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Monday, June 18, 2007
Has Reading Persepolis Altered Your Understanding of Iran or Iranians?
Yes, after reading Persepolis I got a better understanding of what Iranians had gone through. Before reading Persepolis i just thought the country only had conflicts with bordering countries and with religious faiths. Reading Persepolis had given me a better understanding of what all the citizens might have gone through.
Yes, through reading Persepolis I think I have gotten a better understanding of Iran and its residents. I learned a lot about Marjane Satrapi and feel like she kind of represents the people of Iran. I had no idea what they have gone through and how much we have in America.
I had also took a reading class that talked a lot about the middle east, and how everything tied together. When I read this book, I also notice that a lot of other Iran people did not agree on what was going on. People who fought for what they believed, and people who went along with what is happening just to save their own live and family.
Those were the only two reasons I knew about before reading the book also. Reading Persepolis has taught me that the problems in Iran are a lot more complicated than most people think.
Wow, that is pretty scary. If I lived in Iran, I would not know what to do. I would want to fight for what I think is right, but I also would not want to put myself and my family in danger.
Definitely. I didn't know that the Islamic revolution was so recent. I had always assumed (typical of an American huh?) Iran had been a fundamentalist nation for a very long time. It also goes to show that just because a person is a certain nationality they don't necessarily adhere to a strict set of beliefs. I think this is something everyone has needed to learn or have pointed out to them since 9/11. Especially about people from the Middle Eastern region of the world.
I think you're right that Marjane Satrapi works as a symbol of her people, especially seeing how much change her country was going through at the time.
In response to Luom, I am surprised too to realise that the problem in Iran is beyond the internal war within the country. The people in the country must have seen a lot of hell in the hands of the religious fanatics. The book realy gives better understanding of what is going on in the Middle East, especially between Iran and Iraq. It enable people to know that much is hapening in outside world.The governmwnt does not realy help the situation, because the imposition of power over the people created much more problem than what one might think of.To me, there are individual differences.For instance, the act of wearing veil by every women was not generally acepted by the whole country. This had cause more trouble in the country.
After reading the book persepolis, I have a better understanding of the Iranians. Before I thought that the people in the middle east have common interest in terms of their government and the common religion. My former intention was that, United States government intervention in Iran wealth of crude oil is the major cause of instability in the country's economy, but Iran people are having internal problems like religious imposition and government policies on the people. The book present the people of Iran to be people of diversify interest.They shows this by protesting against the government policies and procedures that do not suite them.
In response to Luom, Truly ,the book shed light to my understanding and perception about the Middle East, especially the Iran People. The book shows that the people of Iran undestand what a democracy means. The author and her family prefer the western life.For instance, Marji's parents bought her Denim jacket that has Michael Jackson's picture, when the parents went for a trip in Turkey. (Satrapi 127) This means that the Iran people oppose to the dress code. The author and her family represent the Iranians.
Persepolis definitely changed my uderstanding of Iranians. I learned about the turmoil the people went through during the Islamic Revolution and the war. It helped me to see how Western countries may have tried to take advantage of Iran for their oil. This is definitely a reason for unfriendly feelings toward America. But, I also learned that alot of Iranians like America, and that they are just like us. -Taylor Kobe
I also did not know what Iranians had gone through before reading Persepolis. It is frightening to see how the government could murder so many individuals, protestors, just for being on opposite sides. I realize how lucky I am to live in the United States of America and have so many freedoms. I think alot of us take this for granted. -Taylor Kobe
I really got a better understanding for the issues by reading Persepolis. I think it was laid out in such simple, well obviously as it was a childs viewpoint, terms. I really enjoyed the book and the perspective it gave me. I really want to read the second book too!
Yes, I knew that they had alot of conflicts but not civil ones. I never knew that the government over there would kill so many people. I also never knew of the different social classes,and how they played a big role in their culture.
In response to Taylor- I too realized through Persepolis that the Iraninas were being taken advantage of because of the their oil and that the "western" culture was viewed so negatively. -Kathi McMahon
Percepolis has pointed out different views that I was unaware of, before reading this book. What is exposed on the news here in the United States does not cover the individual hard ships that are happening to people in Iran. In general, Americans would not let these circumstances bother them, because it is happening in places that does not affect them directly. This is a straightforward story about a girl that has lived through many hardships.
Yes, this story has really changed my understanding of Iranians, especailly the children of Iran. I could not imagine how hard it would be growing up in a place where war was right outside you front door.
Dave Kjonaas This book definitely altered my understanding of the Iranians. I never fully knew the extremeties of the civil wars going on over there. I never knew about the social views either. I used to think that the views of social classes were the worst in america, but I now know it seems to be worse in Iran.
