Study Guide for in-class essay

Study Guide

1.   

  In the book Persepolis, Strapi’s motivations, beliefs, and education are all shaped by the stories that are told to her by Uncle Anoosh, her Grandfather, and Niloufar.

A.      Uncle Anoosh

a.       “I tell you all this because it’s important that you know. Our family memory must not be lost. Even if it’s not easy for you, even if you don’t understand it at all.’ ‘Don’t worry, I’ll never forget.’” (60) Expresses Belief. Anoosh to Strapi

b.      “But you’ll see! One day the proletariat will rule!’… ‘And so I was lost, without any bearings… What could be worse than that?’” (69-71) shows what she learned throughout the story of “the sheep” and how Anoosh and many others were killed. Anoosh then Strapi.

c.       “Did you hear that Anoosh? Do you realize how ignorant our people are? The elections were faked and they believe the results…” (62) Strapi’s Father on education.

B.      Grandfather

a.       “and that’s how he became king and naturally his son succeeded him. God has nothing whatsoever to do with this story.”(21) Father a story leading into other story about grandfather.

b.      “Do you want to play monopoly?’ ‘I want to take a bath’ ‘We can play after your bath if you want to.’ No! I want to take a really long bath.’” Father to Stapi. Expresses her motivations and why she wants to change everything.  

C.      Niloufar

a.       “all that creepy window washer had to do to become director of the hospital was to grow a beard and put on a suit! The fate of my husband depends on a window washer! Now he’s so religious that he won’t look a woman in the eye. The pathetic fool!” (121)   Aunt educatined Strapi on how corrupt everything is getting.

b.      “Three weeks after these events, Uncle Taher was buried. His real passoirt arrived the same day… he never got to see his son…” (125) Strapi was motivated by this to rebel and learned how messed up everything was getting.

2.       I agree with the review written in the L.A. Times stating that Strapi has ultimately become a powerful voice reminding us to embrace human dignity in various examples such as stories from her peers and the oppression as a result as the Islamic revolution.

A.        Stories

a.      “all that creepy window washer had to do to become director of the hospital was to grow a beard and put on a suit! The fate of my husband depends on a window washer! Now he’s so religious that he won’t look a woman in the eye. The pathetic fool!” (121)   Aunt educated Strapi on how corrupt everything is getting. Story about Niloufar

b. “But you’ll see! One day the proletariat will rule!’… ‘And so I was lost, without any bearings… What could be worse than that?’” (69-71) shows what she learned throughout the story of “the sheep” and how Anoosh and many others were killed. Anoosh then Strapi.

c. “In life you’ll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it’s because they’re stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance… Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.”( 150) Grandma telling this to Marji.

B.      Oppression:

a.       “I remember my initiation. It was the first day of class after summer vacation… After a little while, no one, took the torture sessions seriously anymore. As for me, I immediately started making fun of them.” (96-97) the oppression from the revolution made the woman beat their breasts because they were at war and Marjane was against it.

b.      “The other night, two guardians of the revolution patrols paid them a visit. Someone told us you were having a party, you know that is strictly forbidden!.. His wife cried so much that they let her off with a hefty fine. But he can’t walk anymore..” (105)  how ridiculous the guardians were towards anything out of line for the revolution.

c.       “They were guardians of the revolution, the women’s branch. This group had been added in 1982, to arrest women who were improperly veiled. (Like me, for example.) Their job was to put us back on the straight and narrow by explaining the duties of Muslim women.” (132-133) The revolution supplied women guardians to make sure that no women would stand up and try to look different. She explained that they could keep her for days and whip her for dressing differently.

3.       In the comic Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi shows how the social classes in Iranian during the nineteen eighties were segregated and how they were viewed through the eyes of the Iranians. Persepolis portrays how they were so separated in the chapers “The Letter” and “The Key”.

A.      The key

a.       “They come from the poor areas, you can tell…First they convince them that the afterlife is even better than Disneyland, then they put them in a trance with all their songs…” (101)

b.      “The key to paradise was for poor people. Thousands of young kids, promised a better life, exploded on the minefields with their keys around their necks.” (102)

B.      The letter

a.       “Ok, I’ll get straight to the point: I know that Mehri pretends shes is my daughter. In reality she is my maid.’… ‘Without hesitation, Hossein gave all the letters he had received back to my father!’” (36-37) Father to Hossein(neighbor who mehri falls in love with)

b.      “But is it her fault that she was born where she was born??? Dad, are you for or against social classes?” (37) Merji crying out against the fact that Mehri cannot date Hossein because of their social classes.