Persepolis
Mr. Rush
Go Muskies
Rahme
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What did you learn from Rahme about
Syria and the Middle East?
10-15 lines
 Skip lines
 List 3-4 things you learned
 React- what do you think about what he said.
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What we will Do- Monday
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Objectives
Examine/ Evaluate the
role of the US in Iran
Analyze the causes of
the Islamic Revolution
Analyze causes of
oppression by the Shah/
Islamic Fundamentalists
Consider role of
individuals
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Tasks
Purpose
Why does Iran matter?
AG- History of Iran
Who is the author?
Read/ Questions Chapter
1- pages 3- 9.
Homework: Read/
Questions Chapter 2
pages 10-17.
Purpose
Prepare you for college
 Open- our minds cultures- good/ bad.
 My passion
 Your passion
 Complete Work- Grade will be Good
 Discussion, Homework, Written Work,
Thinking, Focus.
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Why does Iran Matter?
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Hilary Clinton
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/world/middl
eeast/16diplo.html
Will Iran start arms race?
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4020033/will-iranstart-arms-race
Iran revolution by youth- 2009 Pictures
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans
_disputed_election.html
Anticipation Guide from
Introduction
___ 1. Iran has always been rich.
 ___ 2. Iran is the site of one of the great
Ancient empires- the Persian Empire.
 ___ 3. The Iranians fought against
Germany in World War II.
 ___ 4. The Americans overthrew the
Iranian government in the 1950’s.
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Introduction to Persepolis
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1. According to the introduction, what
stereotypical image is Satrapi trying to
dispel?
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2. The author indicates two motives for
writing Persepolis. What are they?
Who is Marjane Satrapi?
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Marjane Satrapi (born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran) is
a contemporary graphic novelist and illustrator.
She grew up in Tehran in a progressive family.
She attended the Lycée Français there and
witnessed, as a child, the growing oppression of
civil liberties and the everyday life
consequences of Iranian politics, including the
fall of the Shah, the early regime of Ayatollah
Khomeini and the first years of the Iran-Iraq
war. From Biographybase.com
Why did she write Persepolis?
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Satrapi said she hoped Persepolis would
combat the negative images people had of
her native country. When the Iranian
Revolution broke out, most people in the
West only saw images of the revolutionary
leaders, which did not reflect the lives of
ordinary Iranians, she said.
Why did she write Persepolis?
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"If people are given the chance to
experience life in more than one country,
they will hate a little less," she wrote on
the Pantheon website. "That is why I
wanted people in other countries to read
Persepolis, to see that I grew up just like
other children."
What does she want to tell
young Iranians?
She also said she hoped to find a way to
get the book to young Iranians, perhaps
through the Internet, so that more of
them could learn the truth about what
happened in their country in the early
1980s.
 From notablebiographies.com
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Persepolis: Award Winner
from notablebiographies.com
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The book won two of Europe's biggest
awards for comic books and graphic
novels, the Angouleme International
Comics Festival's Coup de Coeur award
and the Prix du Lion from a comics
association in Belgium.
Persepolis: US Reaction
from notablebiographies.com

It earned an endorsement from leading
American feminist Gloria Steinem.
Edward Nawotka, called Persepolis "one
of the quirkiest, most entertaining
memoirs in recent years." Dave Welch
said it "expressed in deceptively simple
black-and-white drawings the broken
heart and crushed hope of a people."
Key Terms
Cultural Revolution
 Persian Empire
 Shah
 Reza
 sanctions
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Why is the book called
Persepolis?
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Why does Satrapi call her book
Persepolis instead of something like
Growing Up in Iran?
Chapter 2: The Bicycle
On page 10, Marjorie’s friend says “The
Revolution is like a bicycle. When its
wheels don’t turn, it falls.” What does she
mean by this?
 Is a revolution a good thing? Why or why
not?
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Chapter 2: The Bicylce
Turn to page 11.
 What is Iran’s history? Who controlled
Iran? How might this history impact Iran?
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Chapter 2: The Bicycle
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At the end of the chapter, Marjane asks to
demonstrate against the government.
Would you let your child demonstrate and
be “a part of history” or would you make
her stay at home for safety’s sake?
Explain your position
 Use 3 facts from the story
 Give 1 counterargument and why you
disagree.
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What we will do Today- Tuesday
Objectives
 Examine/ Evaluate the role of
the US in Iran
 Analyze the causes of the
Islamic Revolution
 Analyze causes of oppression
by the Shah/ Islamic
Fundamentalists
 Consider role of individuals
Tasks
 Purpose
 Why does Iran matter?
 AG- History of Iran
 Who is the author?
