Persepolis Blog #1

4. How is Persepolis organized and structured? What has Satrapi chosen to emphasize in her childhood? How is the passage of time presented? Describe Satrapi's drawings. How do the drawings add to the narrative of the story?

• Persepolis is organized as a graphic novel. Marji is the narrator. The large panels or splashes represented a big event to the narrator, or something that she finds important, or a crisis. She talks about the revolution and the changes that it brought. She talks a lot about other people and their lives, and how it's affected by the revolution. Or what they did about it. Or, more like she spends a lot of time with different people throughout the story and gets to know them. For example, she spoke of her maid, whom was in love with a boy, whom was their neighbor. He thought that she was one of the daughters, instead of a maid. And so, when he found out that she was a maid, he did not want to be with her anymore, due to social class. Marji was upset about this. She also spoke about her uncle Anoosh. She met him, and got to know him. She became really close with him. She learned of his life during prison and other things too. The passage of time is presented as...Hm, well it goes by pretty quickly, I guess. Yeah, time passes by quickly in the book. From chapter to chapter or even panel to panel. The drawings are black and white. Sometimes there's more white than black, and vice versa. Therefore, I think that it is symbolic in some way, but I'm not sure how though. The drawings of the people and props or setting are fairly simple. There are not a lot of details. The drawings help interpret the text of the story. It gives the reader a visual of the characters, along with their facial expression, and body language. The drawings also make the words of the characters stronger, because there is a picture to go with the words, instead of just the word itself. You can see the expression of the person who is speaking, or thinking. Which makes their words or thoughts more powerful because you can see their feelings with what they have to say?

5. Describe the writer's voice. Is it appealing? Which aspects of Marji's character do you identify with or like the most, the least? Did your reaction to the little girl affect your reading experience?

• Hm, is the writer's voice appealing? Well...to me, NO. Her voice, it's a demanding voice. It is shows authority, and confidence. There's also stubbornness in her voice too. I think the only aspect of Marji that I like would be her bravery, and how she wants to help. She's only a child, but she's involved with society and she knows about the revolution. She is an individual when it comes to politics. And she wants to help, and she is not afraid to help. But, overall, I do not like her at all. A side from how she's brave and all that, considering her age, I don't like her. She's really annoying and stupid in a way. She's really stubborn and I don't know I just don't like her. Did my reaction to her affect my reading? Probably, because I don't like her. So, that makes me not want to read, because every time she says something, I kind of want to kill her or the book. Her characteristics make the book annoying. So, I don't want to read it that much.

12. What is the role of women in the story? Compare and contrast the various women: Marji, her mother, her grandmother, her school teachers, the maid, the neighbors, the guardians of the revolution.

• Hm, I think the role of women in this story is pretty much the same, no matter the age, or occupation. They all have to be obedient to society. They all have certain things that they have to do, and things that they cannot do. Like the veil. They have to wear that, at all times, pretty much. And if strands of their hair are showing then it shows that they are rebelling or it shows their resistance.

FEED: Final Project Reflection

What Does Your FEED Contain, And Why?
My Feed Contains What Ever An Individual Wants. What Ever The Individual Wants In Their FEED, Is What They Will Get. They Have The Ability To Create What They Want In Their FEED, That Is Why The Poster Is So Blank And Plain, Or Black And Whtie. B/c Depending On What An Individual Wants, Or How Their Mind, Or Brain Works, Then Their FEED Will Be Based Upon Their Likings...Or Some Thing Like That. And Like Most Things In The World, The FEED Has Its Pros And Cons. Which Is Why Half Of It Is Black W/ The Jaged Edge, Representing The Cons. And The Other Is White W/ Straight Edges, Representing The Pros.