Yeah, a bit shocking of how they torture people. It was also scary how the children use the stories and turn them into games. I agree on how Trent didn't know that they had internal conflicts. That so many other form of govt want to be in control.
That is very true. It seems a lot like the Western world was responsible for problems in Iran that pushed it to become fundamentalist. Now those countries want to critisize Iran and the Middle East for being fundamentalist.
In response to Dave Kjonaas I know what you mean. As a woman, I can't imagine being forced to wear a veil to cover my hair or to have only certain people I can date or marry because of what social class I am in.
I honestly never really knew much about the conflicts at all. I knew that they existed but that was the extent of my knowledge. Now I know why (for the most part) why there are problems there. I had no idea that the "war" was even in neighborhoods. The war was everywhere. It was more than just fighting too. They could only wear certain things, and the censorship that was happening was very extreme. The kind of torture that some people went through was horrible. I wonder how many people knew that things like that were actually happening? It is amazing what you can learn from a book with pictures. -Elizabeth P
I agree that we do take our country for granted. We are very lucky to have a government that we have a say in. Also in the book I was suprised the hate they have for the Americans. I didn't really understand why because they didn't go into much detail. I also don't know the history behind it to make sense of it.
I didn't like Iran before because of the war, now I know why they are a bad country. Iranians just haven't fount their leader. I feel bad for them now, because they still have to fight for freedom and stuff like that. I think we should be doing what we are doing in Iraq there. Build them a new one since they can't do it by themselves.
it really has actually. I honestly didnt know anything about the revolution or that children had to go through things like the narrator did. It has really opened my eyes to the reality of what is going on in the world.
It hasn't yet but I know it will once I'm done reading the book. I also think my discussions with fellow classmates and my analytical paper written about a topic I choose will portray my impression. I like this book, I enjoy reading it and look forward to reading Persepolis 2 next.
I just want to gain a better understanding of Iran and Iraq. Alot of this same conflict has been going on since I was a teenager back in the 80's ...I care now. I have a difficult time understanding why these people fight so much. Maybe by becoming informed I could try to understand.
30 comments:
Yes, after reading Persepolis I got a better understanding of what Iranians had gone through. Before reading Persepolis i just thought the country only had conflicts with bordering countries and with religious faiths. Reading Persepolis had given me a better understanding of what all the citizens might have gone through.
From L Seidenkranz
Yes, through reading Persepolis I think I have gotten a better understanding of Iran and its residents. I learned a lot about Marjane Satrapi and feel like she kind of represents the people of Iran. I had no idea what they have gone through and how much we have in America.
I had also took a reading class that talked a lot about the middle east, and how everything tied together. When I read this book, I also notice that a lot of other Iran people did not agree on what was going on. People who fought for what they believed, and people who went along with what is happening just to save their own live and family.
In response to Luom
Those were the only two reasons I knew about before reading the book also. Reading Persepolis has taught me that the problems in Iran are a lot more complicated than most people think.
Sarit Ghildayal
In response to GaoEa
Wow, that is pretty scary. If I lived in Iran, I would not know what to do. I would want to fight for what I think is right, but I also would not want to put myself and my family in danger.
Sarit Ghildayal
Definitely. I didn't know that the Islamic revolution was so recent. I had always assumed (typical of an American huh?) Iran had been a fundamentalist nation for a very long time. It also goes to show that just because a person is a certain nationality they don't necessarily adhere to a strict set of beliefs. I think this is something everyone has needed to learn or have pointed out to them since 9/11. Especially about people from the Middle Eastern region of the world.
In response to Sarit
I think you're right that Marjane Satrapi works as a symbol of her people, especially seeing how much change her country was going through at the time.
In response to Luom,
I am surprised too to realise that the problem in Iran is beyond the internal war within the country. The people in the country must have seen a lot of hell in the hands of the religious fanatics. The book realy gives better understanding of what is going on in the Middle East, especially between Iran and Iraq. It enable people to know that much is hapening in outside world.The governmwnt does not realy help the situation, because the imposition of power over the people created much more problem than what one might think of.To me, there are individual differences.For instance, the act of wearing veil by every women was not generally acepted by the whole country. This had cause more trouble in the country.
After reading the book persepolis, I have a better understanding of the Iranians. Before I thought that the people in the middle east have common interest in terms of their government and the common religion. My former intention was that, United States government intervention in Iran wealth of crude oil is the major cause of instability in the country's economy, but Iran people are having internal problems like religious imposition and government policies on the people. The book present the people of Iran to be people of diversify interest.They shows this by protesting against the government policies and procedures that do not suite them.
