Once Upon A Time...

There have been many instances in my life that have shaped who I am, but one in particular is from when I was about 10 or 11. I was at my Grandma's house one day, and I started looking through all the books she had, and came across a book of Grimm's Fairy Tales. I love fairy tales so I asked my Grandma to borrow the book, and she being the wonderful person she is, said of course. I opened the front cover and found that the book belonged to my Grandpa (who passed away when I was 4 so I have little to no memory of him). I was immediately happy to have found a piece of him, but what I did not count on, was finding ideas for stories written out on the back cover. Finding this was like finding a message from my Grandpa saying, never be afraid to let your imagination soar. From the date on the front cover, it seemed like my Grandpa received this book well into his adult years, yet was still writing things. It inspired me to always be creative and always use my imagination no matter how old I am.

Self Portrait(2 questions and answers)

A.As a young adolensce ehh yeah I spelled that wrong but whatever. I think Marjane throughout the book she goes through a lot of identity shifts occurs. I would say more so when she is a preteen. Living in the country she comes from I feel like there are certain situations she is put in without even trying to be in. Society kind of shapes people into a certain identity. Even I would say in the U.S. people are like that. It all goes back to politics and the goverment.

B. When people see me that think I'm short which I am and I'm really skinny. I love my shape and I was born this way. Some people would hate on me or think they could bully me because I was so small. So it brought up the worst in me at times. But throughout it all I stayed the same. A person can have a lot of control of your identity if you let them.

The Journey to Chicago!

The story that has shaped my life comes from how I have ended up here. Since I was fifteen, my sister, Marissa, has been my legal guardian and has been very overprotective of me. When I was sixteen, I got in some trouble with the law, and didn't have very much direction in my life. I was planning on dropping out of high school and was not concerned with my grades or the relationships with the people in my life. Marissa was very worried about me and she was constantly checking on me to make sure I was on the right path. At some point I decided to get on the straight and narrow and finish high school. The plan was to go to the local university, although at that point, I had no desire to learn and didn't want to go to college in my town. It was just the easiest thing to do. Marissa nearly filled out the application for me, did all of the paperwork, and coached me through every part of it.
I ended up dropping all my classes right before school started. I didn't have the inspiration to learn and I had no interest in the classes I was taking anyway. Although Marissa was concerned, she encouraged me to go with my gut and do whatever I felt was right. I was in a band that was going nowhere at the time and that was my main focus. I guess at some point I just realized that it was getting me nothing to stay in Omaha in a band that was not doing anything. I decided to apply to CCC. It took me having to do something on my own to know that I actually wanted to do it. Although I really appreciate Marissa's help, having her do everything for me was very detrimental. I learned to be my own person and make the big decision to move away from home and explore.

When I was young...

When I was a child, my parents told me a million stories. Whether it be the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, or about my great grandmother Gigi, who passed before I ever met her, each store was so interesting and exciting to me. But one in particular always stands out to me. The story of how my parents first met and instantly fell in love. I think my favorite part is when my parents were working together and my mom, trying to be cute, put paint on her face because she saw Marlo Thomas do that in an episode of That Girl. However instead of my dad thinking it was cute, he yelled, "Lin, wipe that off your face! That's oil based paint!" Ever since hearing their store, I've always wanted to find true love like that. Since my parents got married at 19, I've given myself til then to find my first love. The only difference is instead of finding a beautiful wife like my mom, I want to find a beautiful husband I can spend the rest of my life with. Like the stories Marjane was told, I looked up to my parents and I too thought of them as heroes in a sense.

-Frank

Ryan Boden

I do not think that one instance in particular has defined who I am, but rather believe that many scenarios over the course of time has shaped my character. I have experienced moments in which I feel to have impacted me more than others, but to say that one molded me more than another would be disrespectful to my being.  For the sake of this exercise, though, I can point out a time in which I felt as though I had been molded by something that happened to me…
When I was young, I will never forget the day my mom came home from work and told me that she had a gift for me. She told me to close my eyes and I heard the ruffling of a bag. I held my feet out like she asked, and she put on a pair of Ruby Slippers she had purchased for me from FAO Schwarz. My favorite film of the time was The Wizard of Oz and I remember how those shoes made me feel as magical as the movie did. I believe that my mother’s unwavering acceptance of who and what I loved, exemplified by this moment, allowed me the confidence to be who I am today. 

