Reader Response #1

James Cone

Stacy Knapp

English 1A

March 02, 2013

I have started to read ‘Persepolis’ by Maryjane Satrapi. This novel is written from the point of view of a small girl who, from what I have gathered thus far, is coming to terms with the society she lives in. She introduces the novel by giving an overview of Irans history, and explains that she is writing this personal narrative to shine light on the stigma of Iran due to fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism (Introduction, Persepolis). Her personal narrative begins at the age 10, in the midst of the Iranian revolution.

 I have appreciated this novel so far. I must admit that my only real interpretation of Iran is what I see on T.V.  It has been enlightening to read about Iran from someones personal experience as an Iranian citizen. It makes me realize that most information I receive is like the game telephone. Someone whispers one thing into the ear of another person, and they do the same. By the fifth or sixth person, the message has been distorted drastically.

It is shocking to compare and contrast the culture of Iran in this time period to America. Maryjanes parents are activist in the revolution. They go out and protest against the tyranny and dictatorship of their nation. On page 10 Maryjane and her friends mimic the demonstrations her parents attend in the streets of Iran. They dress up and shout, “Down with the king!, Down with the king!”(10). As Maryjane sits with her friends after they finish their make believe demonstration, she says, “The revolution is like a bicycle, when the wheels don’t turn, it falls”(10). Her family and the society she lives in encourages  her to rebel and instills thoughts of reform. In America, it’s the opposite. Conformity is our societies number one priority in my opinion. We go through our everyday lives abiding by societies rules and trust that we are not being misled. Rebellion is frowned upon mostly. It isn’t viewed the same way as in Iran. In America, rebellion is the act of going against what is right, in Iran at this time, it was going against what was wrong.

Only fourty pages into this novel and I have found much that I can relate with about this girl, even though her childhood was very different than my own. Like any small child, she is naïve, and she is puzzled by the world around her. She struggles to wrap her head around what the revolution is all about. I relate to this girl. I can remember watching grownups when I was younger, and trying fervently to comprehend what it is they were talking about. I think this is how Satrapi helps the reader realize that even though the culture of Iran is very different, that people are just people, no matter what the circumstances are.