news report, another impersonal sad story.  In this way, her heart-wrenching story becomes more universal because most of us have shared some of the same feelings or emotions in our lives.  Perhaps it was as children, lost and confused, simply following our parent’s ideals and protecting them as if they were our own.  Or even the contrary as we question everything and would fight everything our parents say regardless of the fact that we probably have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.  I also think it makes a considerable difference that the book is a rendition of Marji’s own childhood and her memories because we can all relate to her and her childhood in some way or another.  This personal account allows us to see the human side of the Iranian revolution and reminds us that it is not just a bunch of robots behind the guns or fictional characters living through this hell. 

Things Come First

In response to Hunter and Chelly,

I also agree that it is not the material things in life that matter. No matter what you have, it is your friends and family that count. When Marji's father was talking to a family friend, the family friend is telling him how much the house costs, and how much they spent on tiles. Marji's father was perfectly fine with what he had. And because he was like this, i think it would not have been AS big of a deal if their house was burned to pieces. All he wanted was to have his family with him, and to make sure that his daughter was safe. To Marji, she knows that she has a full life ahead of her with new experiences, she knows that it will be hard without her father, but she is committed to making these the best years. I was just at the Dallas Stars Hockey game, and it was Mike Modano's last home game. He chose to retire. The one thing that kept him playing for these many years was his family and the supportive fans. he said “Whether its three, four or five seasons that I have left to play, I'm committed to making them great ones.”. Although he knew that they were not going to make it into the playoffs, he still played his hardest, because he knew its what he had to do. This was his priority and it payed off in the long run. GO mike!

The Gift of Family

Last Saturday the iPad was released. The launch of this new device has demonstrated our craze for the newest and best materials, just as Kyle mentioned. Technology has created an unusual separation in what are seemingly close families. The average child today spends most of their time on the computer, taking/texting on their cell phone or finding some way to get out of their home. Marji, unlike today's typical American child, spends most of her time with her family. This helped her form special bonds to the people who she deeply cares for. Today, we have lost this close connection and therefore lost some of the values that we once cherished as a global community. This past weekend, while some people were unwrapping their iPad, using other forms of electronics, or playing in an athletic event, I was with my family. We had a wonderful time together, even if we had to travel to Austin to be together. It was well worth the drive and a weekend free of any technology. Marji experiences the same bonds with her immediate family. Her grandmother lives close, she gets to see her uncle, but what she receives out of these visits is the most important. She listens to the stories of her elders and creates her own opinion about the events in her life. I think that we could all benefit from this great example about why family is the most important aspect in life.

Why the Comparisons?

In response to Allison's post there is one part where she says that she was not as mature as Marji because she did not have to deal with the same struggles. I find this interesting because dealing with tough situations does not automatically make you mature. Marji may exemplify a mature child for the situations she deals with, but when you are not surrounded by those situations it impossible to know how you are going to react. Take recent mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, he was considered a horrible mayor that many occupants of New York City were not to fond of. After 9/11 occurred Mayor Giuliani responded to the attacks in one of the best manner possible. Giuliani not only got the approval of many citizens in New York City, but that of many Americans around the country. Maturity does not come from being in tough situations, but how you react to those inconvenient to you and those you are with. Also she said that when she was younger she had no idea what was happening in the government, and I'm sure kids in Iran during the revolution had no idea what was going on either. Furthermore, Marji seems to repeat a lot of what her parents said, just like Allison said she voted for George W. Bush because of her parents were voting for Bush. Children are not meant to make the decisions for the government that is why there is a voting age. The fact that Allison did not know what was going on in the government is not uncommon and to repeat what your parents say about the government is even more common. Marji may have lived in a country where death and destruction were not uncommon, but that does not make her more mature or smarter than any child who has not been in a situation like that. Life is not always handed to you in a hand basket that is why it is vital to know what is happening around you, and to react to those unexpected occurrences with the utmost maturity.

Illustrations

Satrapi's illustrative story telling uses little words and strong images in order to portray the times she was currently facing. She uses only strong black on a white background. Her drawings have a simplicity to them yet they display a heartbreaking story. Sadly, the scenes that stand out to me the most were the violent ones. When you are shown a drawing that is so terrifying to imagine happening in real life, you tend to forget about the happy panels. All the good times in the book are replaced by the whipping, the police with guns, and the prison cells. Pain and horror catch eye of the reader. The scene that stood out to me the most was the large panel outlining black bodies with keys around their necks and explosions coming from all different directions. It shows how the reader doesn't even know who the soldiers are and still feel horrible about the event that took place in this moment. The people dying weren't even people we grew to like through out the memoir. Yet, it is still sad and filled with pain and the innocence of the young soldiers. Besides this panel, one other series stood out to me. When Siamak visits Marji's house, he informs the family that their dear friend Ahmadi tortured to death. In a continuation of violent images, Satrapi's art shows him being whipped with lashes across his back, burned with an iron while chained to a wall, and in the end was cut into pieces. The last panel just shows individual, separated body parts making up a man's body with a shrieking look on his face. Satrapi's simple cartoon-like images still manage to engrave images of horror in a reader's mind without being to brutal to look at. Satrapi's images are simplistic yet heartbreaking in order to create intense emotion throughout her remarkable memoir.

Untouchable

I have a firm belief that material possessions have not only detracted from our relationships with each other as individuals, but the whole world as one. But instead of going off in a broader direction like the world, I'd like to focus on material possession and its role in Persepolis. One of the key elements in the plot is the war between Iran and Iraq, which, itself is a war over material possession. But in the midst of that war, Marji is challenged to overcome the destruction of her country and the people around her. Many Iranian soldiers die as they invade Iraq with F-14's. Marji's neighbors, the Baba-Levys also die as a result of the war and many of Marji's family friends are ordered to be executed by the Shah. As Araceli and others pointed out, people's personalities are shaped by their experiences growing up, and Marji got one hell of an experience. I think Marjane Satrapi is an admirable human being for her extraordinary understanding of what it means to lose things. She lost a lot of her childhood friends who moved to America, she lost her uncle, and she even lost her family when she was sent to live in Austria. I believe her life is like a kaleidoscope; its pattern constantly changes, but it's image in whole is truly one to behold. Buildings can be blown away at a moment's notice and people can come and go, but her story is untouchable. Not even a film about it can screw it up.

Material Life

I totally agree with Araceli. I think we need to focus on relationships with our friends and family more than we do. We live in a very material world where new clothes, electronics, and other toys arrive on store shelves everyday. Sadly, I feel we go to a school where material wealth is a big priority and I think we all sometimes fall victim and get caught up in the rat race of trying to have more of something than the person next to us. The United States is a very wealthy country and we all constantly trying to be bought by different companies advertising this and that. Marji, in the book Persepolis, grows up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. During this time, the people of Iran were not allowed to have a lot of material items from western culture like magazines, music, and alcohol. After reading the book, I wonder if Marji developed a better relationship with her parents or friends during this time? We need to focus more on getting to know people and developing better and long lasting friendships instead of worry about what we wear or watch on tv. I try to focus on my family, friends, and faith more than a new phone or tennis shirt because when I die I can't take any of that with me. When our time in this life is over, it all goes back in the box.