What Does This Say About And How Does This Define American Culture And Identity?
With Today's Technology, There Are Actually People Out Their Whom Can Get Just About Any Thing They Want. Advance Technology Does Not Just Suddenly Appear, People Create It. New Things Are Invented All The Time. Why? B/c People Want To. They Want An Easier Way(s) To Do Things. B/c Americans Are Lazy. Therefore, In A Way, It Is Making Americans Stupid. In FEED, The FEED Did Basically Every Thing For Them, They Didn't Do Much. That Is Why They Weren't That Smart, At All. For Instance, They Were Cutting Down Trees To Create Land To Build A Factory To Produce Air. And Trees Create Air. Violet And Titus' Father Had An Arguement About This. And Titus' Father Just Couldn't Get The Fact That Trees Already Produce Air By Itself. Also, The Teenagers, Or Titus' Group Of Friends Could Not, Or Did Not Know How To Think For Themselves. This Shows How Limited Their Brain Is, B/c They Do Not Have Any Thoughts Or Opinions About Any Thing, Unless It Comes From The FEED.

How Does Media, Consumerism, Reliance On Technology, And/Or Popular Culture Personally Affect You? Do They Mold Us, Or Us Them?
When It Comes To The Media And Consumerism, They Do Not Affect Me That Much. The Media Is Just Doing Its Job. I See And Hear It Just About Every Day. If I Always Believed The Television Commercials And Advertisements In Magazines Or On Bill Boards, Then Who Knows What I Would Be Doing Right Now, And Where I Would Be. I Don't Even Pay Attention To It Really. It's Not Necessary, And It's Not Important To Me. So, It Does Not Affect Me Directly. When It Comes To The Reliance On Technology, It Is Hard For Me As An Individual To Not Rely On It. On May 15, This Past Friday, We Went On A College Visit To The U Of M. During The Closing Ceremony, A Man Name Ezra Hyland Gave A Speech. He Said That Your Generation May Know How To Use Crack, "But, My Generation Created Crack." Afterwards, He Mentioned Bill Gates, And His Computer Technology Stuff. Which Brings Me To My Point. The Older Generations Created Technology, The Younger Generations Were Born Into That Technology. Therefore, I Was Born Into A World Of Advance Technology. It Would Be Hard For Me To Not Rely On Technology, B/c I've Known It Just About All My Life. So, It's Like The Younger Generation Was Supposed To Be Born Into A World Where They Have To Rely On Technology, B/c It Is Always Surrounding Them. When It Comes To Them Molding Us, Or Us Them, It Really Depends On The Individual, If They Let It Take Over Them, Or If They Resist.

How Does It Impact You? Define You? What Does It Say About Your Personal Habits, Your Individuality?

Hrm, I'm Not Exactly Sure What "It" Means In This Case. I'm Thinking, It's Talking About the FEED, But Then, Maybe It's The Whole Media And Consumerism Thing. So, I'll Just Say "It" And Try To Act Like I Know What I'm Talking About. I Don't Think It Has A Big Impact On Me. B/c I Consider Myself Pretty Independent From Others, Even Close Friends Of Family.

Hm, I Guess B/c It Doesn't Really Impact Me That Much, It Would Define The Opposite Of Me? B/c If It Does Not Affect Me, The It Would Not Have Any Thing To Do W/ Me. Therefore, The Only Way That It Could Possibly Describe Me Is In The Way That It Is The Opposite Of What I Am. What Does It Say About My Personal Habits, Well..I Don't Really Know What My Personal Habits Are. Well, I Don't Think I Do. So, I Don't Know. How Does It Impact My Individuality? Not Much Really. I Still Have My Own Thoughts, Opinions, And Points Of Views On Things. It Doesn't Effect How I Think. Not Really.

Are People Any Thing W/o The FEED, In The World Of The Story?

Hm, Not Necessarily. Violet's Parents Didn't Have The FEED, And They Were Still Living. So, People Are Still People, Or Some Thing, W/o The FEED. So, That Really Only Shows That If You Do Not Have The FEED, Then You Actually Are Some Thing. B/c The People W/ The FEED, Can't Do Any Thing On Their Own. They Can't Think For Them Selves.