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.

The "What if " Questions

Andrew had many great questions which all contained a “what if.” These questions are very frustrating because there is no right or wrong answer. In my opinion I think that even if Reza Shah accepted the requests of the Allied Powers and joined their side, than there still would have been a revolution because he would still try to modernize the country, but who knows? Maybe the people would not rebel, and Iran would be completely modernized making it one of the most powerful countries in the world. I mean what if the Reza Shah was assassinated a month into his reign? There are countless possibilities to what could have happened, maybe a new ruler would come to power and changed their type of government. These questions are very intriguing, but since there is not a correct answer, it makes answering them very difficult.

Priorities

At Chelly,
I completely agree with you and your father and you guy’s strong belief in relationships and not in material items. Marji deep down inside was a strong believer in not becoming attached to material items. Her father on the other hand is very attached to his possessions and this is what causes him to stay in Iran and not leave and go to the United States where he would be safe. He responds to his wife asking her if she wanted to be a maid. Marji’s father clearly exemplifies with this statement that he is too focused on material items when he should be focused on saving the lives of his family. I think Marji recognizes this and tries to become a polar opposite and not base her life around possessions but base it off of experiences and relationships. Memories are made up of situations and experiences and not of possessions therefore, possessions shouldn’t be a huge part of any human’s life. Possessions only makes the craving worse for more and more until you cant even enjoy life. In the end, people everywhere need to stop thinking about items and just enjoy life by having good experiences to remember.

Bryan Tonti is Wrong

Contradiction on Bryan Tonti's comment on his answer to Andrew's question, "What if Reza Shah accepted the requests of the Allied Powers and joined their side, would Iran have had more opportunities and more freedom?"

Of course there is no right or wrong answers on "What if" questions, but I disagree with Bryan's answer. He says,"I believe the only effect the decision [of Reza Shah on which side to ally with] would have on history would be the revolution starting a little sooner."

I believe that there would not only be one effect, but many. First of all, since the revolution would start sooner as Bryan said, the war against Iraq would have started sooner too. Saddam was waiting for Iran to become weak in order to attack and conquer it. A earlier revolution means a earlier weakening of Iran, and a earlier weakening means Saddam attacking Iran earlier. Also, Iran and the Allied Powers would have created a war alliance. With the war alliance, the Allied Powers would be forced to help Iran fight against Iraq.

Spoiled Rotten?

Response to Bryan's "What qualities and styles stood out to you and why?" Satrapi used the contrast of light/dark to illustrate emotions and what is shunned or praised. When the characters are feeling sad, anger, loneliness or shame, they were often depicted in shadows to show their internal emotions. Marji's uncle, Anoosh is depicted with the sun's rays of light in the background giving off an atmosphere of importance and heroism, which Marji did hold him as one.

I have always been told to appreciate all the things I am able to have in life: family, friends, education, a home, peace and even vegetables... XP My dad always stresses the importance of keeping materials (money, electronics, huge empty mansions etc.) away from the mind as much as possible because in the end all they do not matter or have no true value. "Having the biggest mansion or the smallest apartment does not matter if flames can easily take it away. Why should the poor man complain about empty pockets and the rich man brag and hunger for more wealth if it can all be easily taken away. The rich man is left with empty pockets and the poor man is left where he was to begin with. No point in complaining or overfeeding one's materialistic desires if what you overflow in material is never lasting", my dad states this many times that I can recite it from memory with no hesitation. But as much as I get bored of hearing this sermon, I can't deny the truth it holds. After reading Marjane Satrapi's memoir of her childhood during the revolution and war in Iran, my dad's words came back to me. I was reminded how lucky I am to be growing up away from the violence, destruction and fear of war. One's experiences in life shapes the person whom we grow up to become. What experience do you think has made you the person you are today? Has this memoir made you realize or remind you about appreciation in any way?

Growing up in America v. Iran

Growing up in America I never had to deal with what was going on in the government. I spent my days only worrying about what doll I wanted next. For Marji it was much worse. Marji grew up with a constantly changing and confusing government. Her school was telling her to believe one thing while her parents are telling her to believe the opposite. Marji feels as if she is being pulled in different directions all because of the government's actions. I could never imagine having to fear that you might not see your family again because of an ongoing war that might kill anyone close to you. The only disturbance that I ever experienced that even closely relates to Marji's is 9/11, and even this I did not fully fear. All i can remember of that September 11th in 2001 is seeing it on the news. Because it did not effect me, I did not seem to care. I heard on the news many times about all the lives lost, and suffering and yet it never seemed to upset me because I personally was not effected. In this way I can see that Marji is definitely a more mature person than me because she did experience such terrible things that forced her to grow up and have her own opinions. I know that when I was growing up I did not have my own opinion, my opinion was my parents opinion and what they thought, I thought to. Thinking back I can remember when my mom took me with her so she could vote for the new president in the year 2000. When we got there we saw that they had a kids booth so minors could vote as well even though it did not count. Going into the booth with my sheet of paper, I realized I recognized none of the names on the sheet besides George Bush, and that was only because my parents had talked about him before. I ended up just checking off random names, including George Bush because I knew my parents were voting for him. This just shows that unlike Marji, government really was not important to me growing up, and I rarely thought anything of it. Marji and I may have both grown up with a love for dolls and cute clothes, but I definitely did not grow up having to deal with the struggles Marji went through.

Styles of the Panels

Andrew asks many interesting questions, but the one that stood out to me was "What if Reza Shah accepted the requests of the Allied Powers and joined their side, would Iran have had more opportunities and more freedom?" It’s true that this question fits the "What if" question category along with the other questions Andrew asked. I believe that Iran would have had a revolution regardless of what the Reza Shah had decided. If he had agreed to form an allegiance with the allies, the allies would have asked for oil then or later on. I believe the only effect the decision would have on history would be the revolution starting a little sooner. Even if the Reza Shah had agreed to form the allegiance with the Allied Powers, Iran could have been invaded by Germany causing the same outcome as the first decision.

Marjane Satrapi conveys her strong messages by her different styles of drawing. Almost every panel has a unique quality such as detail of emotion, size of the panel, the ratio of one character to another character, lighting, and other qualities that help express her ideas. What qualities or styles stood out to you the most and why? Is their a specific page or panel that stood out to you the most? Explain. I think Satrapi’s torture panels are vulgar, violent, and disheartening, but successfully portray how horrible it was to be tortured during the revolution.