The Story of a Childhood...(Blog 2)

Q: Why do you think this genre is so popular? Why did Satrapi chose this format in which to tell her story? What does the visual...????
I think this genre is very popular because now a days more people especially teens are reading this kind of genres, such as manges. I think the sense of humor in this kind of genre is very important because it does not get boring to read it at all. I think teens find it more interesting for the fact that it is not only words but also pictures and because like I said it has some very funny pictures that sometimes writing cannot get to, only a picture can show, like people say pictures are worth a million words...I think Satrapi chose this format in which to tell her story because it is easier to show all or most of the feelings to the reader, both the picture and the words will help her tell a bigger story or a more I guess detailed story and both the picture and the story really depend on each other. A visual aspect adds many things that a cinventual memoir lacks, like a better picture of what is in a way really happening in the story. In many ways the pictures gives more things than the story itself, and the reader can really see what the author or the writer wants them to imagine. I think the pictures would also have a big impact on showing how for example the veils look like and how they have to wear it and so in a way I think this has a bigger impact on the reader because they see it not only imagine it...Sadly I have not read any of the books maintained but I have read some mange books and I can say in many ways they are different and in many ways they are the same, for example they both have humor but Persepolis is a memoir of course and manges for the most part of it is a fiction book. But still both have the five elements of a story...Basically Persepolis has like I said the five aliments of a story similar to a comic book and humor like some comic books have. I would not call this a comic book because it is most importantly is not a made up story, it is a memoir and so it should have its own category, like half comic book and half of an autobiography, of course a graphic novel..I would place this book in the autobiography section because it is an autobiography and it was meant be an autobiography not a comic book that you just read for fun..this is a "comic book" that has a point and a reason ( Message), like the author pointed out in the introduction...

Q: How did the revolution exert power and influence over so any people, including many educated middle class people like Satrapi's parents? Why did so may people leave after the revolution? Why do you think Marji's parents send her off to Austria while they stayed in Tehran? Why don't they leave/escape as well?
The revolution exerted power and influenced over so many people because the government was basically in charge and so what the government said people have to do it or else they will get killed, like many people in the novel that were killed by the government, for example the theater and the many massacres that were done. This included the educated and the middle class people like Satrapi's family because they basically lived under the government rules and they had to do what they were told to...and so they did what they had to do to survive those times. Also there were people that were brain washed and did what other people told them to do. This divided between the poor and the rich and in many ways it turned the tables around and the people that were less powerful before are more powerful, like in the book, when Marji's grandmother has to face her old worker that use to clean her windows and now he is working for the government. So many people left after the revolution because there was basically less freedom , especially for women. They could not let their hair show and had to wear their veils all the time. There were many massacres and the country was being attacked by Afghanistan..It was not a save place to live in, the rules were very streaked. I think Marji's parents sanded her off to Austria because they wanted the best for her. It was getting very difficult for Marji to get a good education in her country because of the many things that were happening. The parents basically wanted for Marji to have a better future. Like many families, today live their countries for a better life and a better future for their children. The parents don't leave because they want to believe their country will get better and things will get better. That is their home and where they grew up in and they do not want to give it up..it is the place they were born...

Q: What is Satrapi suggesting about the relationship between past and present, and between national and personal history? What role does her family history, and the stories of her relatives, say in shaping Marji?
I think Satrapi is suggesting that the past affects the present directly and the present is based of off the past. For example today Iran has not fully in many ways fixed its problems with Iraq and they still have problems and nobody really knows when it will stop or how..maybe the history between the two countries is too deep that the problem will never go away. So now because of the past issues that existed the present, today the relationship is not doing so well...and well there are many wars going on in this world right now...So of course there are the wars and that is what it seems people think is the way to solve a problem, while the rich people sleep in their gold beds there are soldiers that are risking there life's in war...and whose idea was it to go to war...(sorry I kind of went of topic..), so the past histories especially war history can really affect the present and the future relationships between countries. I think she is also suggesting that national history can sometimes get into personal history. For example if a person in a family has served the army or any other services they are part in many ways of the national history. Also like we see in the novel the Vail and how that started and the Islamic revolution. I guess for part of the national and personal history is sometimes religion as well, such as in the novel. Her family history basically is the roots of where she comes from and part of what shapes Marji, and the stories of her relatives shapes her in a way to be what she wants in her life and her purpose of living and fighting for what she believes is right and for her countries freedom...

