1. Introduction to
PERSEPOLIS

2. What does this mean? Why is this important?
“If people are given the chance to experience life in more than one country, they will hate a little less. It's not a miracle potion, but little by little you can solve problems in the 'basement' of a country, not on the surface. That is why I wanted people in other countries to read Persepolis, to see that I grew up just as other children do.” — Marjane Satrapi
What does this mean? Why is this important?

3. About the Author
Marjane Satrapi (mar-ZHAHN sah-trah-PEE) was born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran.
She grew up in Tehran, where she studied at a French bilingual private school before leaving for Vienna to continue her education.

4. The East The East refers to countries: on the Asian continent
(from Turkey to China)
that were NOT influenced by Ancient Greece or Christianity.
Common Names:
in eastern Asia = the Far East
in western Asia = the Middle East

5. The Middle East
Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Israel, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco (Afghanistan, Pakistan are also often included)

6. The West The West refers to countries:
in Europe and North and South America
especially countries like Britain, Germany, France and the USA
whose mainstream cultural heritage comes from Greek, Roman and Christian traditions

7. The West

8. The East vs. The West The terms “East” and “West”…
have been common for centuries
are a convenient way to group cultures
are often used as stereotypes

9.  Tehran
IRAN
IRAQ
ancient city
of Persepolis
SAUDI
ARABIA

10. Iran The country that is now Iran used to be the Persian Empire:
founded by Cyrus the Great in 500 BC or BCE
(at the time) was the largest empire in history
an advanced and accomplished civilization
conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC or BCE

12. Persepolis capital of Persian Empire founded by King Cyrus the Great
a symbol of past greatness of Iran

15. Background Knowledge: Islam
Islam is the second largest religion in the world.
People who believe in Islam are called Muslims.
Muslims believe God (called Allah) spoke to the prophet Muhammad so that he could write The Qur’an, their bible.
Muslims believe that a pure life (according to the Five Pillars of Islam) is the path to heaven.

16. Background Knowledge: Sha’ria Law
the application of Islamic teachings to civil laws and government is called Sha’ria
when the author refers to “fundamentalists,” she is referring to Muslims who want to make Sha’ria the official law of Iran.

17. What does this mean? What do you think about this?

18. Themes – What is the author saying about…
Class System - wealth vs. poverty - education vs. ignorance Growing Up - establishing identity in one’s family - in one’s society Restrictive Government - the freedom to choose beliefs - access to information Marginalization (Being an Outsider) - not feeling like you truly fit into a group

19. Why a Graphic Novel? We are a visual society.
You must learn to make meaning and interpret information from images the same way that you learn to make meaning of words on a page.
visual literacy is:
"the ability to interpret and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image,
as well as to produce visual messages." 

20. Why is Visual Literacy Important?
“Images are used to move, inform, persuade, and entertain us, and experience tells us that they are capable of doing so with considerable efficiency. Of course, history also shows that images can be used as a powerful form of propaganda. Recognizing this, visual literacy—which [is] the ability to interpret (read) and produce (write) images— might be thought to constitute a prerequisite skill for citizens in a democracy.” -Sean P. Connors

21. Visual Literacy = Reading Pictures
When you read a text, you are looking for the author’s purpose, and the various techniques an author uses to express his or her message. When you read an image, you need to be able to do the same thing. Visual literacy is about analyzing and creating messages. “Being literate … means being active, critical, and creative users not only of print and spoken language but also of the visual language of film and television, commercial and political advertising, photography, and more.”

22. Building Visual Literacy Skills
“To read a graphic novel, much less a wordless one, many essential literacy skills are required, including the ability to understand a sequence of events, interpret characters’ nonverbal gestures, discern the story’s plot, and make inferences.” Practice: Political Cartoon Analysis

23. When looking at an image, ask yourself…
What am I looking at?
What does this image mean to me?
What is the relationship between the image and the displayed text message?
How is this message effective?