In response to Luom, Truly ,the book shed light to my understanding and perception about the Middle East, especially the Iran People. The book shows that the people of Iran undestand what a democracy means. The author and her family prefer the western life.For instance, Marji's parents bought her Denim jacket that has Michael Jackson's picture, when the parents went for a trip in Turkey. (Satrapi 127) This means that the Iran people oppose to the dress code. The author and her family represent the Iranians.
Persepolis definitely changed my uderstanding of Iranians. I learned about the turmoil the people went through during the Islamic Revolution and the war. It helped me to see how Western countries may have tried to take advantage of Iran for their oil. This is definitely a reason for unfriendly feelings toward America. But, I also learned that alot of Iranians like America, and that they are just like us.
-Taylor Kobe
to gaoea
I also did not know what Iranians had gone through before reading Persepolis. It is frightening to see how the government could murder so many individuals, protestors, just for being on opposite sides. I realize how lucky I am to live in the United States of America and have so many freedoms. I think alot of us take this for granted.
-Taylor Kobe
I really got a better understanding for the issues by reading Persepolis. I think it was laid out in such simple, well obviously as it was a childs viewpoint, terms. I really enjoyed the book and the perspective it gave me. I really want to read the second book too!
Trent
Yes, I knew that they had alot of conflicts but not civil ones. I never knew that the government over there would kill so many people. I also never knew of the different social classes,and how they played a big role in their culture.
In response to Taylor-
I too realized through Persepolis that the Iraninas were being taken advantage of because of the their oil and that the "western" culture was viewed so negatively.
-Kathi McMahon
Percepolis has pointed out different views that I was unaware of, before reading this book. What is exposed on the news here in the United States does not cover the individual hard ships that are happening to people in Iran. In general, Americans would not let these circumstances bother them, because it is happening in places that does not affect them directly. This is a straightforward story about a girl that has lived through many hardships.
Yes, this story has really changed my understanding of Iranians, especailly the children of Iran. I could not imagine how hard it would be growing up in a place where war was right outside you front door.
Dave Kjonaas
This book definitely altered my understanding of the Iranians. I never fully knew the extremeties of the civil wars going on over there. I never knew about the social views either. I used to think that the views of social classes were the worst in america, but I now know it seems to be worse in Iran.
John Vu reply to Trent
Yeah, a bit shocking of how they torture people. It was also scary how the children use the stories and turn them into games. I agree on how Trent didn't know that they had internal conflicts. That so many other form of govt want to be in control.
In response to Trent
I myself never really thought the country had civil conflicts either.But I'm aware that of them having religious ones though.
In response to Taylor...
That is very true. It seems a lot like the Western world was responsible for problems in Iran that pushed it to become fundamentalist. Now those countries want to critisize Iran and the Middle East for being fundamentalist.
-Mark Felice
In response to Dave Kjonaas
I know what you mean. As a woman, I can't imagine being forced to wear a veil to cover my hair or to have only certain people I can date or marry because of what social class I am in.
I honestly never really knew much about the conflicts at all. I knew that they existed but that was the extent of my knowledge. Now I know why (for the most part) why there are problems there. I had no idea that the "war" was even in neighborhoods. The war was everywhere. It was more than just fighting too. They could only wear certain things, and the censorship that was happening was very extreme. The kind of torture that some people went through was horrible. I wonder how many people knew that things like that were actually happening? It is amazing what you can learn from a book with pictures.
-Elizabeth P
In response to Taylor
I agree that we do take our country for granted. We are very lucky to have a government that we have a say in. Also in the book I was suprised the hate they have for the Americans. I didn't really understand why because they didn't go into much detail. I also don't know the history behind it to make sense of it.
I didn't like Iran before because of the war, now I know why they are a bad country. Iranians just haven't fount their leader. I feel bad for them now, because they still have to fight for freedom and stuff like that. I think we should be doing what we are doing in Iraq there. Build them a new one since they can't do it by themselves.
Yes, I always thought that everyone who wore the veil wanted to. Now I know that some don't.
yes, I have always thought that Iran was a peaceful country but after reading this book i realize Iran have more than just a regular country.
it really has actually. I honestly didnt know anything about the revolution or that children had to go through things like the narrator did. It has really opened my eyes to the reality of what is going on in the world.
It hasn't yet but I know it will once I'm done reading the book. I also think my discussions with fellow classmates and my analytical paper written about a topic I choose will portray my impression. I like this book, I enjoy reading it and look forward to reading Persepolis 2 next.
I just want to gain a better understanding of Iran and Iraq. Alot of this same conflict has been going on since I was a teenager back in the 80's ...I care now. I have a difficult time understanding why these people fight so much. Maybe by becoming informed I could try to understand.
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