PERSEPOLIS

This is the first graphic novel that I have read. I have read comic strips before and I love them. I really enjoyed reading Persepolis. I am anxious to read the second part of this book. I thought Marjane Satrapi was able to portray how her childhood was while growing up. I think that the black and white pictures are more effective than color pictures would be. It's almost like life is supposed to be black and white. Satrapi was able to convey what growing up in an unstable country was like. Considering what is going on in Iran today, this graphic novel was a perfect choice for this class. Satrapi was able to write with the innocence of a child and was able to make us feel like we were experiencing things too. One scene that I was particularly affected by was when the Rex Cinema was burned down with 400 people inside. I thought that the drawings described the helplessness of the people that weren't allowed to help. The scene where the fire is licking at the souls of the victims got the point across that so many peopled died and they probably suffered.
I liked how Satrapi described her schooling also. I liked how the teachings changed with what was popular or with who was in control of the country at the time. The history books were changed when power changed. It shows that history is what people make of it and is not always the truth.
Satrapi shows that her dad questions things that the Iranian government is telling them also. He waits for confirmation from the BBC radio program before he accepts things. Satrapi shows how her parents conform in public but not behind closed doors. They show their disagreements with family members but they don't attract attention to themselves so they don't get hurt.
Satrapi allows us to view her life and how she remembers growing up. I think that by using the graphic novel, she allows us to really see how her life was. We are able to picture her growing up in the midst of the revolution.
I think that politics and sentiment are not meant to mix. Politics should be based on facts but more often than not, they are based on sentiment and on people's opinions. Politics should be about what is best for everyone in that particular country. That is not how the world works though.