Persepolis..(blog 1)

Q: How does Satrapi go about challenging this myth? How does Persepolis dispel or confirm your views on Iran? In what ways does reading this book deepen your understanding and knowledge of Iran, and the current situation in Iraq?

I think Satrapi goes about challenging this myth about how Iran is not only a country of "fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism" in a way that she points out that they have also suffered and have have problems thoughout their own history. For example how the Iranian people were massacred (their own people) and many died, even inosent people. She also demonstrates in her book that the Iranian people had to suffer many more other problems such as other countries like Iraq being their enemies and attacking the Iranian people and they have to survive and face that to keep living. Even though they were being attacked in their own country and not being save at all Marji kept living or trying to live her "normal" life..but it was hard for her. It was hard for her because she was confused on what to believe in because first she thought that the king was chosen by God but then her teachers told her he was not ..so she was confused and tryed her best to understand how the world she lives in works and the good from the bad..in a way Satrapi tries to demonstrate her point through a child and how the society she grows up in closes some doors and opens other doors...Well Persepolis basically shows me that Iran is a country like many others...they have to face wars and pass through difficult times. This book deepens my understanding and knowledge of Iran in many ways, basically historycally, the Islamic Revelution and how that affected the society. How the country gets along with other countries and how this has shaped this country and how this had affected the country today. Know I just don't have to be listening to the news and how Iran is doing this and doing that I can also think back to this book and see that there is more to that country then the news itself...

Q: "Every situation has an opprtunity for laughs." (p. 97). Give some examples of how the ordinafry citizens enjoyed life despite the oppressive regime. What made you laugh?( Ha Ha Ha!!..) How does Satrapi add comic relief. How are these scenes revelant to the story as a whole?..
Well there is this part that the family of Marji get together and have a party( which is forbiden..they might get punished ..and even killed..), but they still have the party with alcohol and wine. They have to do their own wine and the wine ( as well as other alcohols are forbidden..) but they still have fun and enjoy for the night with a little caution. Even though they are very careful to try not to make the authorities that they are having a party they ( Marji's family) still get cought by the authorities...but all they want is money..They also go to vacations and try to have a normal life as possible. A part that made me laugh so hard was this part that Marji and her friends had an idea (Marji's idea..) to put nails between their fingers "like american brass knuckles" and to attack Ramin..it was halarious ..the picture ..the kid that is behind the trees..scared ..it is just funny while Marji and her friends are shouting "Ramin! Ramin! Come out of hiding! Don't be a wimp...", and then the mom comes ..it is just funny for me..yeah. Satrapi had comic reliefs in moments that are important and after something big happens in some parts of the book. For example the part that I just talked about, when Marji and her friends put nails on their knuckles..this was after the celebration they had ..or when the devil had let..the king..There is also this part when Marji's dad came home very late and Marji's mom was very worried about him..but when he comes home he tells everyone what he saw and talks about how the widow also joined in to demonstrate..and then out of nowhere Marji laughs..even though she does not understand what the adults are laughing about..( that happened to me too..very saa story..). This scenes are relevent to the story as a whole because they add humor right after something big happens..something light after something heavy..it basically in a way balances the story..and gives it a unique characteristic...

Q: Disscuss the role and importance of religion in Persepolis. Hpw does religion define certal characters in the book, and affect thawya they interact with each other? Is the auothr making a social comenatry on rreligion, and in particular on fundamentalism? What do you think Satrapi is saying about religion's effect on the individual and society?.... Religion is very important in Persepolis..the whole book is basically about the Islamic Revolution and how that affected an individual and the society itself...It also affects how the religion defines certain characters in the novel. For example how the people the soldiers are in a way brain washed to do things they will never do and kill people..in away kind of like the Nazis did to the jews..(but they were another religion..). The society as a whole , they are it seems half, half because there are many people that do want to have it but there are also many people that do not want to have it...there are characters in the book that are very religious and are followers such as the teachers but there are also people that do not like it at all such as Marji's parents and all this demonstrations. Another example would be the way Marji acts with her teachers because all the things that has happened has made her who she is and now she is trying to do something about it by not listening to her teachers. Yes basically the author is making a social commentary to religion such as fundamentalism because that is the way of life and that is how things have becomed difficult in the novel. I think she is saying that the religion it self has affected many people and it has leaded to wars and many many deaths that should of not happened especially young children and how that has lead a difficul childhood for many young kids including herself...