 Read Chapter 3.
 Questions Chapter 3
 Homework: Read Chapter 4
and complete questions
What to do now- Tuesday
Turn in Chapter 2 Homework
 Rea/ Questions- Chapter 3 “the Water
Cell pages 18-25.
 Slide 21- Role of the West.
 Where is Iran? Google Earth
 Read/ Questions Chapter 4- “Persepolis.”
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Role of the West
Turn to page 21.
 The British want the Shah out of power
because they want oil. They say to Reza
“Give us the oil and we’ll take care of the
rest.
 What responsibility does the West
(Britain, US, etc.) have in what happens in
Iran today?
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Map of the Middle East
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Map of the Middle East
Who is Majarie Satrapi?
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How would you describe the child Marji to
whom we’re introduced at the beginning
of Persepolis? To what extent is she like
children anywhere? To what extent is she
different from the child that you were or
the children that you grew up with?
What we will do Today- Tuesday
Objectives
 Examine/ Evaluate the role of
the US in Iran
 Analyze the causes of the
Islamic Revolution
 Analyze causes of oppression
by the Shah/ Islamic
Fundamentalists
 Consider role of individuals
Tasks
 Purpose
 Why does Iran matter?
 AG- History of Iran
 Who is the author?
 Read Chapter 3.
 Questions Chapter 3
 Homework: Read Chapter 4
and complete questions
What we will do TodayWednesday
Tasks
 Purpose
 Why does Iran matter?
 AG- History of Iran
 Who is the author?
 Read/ Questions Chapter 5“Persepolis”
 Homework: Read Chapter 6
“The Party” and complete
questions
What we will do TodayThursday
Objectives
 Examine/ Evaluate the role of
the US in Iran
 Analyze the causes of the
Islamic Revolution
 Analyze causes of oppression
by the Shah/ Islamic
Fundamentalists
 Consider role of individuals
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Tasks
Question: The
Heroes- slide 27
Read 47-53.
Collins Writing
Map Middle East
The Heroes
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On page 51, the question is raised about what
should be done to the torturers. What do you
think should be done to those who tortureshould they be forgiven or punished? Why?
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15-25 lines
Describe 3 things that happened to those who were
tortured
Defend your position including a counterargument
Middle East Map
Map
 Google Earth
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What we will do today- Friday
Objectives
 Examine/ Evaluate the role of
the US in Iran
 Analyze the causes of the
Islamic Revolution
 Analyze causes of oppression
by the Shah/ Islamic
Fundamentalists
 Consider role of individuals
Tasks
 Middle East Map
Review
 Map Review
 Seminar Prep
Moscow
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His uncle has to leave the country to go to
the Soviet Union. Yet, he risks
punishment to return home. If you were
kicked out of the United States, would you
risk an arrest to return home? Why or
why not?
Family Tree
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Develop a family tree for Marjorie. Write
a short description of their political
involvement. How do you think her family
influences her thinking?
The Sheep
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In this chapter, she describes two points
of view of the Islamic Revolution from her
uncle and her dad. Write a brief
description with 3-5 bullet points of each
person. Explain which one you support.
The Trip
On page 75, she describes two types of
Women and 2 types of men.
 Describe each of these in 5 words or less.
 Which would you be? Why?
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The Wine
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You are invited to a party with Marjorie’s
family where there is dancing and people
are dressed in Western clothing.
When a big wave comes, . . .
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Marjane’s mother quotes her own father’s
saying: “When a big wave comes, lower
your head and let it pass” (94). To what
extent does this Persian philosophy
explain citizens’ acceptance of Islamic
rule?
Social Class
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What does the book suggest about social
class in Iranian society, especially, for
example, in the story of the courtship
between the family’s maid and their
neighbor (34-37) or the distribution of
keys to paradise to boys drafted into the
army (99-102)?
What is the role of Religion?
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What does the book suggest about the
role of religion in Iranian culture,
especially in the lives of people like
Marjane’s family?
Role of Education
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What role does the educational system
play in post-revolutionary Iran?
Teenage Rebellion
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What forms does teenage rebellion take
among Marjane and her friends? To what
extent are they like teenagers
everywhere? How are they different?
Graphic Novel
Why do you think Satrapi chose to tell her
story in words and images? What does
the combination make possible that words
or images alone would not?
 What particular incidents in the story do
you think are conveyed more effectively in
pictures than they could have been in
words alone?
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Resources
Discussion Guide- 204 questions
 http://literarybeard.org/downloads/Persep
olis%20Study%20Guide%20%20Complete%20Set.pdf
 Talkin bout a revolution
 http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02
/13/talkin-bout-a-revolution/
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