Introducing Persepolis

“Why are we reading comics in English class?” GRAPHIC NOVELS v. COMICS GRAPHIC NOVELS and COMICS both use illustrations and words to tell a story but

Graphic novels are not a hybrid of graphic art and prose fiction…

…graphic novels are their own literary form.

GRAPHIC NOVELS. . . Are longer and more complex than comics. Tell a story start to finish instead of in serialized form (weekly or monthly ‘episodes’) Often take on ‘big ideas’ – such as social or cultural criticism

Icons, ink, ideas

Why use a graphic novel to convey your ideas?

So how do I read a graphic novel?

Reading the Graphic Novel Essential Questions: What terms do I need to know to help me navigate this unique type of text? What are the basic components of the graphic novel? How does the graphic novel engage with time, space, emotion, and story?

Consider transitions & composition isolation

Consider Arrangement of panels Use of ink

Words in the panel: Speech bubbles Captions Dialogue

Outside the panel Indicator that space or time is being divided.

Past memories future possibilities contained in the same plane at once, visible all around Graphic novel images can: Show emotion & ** make visible the invisible **

There is meaning in the gutter Gutter = space between the cells Graphic novels ask the mind to do the “in between” work of reading the meaning between the cells. (What has happened in the ‘blank space’ here?)

Persepolis: Cultural Context

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Genre: Autobiographical graphic novel About: Marjane Satrapi’s childhood in Tehran, Iran in the 1970s. Perspective: Child’s perspective – of “Marji” growing up during the revolution -- born into a world that she does not quite understand -- trying to find meaning in her life. Cultural Backdrop: 1970s-80s - Iranian Revolution & Iraq-Iran War

IRANIAN REVOLUTION

Iranian, or Islamic Revolution (1979) Overthrow of “the Shah”: Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi “The Shah” replaced by an Islamic power, led by Ayatollah Khomeini Because of the Revolution, in 1979 Iran became an Islamic Republic

WHY WAS THE SHAH OVERTHROWN? The Shah ruled Iran as an absolute monarchy and was pro-Western. Islamists & many in Iran felt the Shah was a puppet of the West and had been making bad political & economic decisions.

The Shah: Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi

UNDER THE SHAH…. Significant corruption and social injustice human rights violations; brutality of SAVAK – Secret Police (supported by CIA!) No tolerance for forces who opposed the Shah Iran ‘westernizing’, modernizing moving in a more secular direction U.S. was an ally, joined in opposition to Soviet Union Huge inflation & economic mismanagement led to strikes, food and employment shortages

Rise of the Ayatollah & an Islamic State Khomeini was arrested in 1963 after declaring the Shah a "wretched miserable man" who had "embarked on the [path toward] destruction of Islam in Iran.” Khomeini was sent into exile for 15 years until the Revolution. Khomeini & followers preached that Western culture was a plague to be eliminated Viewed Islam as the one true liberator of the Third World from oppressive colonialism and capitalism.

Ayatollah Khomeini

In summary… IRANIAN REVOLUTION was when Monarchy of the Shah was replaced by an Islamic Republic When “The Shah” was replaced by “The Ayatollah”

Saddam Hussein

Iran-Iraq War Armed conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq from Sept. 1980-August 1988. Iraq invaded Iran in 1980 after years of border disputes Iraq threatened by the Iranian Revolution (worried the revolution would inspire its suppressed Shia majority to revolt against the Sunnis, who held positions of power.) Iraq wanted to be seen as the dominant power in the Persian Gulf.

Cost of the Iran-Iraq War The war cost both sides in lives and economic damage: Over half a million Iraqi and Iranian soldiers dead Over half a million civilians also believed to have died – and at least that many injured. The war brought no changes in borders.

Now, back to Persepolis Marjane Satrapi

Author: Marjane Satrapi Born in 1969 Middle-class; well-educated family – supported Leftist / Marxist movements against the Shah’s monarchy. She was 10 years old at height of Islamic Revolution Pre-teen/teenage years – during Iraq-Iran War

Persepolis: the capital site of the ancient Persian Empire