Everything must go...Feed Final Project....

My feed contains many things as you can see in the collage (word and picture collage...). For part of my project I decided to do what would be in my feed and for the other part of the project I
decided to use words that connected to some topics such as saving the planet, individuality and
knowledge. My feed would have jewelry advertisements ( have to love jewelry) because jewelry
is one thing that I like and since the feed companies make you buy the things you want an are in a way your character/personality. I would also have food like nutritious food, maybe even fruits( yes it sound funny but I love fruits especially tangerines..go tangerines!!!) because the companies of the feed will sell anything as long as they sell it. I would also have technology advertised in my feed such as the digital cameras, phones and many other technology things (even though the feed can do things such as taking pictures an even film things, as well as capture feelings and make the viewer feel things, but my collage is in the feed of today..) Because those things I do not have (sad face..) and so the feed people would try to do anything to sell me those things and because I would want it. Of course make up, and perfumes. Especially make up because I do not really ware make up but maybe they would want me to to be like everyone one else and so try to sell me those things. As well as perfumes because I like wearing different kinds of perfume and so try to sell me different kinds of perfume...Other things that might get advertised in my feed would be purses and clothing because of course people need clothes but they would be advertising clothes that are in and so on..and so that would not be a need but a want. Which leads to the purse stuff..that is what we want not need..but still they ( the feed company) will try to sell it and brain wash you with many other advertisements. This basically says that sometimes (or maybe most of the time for some people ) advertisements influences peoples choice and tells them what to do and buy. Well basically this defines American culture as a consumerism culture and that we not only buy our needs but our wants ( mostly our wants ..and sometimes to the extreme..). Like I put a phrase on my collage that said soul and spirit which is in many ways very opposite from the themes on the novel, you basically do not own your own identity since the company feed owns your memories..This would be an example of how technology affects your own life. As well as social implications such as communication, how they communicate though their feeds and feel what other people feel when a memory is replayed and so on. This is in a way good but it has gone to the extreme to do this it is too much. It is good because technology has gone forward and maybe so technology to cure cancer but bad because the people that have the feed are stupid and do not even know they are stupid..I think it is okay to resist because that is how you can keep your own identity and set values and boundaries for yourself. I think the media affects everyone because when you turn on a T.V for most of the time you will be watching advertisements. I personally think the media affects me in many ways and I do not think I really realize how much the media consumerism and popular culture affects us and me. We just walk around and do not even realize it. I think it impacts me in many ways and sometimes impact our own believes and values and what we set to be and do. I think consumerism partly defined me as a person because I get head aches when I go to the store and see all this things that are in sale and mostly I get things I need and sometimes wants..basically consumerism and ads are part or can in many ways define your individuality. I think simply the moral of the story is that consumerism can lead to a world that is uglier than the world we know it now. One example I would say would be the leasures and how in the novel though the ads portray it as a cool thing to have. People in a way cannot be anything with out the feed because then they would not be able to get a job, like Violets dad, and would not be able to socialize and have to suffer like Violet did....Titus orders all those pants towards the end of the story because that is the way to comfort his grieve of Violet and a way to forget all about it. I think the feed interlude at the end of the book (everything must go ..") means that they are in the age of consumerism and it is no longer their needs but their wants that they buy..including their memories and who they are..and that is how they waste their identity..everything must go..who they are...

