PERSEPOLiS BLOG # 1

Q: iS PERSEPOLiS MORE POWERFUL THAN iF SATRAPi HAD FiCTiONALiZED THE STORY? WHY OR WHY NOT? COMPARE THiS TO OTHER MEMOiRS YOU HAVE READ.

A: i PERSONALLY THiNK THAT PERSEPOLiS WAS EVER SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE iT WAS A TRUE STORY ABOUT SOMETHiNG THAT iS STiLL EFFECTiNG THEM OVER THERE AS WE SPEAK. i DONT THiNK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT WAS IF IT WHERE FICTION. I LIKE TO READ FICTION, BUT TEND TO READ MEMOIRS MORE. THE BENIFITS OF MEMOIRS ARE THAT YOU GET A LOT OF TRUE FACTS AND STUFF BUT THROWBACKS ARE THAT A LOT MAY NOT BE TRUE, JUST GIVES THE BOOK MORE "JUICE" TO MAKE IT SEEM MORE INTERSTING!

Q: " EVERY SITUATiON HAS AN OPPORTUNiTY FOR LAUGHS" (P. 97)

A: EVEN THOUGH THE CITIZENS OF IRAN ARE GOING THROUGH SO MUCH WITH THE WAR AND ALL, THEY FIND TIME TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. THEY HAVE GET TOGETHERS/ PARTIES [ SECRETLY ] TO RELIEVE THEM FROM ALL THE BULL CRAP GOING ON AROUND THEM. ONE SCENE IN THE STORY THAT MADE ME LAUGH WAS WHEN MARJI WAS TRYING TO BUY THAT ROCK CD AND WHEN I THINK HER TEACHERS CAUGHT HER AND CALLED A WHORE AND WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE WAS DRESSED LIKE A AMERICAN WHEN SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WEARING HER VEIL. I THINK HER COMIC ADDS RELIEF BECAUSE NOTHING REALLY BAD HAPPENS TO HER FAMILY, ITS VERY INTENSE! I THINK THEY ARE RELEVANT TO THE STORY AS A WHOLE BECAUSE THE STORY ITSELF IS ABOUT HOW THE IRANIAN WAR HAVE AN EFFECT ON IT'S COUNTRY AND THROUGHT THE WAR, IT WAS VERY INTENSE, YOU COULD BE KILLED FOR THE LITTLEST THING!!

Q: AT THE CORE OF THE BOOK iS MARji'S FAMiLY. WHAT iS THiS FAMiLY LiKE? WHAT iS iMPORTANT TO MARji'S PARENTS?WHAT ENViORMENT DO THEY CRATE FOR THIER DAUGHTER DESPITE LIVING UNDER AN OPPRESSIVE REGIME AND THROUGH A BRUTAL, PROLONGED WAR? FROM WHERE DO THEY GET THEIR STRENGTH?

A: MARji'S FAMiLY iS, TO ME, LiKE ANY AMERiCAN FAMiLY. i SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME MiNd FAME AS US, THEY BUY AMERiCAN STUFF FOR THiER DAUGHTER ANd PARTY LiKE UP:). THEY CREATE A VERY "REGULAR"' ENViORMENT FOR MARji, ONCE AGAiN A "AMERiCAN" ENViORMENT! i THiNK THEY GET THiER STRENGTH FROM THEMSELVES/ EACH OTHER. LiKE FOR MY FAMiLY MY FAMiLY STRENGTH MAiNLY COMES FROM MY GRANNY AND PAPA G [GRANDAD] THEY GiVE US STRENGTH AND HOPE. THE GRANDMA iN THE BOOK SEEMS TO dO THE SAME FOR HER DAUGHTER AND HER FAMiLY!