From Ray
Here is Ray's post (he asked me to publish it since he was having trouble getting on).
As the story progresses, the war escalates. And as the war escalates, Marji is getting older, maturing, and growing up. The author is obviously creating a link between her and the war. But there are some clear divides between her life and the actual bloodshed that claimed many loves. First, Marji and her family's experience of the war is largely 3rd person, via the radio, TV, and friends. It's almost as if they're in an isolated safe haven, free to have parties and drink wine, as long as these forbidden activities are done on the downlow. Secondly, the people dying in the war are constantly mentioned as poor, rural males, brainwashed, indoctrinated, and sent to get killed on the front lines. Marji is as far from this class of people as one can get in Iran. Her biggest hardships were being forced to wear a veil and not being able to purchase punk rock tapes. The people she knows that died, including her uncle and her neighbor she admittedly wasn't that close to, are introduced in the story right before being killed, arguably for the sole purpose of being killed in order to create a link between the author and war casualties. In my opinion, Persepolis is more about a young girl who wants to be involved in the tumultuous happenings around her, but is kept extremely safe by her caring, careful parents, limiting her war experience to the BBC.
Question: Given the fact that the US is at war in 2 Muslim countries and on the brink of war with Iran, how do you think a book like this affects Americans' views on the Middle East, in particular Iran? And how does this contrast with what you think Satrapi's intentions were?
posted by Erin @ 6:40 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
I agree with you in the sense that she has been sheltered from the war thanks to having an upper class family.
To answer the question I would think that reading this book might make you feel a little more accepting about Muslims. From an American standpoint i dont think you really get a feel for how bad the war really is because she is mostly sheltered from it. To her it seems more of a bragging aspect. Like when she is talking to her friends about her uncle being in jail etc etc. I mean i guess it covered her intentions because it seems like she portrays her family like a normal american family (excluding the maid).
I'm not sure if we're supposed answer the question again, once someone already had.
Well, here is my response.
I agree with John and Jasir. The book allows us, the American readers to see that being Iranian is not any different than being part of one's own culture, while still portraying those human traits.
On page 63 she admits to liking a boy who is departing the country because of the war. We see how her culture, being in a state of regime is the reason why he is leaving, and at the same time, we understand the universal way in which a person has feelings for someone else.
I'm not sure if Satrapi intended to write for a particular audience, but from an American point of view it seems like she is trying to lower the intensity of stereotypes Americans might place on Middle Easterners.
Overall, I think her intentions were to tell a story for the sake of telling a story. Her country experienced a difficult time during the Islamic Revolution and she as a writer/illustrator decided to tell her story in the form of a memoir.
I believe that people who write autobigraphies or memoirs, have a certain need for personal release and think their story might teach or show something new to the readers.
What do other people think of this? What do you think is the point to reading this story? To gain a more positive view towards Iran? To learn and be entertained at the same time? If Maus is its predecessor (in genre) does this make Persepolis a less original story?
I did not see barbarism in the culture, I saw Fundamentalists clashing with Liberal Intellectuals. A little universality is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a positive thing to adopt from other cultures. It is when identity is eroded into repulsion of who someone really is that it becomes problematic. I think it is important to be open to other cultures and no, I do not think the west is the best, but according to a ten year old girl growing into a tween, it was her way of being rebellious by listening to music and wearing holey sweaters, jean jackets and the latest kicks. Sounds like a typical tween girl to me.
And would I say that the story is any less original because of its similarity to Maus? No, I would not say that. But the style is totally bitten. It's a tiny bit distracting.
Speculating on being at the brink of war with Iran, does this book help or hinder the situation?
I think Satrapi’s parents realized that it was not only impossible, but wrong to hide the truth about the war from her because she would be able to find other means of getting information (i.e. by listening through their bedroom door) and that sooner or later, she would rebel (i.e. when she went to protest on the streets with the maid). Also, they understood that the best way to protect their daughter was by armoring her with as much information about the realities of war as possible. This is the reason, I believe, her parents informed her about the struggles that friends of theirs as well as her own grandfather had to face while being imprisoned and why they allowed her uncle to tell her stories about the time in his life when he unsuccessfully tried to make changes in the government. These stories served as a real eye opener to her because not only did she feel proud of her family and her country, but it forced her to realize a lot of frightening things that go on during war like the time she was almost taken downtown by those ladies and how a simple home appliance like an iron can be used to inflict so much pain. Furthermore, it allowed her to gradually and mentally prepare to go to a chaotic protest with her parents and to ultimately say good bye to her friends, her family, and the world as she knew it.
All of the characters and events in Satrapi’s novel played an important role in the story, but which character and event do you think has played the most influential role in her childhood and why?
I think the most influential character in her childhood was her father. He was the first to make her realize that class was very important and you couldn't socialize with just anyone. We see this when Mehri's relationship with the neighbor was put to an end. She says that the reason for her shame to sit in her father's cadillac and the revolution is the same: the difference between social classes. He opened up her eyes to the naked truths of their country which led her to really get involved with the revolution and demonstrations.
Even thought there was a war going on, the danger she was in didn't really hit Marji. That is, until their neighborhood was bombed, until her next door neighbors' were killed. I don't think she ever actually felt fear of what was going on until that point.
Marji's parents seem to be pretty leniant and irresponsible with her. Instead of making sure she didn't wear nail polish and tight clothing, they let her do as she pleased, risking her arrest. Why do you think that is?
Satripi wants Iran to be invaded by the "Fall out Boys". Thus starting a revolution more befiting her tastes. This invasion will be solidified by Nelly remixing the fall out boys and taking his rightfull place as chancellor to the confused persian population.
Exrteme Fundamentalism is most typically a direct result of impoverished and oppresed populations feeling that there is no other direction to turn. This oppresion is often amplified by other nations and there international sanctions. Remember its US foreign policy that allows fascist and dictorship like governments to flourish when it suit our industries and then to cry democracy when it does not, "beating the drum of patriotism" calling the masses out of the woodworks.
I just have one question about this book. What happened to her mother after she left. Did she die. Did they ever went back to see their daughter?
I think that the reason why Satrapi believed so much in not wearing the veil and in the ideas that were trying to be inforced was all due to her family's influence. I also began to think that she didn't really care as much of the things that happened in her country but mostly cared about having a story to tell. For instance, she was trying to find out if anyone in her family has been through anything tragic so she would be able to go to school and tell about it. I think that her actions were based on being known and being popular in school or being different from everyone else. She also depicts this by wanting things that she was not supposed to have like the sneakers, the jean jacket,tapes, and the posters. She wanted these materials no matter what not thinking of the danger that she was putting her parents in.
I think that her leave was a good choice b/c her way of thinking could have definitely put her in danger during the time of the Islamic Revolution. Yet, I still do want to know what happened to her and her parents in the end.
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