Reflection..conformity vs. individuality

Well I would say the images represent conformity vs. individuality in many ways..also they tell a story. For example in my visual essay the pictures compare conformity and individuality. The first picture starts out with what a conformity is...conformity, acting according to certain accepted standard..so in my first picture I decided to put a weird painting because it kind of in away represents confusion..loneliness because since you are a follower (in which it was also represented by the picture of the world and people following a person...) when you become independent you may not know what to do and so feel lost..and lonely. Another picture I choose that helped demonstrate conformity is a picture of I think a person that is holding a sign that says, "who am I..what am I", that connects to the theme because since your well in away the product of society you will not have your own identify but the identity of what other people have told you to be and really not have a reputation...But individuality means achievement which is represented by a lady (or I think a man..) that is reaching for the sky..which makes an individual a true individual. As well as setting goals and having your own dreams (which is also represented by the little graduation hat thing..sorry I forgot what they are called..=) which makes a person an individual as well as their roots and knowing who they are and where they come from, that are all represented through several images, like the church in Cuenca, Ecuador (where I was born..)and the country it self that are there to represent roots..beginnings. Individuality can also be said are talents and skills that each one of us have..represented by soccer..for me..(just like playing it..) and individuality can especially be through family..that is where the individuality starts...that is my message..In my opinion this is what individuality is for me from the experiences I have had as well as what conformity means to me...most of the points of individuality are my personal values like education, family, goals, achieving...Well I would say living in another country (for about 8 years) has been pretty much most of my influence. For example better education and opportunity this country has...I feel that individuality is being true to yourself and from there you grow as a person....

conformity vs. individuality

Conformity means...

Confusion...lost...

Emptiness...loneliness

No identity...no reputation...

A follower...






Individuality means....








Achievements...








Set goals...dreams...









Knowing your roots....


Education...freedom...

Having interests....talents..and skills.....

Recognizing your beginning....(Cuenca..)

and.....

Family

To all those that resist the feed....

Having the feed affects Titus in many ways his personalty (especially his personality ..) and of course his intelligence. In many ways his personality is how could I say this..it is a personalty that does not make him care about anything. For example before he met Violet in the beginning of the book he did not care about anything, he just felt sleepy and tried to ignore his friends from the stupid things they were doing. Having the feed makes Titus more of an idiot (well idiot would not be the right word..) I would say it makes him not be himself and the feed does not really let him think for himself and therefore have his own identity. I would say the feed is preventing Titus from developing his own personality because since he was little and since they but the feed in his brain...the feed has made him into who he really is now, this also goes for his intelligence. For example when Titus says and questions that George Washington was not alive during the civil war... also when Violet tells him she has been malfunctioning since the incident the only thing Titus can said is, "Oh shit" (Which is very smart to say..). The feed also has limited Titus intelligence and his surroundings. For example when he went to Violets house he said "The place was a mess. Everything had words on it..." as well as, " their sun was up and the sky was peeling..". Well overall the feed has been prevented Titus to see the truth ..and his potential..identity....

Well school and society has teached us how to use the world in many ways. In my opinion society has taught us to use the world for our own benefits. For example the companies that exist in our world..the corporations ..for example the fuel business, which has lead to global warming ( so now we are screwed and our future generations are also in trouble...me..). Here is a video about Global Warming (sorry I could not download the video...). A positive example that society teaches us how to use the world would be education and how that could lead us to a better future. Unlike in Titus world, the feeds have everything and so the only things they have to "learn" is how to use the feeds and that is school for them. But at the same time they really do not have their own knowledge or even their own memory because the corporations own everything . I think consumer culture is so strong because that is the way the world..society keeps its self running. If there was not any consuming then people would not be employed which would lead to very bad things. For example there would be more crimes and no job. It is the consumer culture that keeps people rich and poor. People want to become more rich and so do more things like more advertisements to get rich..and people get more poor because they fall for those things. I would say it is very beneficial for companies to teach how to consume because that is how they would grow and be in good shape. If for example they stop advertising their products who knows what would happen to the companies. For example the advertisements they do for smokers (this is where it gets dangerous..) The companies know that the smoking is very bad for peoples health and can cause cancer...death..but they still keep selling and advertising ..are they just wanting to kill people for only money..(well it seems like it ..). They should stop being selfish and stop killing people.

In the chapter called Boring Titus thinks the boat picture is boring because he has no longer the feed and he cannot see anything interesting about it. He cannot think for himself anymore. This shows that the feed has taken over him. Like I said before he has not fully developed his own identity because his feed has been preventing him from getting his own identity. It seems that

he never really seen things for himself ..only with the feed ..and now he has the opportunity to think for himself but cannot really see anything ..no feeling ..emptiness. The picture of the boat suppose to be life...normal..nature..natural..but Titus has been only in this world of the feed he cannot see beyond the picture. It would be the same thing if people that have never been to a third world country would go and (well I guess it would be different because they will feel something ..) seeing from another point of view...in another persons shoes...