Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi


Persepolis is a graphic memoir that follows a young girl named Marji  throughout her coming of age during a turbulent time in Iran, the Islamic Revolution. Marji explores the world around her under the guidance of sensible and moderate parents. She manifests on the page as an intelligent yet stubborn girl who never ceases questioning the status-quo, which often lands her and her parents in trouble. The era Marji is born in is tumultuous requiring her to grow up fast. War and protests rage around her. Religion and personal identity begin to clash inside of her. Marji must figure out who she wants to be and how to stay alive when many meet their end around her.  

Book Details                                                                                                          Awards and Recognition
• Title: Persepolis                                                                                      • New York Times “Notable Book”

• Author: Marjane                                                               • Winner of the Angoulěme Coup de Cœr Award

• Genre: Graphic Memoir/Historical Nonfiction  • Time Magazine’s “Top 10 Graphic Novels of All Time”

• Published in 2000, translated to English in 2003           • Adapted into an Oscar-nominated animated film 

• Pages: 153                                                                                                                                                     

Why This Book? 
I saw Persepolis sitting on a shelf and had to check it out. When I opened it up and saw the subject matter, I was immediately curious. I have read books in similar styles before, like Maus, and loved them. Persepolis was no different. The visual storytelling created such a powerful and moving reading experience that I couldn’t resist going back for more. 

Teaching and Content Considerations
• This book is very accessible yet has powerful themes. This could work for whole class reading instruction in middle school, or as an independent reading choice in high school ages. The ideas and messages in this book are complex, so with younger readers you will need to guide their thinking more. 
•  The ideal audience for this graphic novel are students (or adults) who are interested in history, exploring other cultures, social justice, women’s rights, or the power of identity. 
Instructional Ideas
• Theme Analysis: Coming of age, Religion vs State, Feminism, Trauma Survivors, Identity, and Activism are all themes you could explore with students. 
• This graphic novel could serve as a great mentor text for Literary and Visual writing techniques. 
• Social Studies teachers could use this graphic novel as a hook text to introduce ideas related to the Middle East, revolutions, and theocratic governments.
Content Considerations
• This graphic novel is not child’s play. It touches on subjects related to death, torture, mass violence, and uses strong language sparingly. Overall, it should be appropriate for most students in high school age groups. 

Potential Read-Aloud Sections
• Pages 3 - 5 feature Marji as a young child. She is introducing herself, and telling us that she firmly believes she will become a prophet. This highlights the humor of the novel and the innocence of Marji. This soft entry will help set the tone of the story and prepare us for the heavier themes ahead. 
• Pages 75 - 78 show us how Marji is staying true to herself and letting self expression drive her despite the expectations of society and the dangers that surround her. This passage touches on the themes of identity and rebellion but also paints Marji in a relatable light that really helped me connect with her. 

Overall Thoughts
Persepolis was a page turner that was stimulating in many different ways. The visuals drawn on the page were exceptional at conveying the feelings in the moment and letting us see what Marji saw. The language used felt natural and allowed me to instantly feel connected to Marji, as if we were friends and she was telling me these stories. The plot was a rollercoaster with monumental peaks and deep trench valleys. Small wins carried me through the frequent setbacks Marji experienced. I enjoyed this graphic novel immensely! 

What I Want to Explore Next
Reading this graphic novel, and like I mentioned before, reading Maus, has really opened my eyes to the journeys that historical non-fiction/memoir graphic novels can be incredibly entertaining while being thoroughly informative. This slice of life featuring another world apart from my own is something I want to keep going back to. Another book I am reading now because of Persepolis is March (Book 1) by congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell.

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