Persepolis

I had previously expected a graphic novel to be simplistic in its subject matter. After reading Persepolis, I realized that I was wrong. This book has been, by far, the most challenging piece of adolescent/juvenal literature I have read in a long time—perhaps ever! I experienced two distinct challenges when reading this book. One, my knowledge of social influences and ideals regarding politics and religion are severely limited (thought I didn’t realize how limited before reading this book). Therefore, I was at a loss with the references to the Islamic Invasion and what religion was practiced prior to this. I was never really quite sure, who was actually in charge, how they came to be, what political ideals were or weren’t acceptable and why, who was good, who was bad, who was killing who and why, who was protesting what, etc. Two, I have never had any experience remotely close to what Marji had. I could not identify with her feelings, her reactions, or her thought process. While I was able to follow the text and could interpret from the pictures (to an extent), I was essentially lost when it came to the significance of this piece of literature. I know there must be great significance, but I cannot comprehend it.
Given that I struggled with this graphic biography, I would be hesitant to recommend it to any adolescent without additional lessons to clarify the history of the country and culture as well as background on the conflicting ideas/messages presented to Marji through her experiences. However, an examination of this culture could prove to be beneficial given the current events involving Iran. Additionally, an examination of the Middle East (the history, geography, and culture of various countries/peoples) could increase student understanding of how their country/culture has become intertwined with those half-way around the world. As a soldier being deployed for a second time (in addition to my brother serving two tours and my fiancé serving his third), I still lack this understanding. Persepolis could be a venue used to help introduce this region of the world that is so influential on American lives today.