02 Tuesday April 19

Jeffrey Burns Wiki Notes Class centered around the second section in Persepolis in which Marji has moved from her home of Iran to Vienna. We discussed how this section represents her teenage years not only evident through her age but also through all of the ups and downs Marji goes through trying to fit into a society she does not quite understand. For the In class writing we were asked in what ways has Marji changed from the character in her previous adolescent years. One of the more significant changes she undertakes is her loss of interest in Iranian politics and culture, evident through her choice to no longer watch the news and embracing western clothing. Another interesting aspect discussed concerned her yearning for counter-culture in Iran i.e. iron maiden and denim jackets, but when she has been in Vienna for an extended period she begins embrace her native culture evident through her choice to wear her veil. Another change in her character is her embarrassment of her culture evident through her attempts pass herself as being French, contradicting as a child she was very proud of her country. All of these we discussed were examples of her assimilation, and we decided to make a list of some of the things that were evident of change. They included: cutting her hair, doing drugs, reading Anarchist documents, and having multiple boyfriends. For discussion we debated whether or not the novel is more of a Orient text or a Hybrid text. Many people believed that very strong arguments can be made that it is both sides. Some more Orient examples in the text included Doctor Heller accusing Marji of stealing her brooch on the basis of Marji’s race. A Hybrid example in the novel is the comparison on page 227 where Marji hears about Nazi extremists in Vienna and then compares the guards of the revolution in Iran. This kind of comparison appears again when she is kicked out by the nuns for eating out of a pot and called an “uneducated Persian,” she then compares to some teachers at her old school claiming every religion has its extremists. The final thing we discussed was the two images that had disappeared in the first section and now have reappeared in this section, these two being God and the veil. We discussed how in the beginning her relationship with God was more God trying to control and guide Marji, yet Marji dismisses God because she has felt no immediate reward from bring with God. In the second section God comes back but this time helps her with an exam giving her immediate satisfaction and reconciling her relationship with God. The veil in the beginning symbolized something that held Marji back as well as outdated tradition, but after maturing she embraces the veil as a symbol of pride in her country and culture. Finally, Dr. Mathur ended class telling the class to look for how Marji comes to grip with her identity in the last section