RA perspolis

The Book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi demonstrates the past of Iran. She shows us her past though a graphic novel that sheds light on the fairly recent wars and all the troubles that have befallen the Iranian people.  This graphic novel starts off with the assumption that you have a bit of knowledge on the subject. Showing her own past experiences in a graphic novel shows how she went from being a little kid not understanding how to know what to believe and what to know to a rebellious person who wanted to take a stand for herself and her people.

In the USA we have the idea that Iran is tied to terrorists, oppression, money and oil. This book gives us a look at it from the other side and gives us a new way to look at the Iranian Revolution. She demonstrates a first hand view in events that transpired in the Iranian revolution, by giving stories from her own past she can give us a true look at the sufferings of the people in Iran and what transpired to how it is today. By showing the stories in a graphic novel she allows us to see not only the emotional but also physical abuse that the Iranian people had to face because of Iraq, their government and ours. She gives us stories that her peers and community around her told her. “You remember the day they pulled out my nails” (50). By showing us shocking and disturbing facts that would give us strong reactions I believe is Satrapi’s hope with this book, by doing that it makes us want to change it and will make a difference.

She writes her books in a way that it is easy to follow and understand the pain and suffering. By showing the illustrations it can give us a visual component to an event. It makes it easier to express the events that transpired and gives us one more way for our brains to absorb the information and keep it in out active minds.