Monday, March 2

--Today we started class with a graded partner discussion over the first half of Persepolis. If you were gone today, answer the following questions on a piece of notebook paper to get credit:
1. Describe the writer’s voice and tone. Is it appealing? Which aspects of Marji’s character do you identify with or like the most? The least?
2. What did you think of Marji’s reasons for wanting to be a “prophet” as explained on page 6? How do these things show Marji’s awareness of social class issues?
3. Describe Satrapi’s drawings. How would you describe their style? How do the drawings add to the narrative of the story? Try to find a few specific examples, and note their page numbers.
--We spent the rest of class working on the comic strips. We'll be working on these next time, too, so you can get the supplies/directions from me then if you were absent today.
--HW: Finish reading Persepolis and read/think about fishbowl questions (pasted below) for the fishbowls next class


Global Lit. and the Arts—Lawless
Persepolis Fishbowl Discussions

Next class, you’ll be called up in randomly-chosen groups of five to discuss one of these questions in the fishbowl format we’ve used before. Because you won’t know in advance which question you’ll be given, it would be a smart idea to read these questions as you finish the story and jot down some notes on each one so that you’ll be prepared regardless of which question you get.

1. How did the revolution exert power and influence over so many people, including many educated and middle class people like Satrapi’s parents? Why did so many people leave after the revolution? Why do you think Marji’s parents send her off to Austria while they stay in Tehran? Why don’t they leave/escape as well?

2. “Every situation has an opportunity for laughs” (97). Give some examples of how the ordinary citizens of Iran enjoyed life despite the oppressive regime. What made you laugh? How does Satrapi add comic relief? How are these scenes relevant to the story as a whole?

3. What kinds of captivity and freedom does the author explore in Persepolis? What stifles or prevents people from being completely free? How do they circumvent and defy the rules imposed on them and attempt to live ordinary lives despite revolution and war? Give some examples of their small acts of rebellion. Would you do the same in their situation?

4. At the core of the book is Marji’s family. What is this family like? What is important to Marji’s parents? What environment do they create for their daughter despite living under an oppressive regime and through a brutal, prolonged war? From where do they get their strength?

5. What is the role of women in the story? Compare and contrast the various women: Marji, her mother, her grandmother, her school teachers, the maid, the neighbors, the guardians of the revolution.

6. Discuss the role and importance of religion in Persepolis. How does religion define certain characters in the book, and affect the way they interact with each other? Is the author making a social commentary on religion, and in particular on fundamentalism? What do you think Satrapi is saying about religion’s effect on the individual and society?