Want Is Not Need

I was not a particularly needy child. My Christmas list usually only consisted of two or three things. Normally my parents would end up getting me more than I asked for. They felt like they needed to be fair to me; my sisters always asked for more than I did.  But once I opened them all up I would take the two things I wanted and go to my room…leaving the rest of the gifts to sit under the tree. But every now and then I would see something in a store that caught my eye. I would demand it. I NEEDED it. I would go over every reason in the book as to why I needed it and how detrimental it would be if I did not get it. My parents could have easily purchased me the cheap stuff I wanted. After all, I did not ask for much, right? My parents always talked to me in a logical manner explaining to me why it was not something that was needed. They did this from a young age and continued it until I was an adult. Now, when I'm looking at something I think I need or maybe just really want I break it down into a bunch of questions. Is there anything cheaper? How long is this going to last? I am glad they did not enable my behavior no matter how infrequent it was.

John Baldessari Video

Here's a video on John Baldessari that will give you some insight into his creative process. Thanks to Mariela for the link.

Watch Systems on PBS. See more from ART:21.

My mommy's story

I have heard many stories that have served as some sort of inspiration to me.  However, I'd have to say that my mom's stories have always been the most touching and influential.  The first of these stories she told me was when I was in first grade.  I was blamed for something I didn't do and had to stay after school.  I told her about it and she told me that when she was in school in Mexico the same thing happened to her, but her punishment was worse.  The nun at her school hit her with a ruler then made her wear a donkey mask and sit in the middle of the room while everyone laughed at her! Naturally I found this hilarious, but when my mom told me that that was the last day she ever went to school in her life I got serious. Until then, I never considered what my mom's education was.  I saw that my mom's embarrassment had deprived her from completing an education, and her sadness caused me to take school seriously from that day on. But more importantly, I learned to not let embarrassing moments interfere with what I gotta do. Unfortunately, my mom had a lot of really bad things happen to her. I don't feel like getting personal or sharing details, but lets just say since my mom was very young and independent, she did encounter sexual attacks.  Some from people she knew, others from complete strangers. These stories horrify me and have taught me to be aware of my surroundings. They also contributed to the trouble I have trusting people. Another part of my mom's life that was difficult for her was her own mothers death, which happened when my mom was sixteen. She died at home with some sort of cancer, because there was no money to receive medical attention. My mom really regrets the times in her adolescent years in which she mistreated my grandma, which has always compelled me to treat my mom as good as I can.

On a lighter note, I found a video on John Baldessari!

It doesn't specifically point out the meaning of Fish and Ram, but he does explain his process, meanings, and his overall take on conceptual art. And for all of you who thought the piece was meaningless and not beautiful, the video also shows a lot more of his work, ALL of which I personally found more eye-appealing than Fish and Ram. I kinda feel like I get him now. Feel free to check it outtttt

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/john-baldessari

I feel that others stories can have a huge impact on your own story and they way you view life. Personally, I love reading biographies because they are so insightful to how different people have different perspectives and different accounts regarding historical events. One story that has particular importance to me is when my sister was dealing with a seemingly unending sense of dispair during her eleventh year in high school. She had the impression that she wasn't beautiful and had nothing to add in this world. I insisted that she was both beautiful and quintessential in my life and our family's lives. After a few months she seemed to be getting better and life returned to its previous state in our household. This event had a significant toll on my life because it reaffirmed my belief in living only for the following day and trying to enjoy every moment because that is the only way to have any degree of satisfaction.

-Alex Cumming 

Blog Assignment for Wednesday

For the course blog, respond to the following question(s):

Persepolis both tells a story and comments about the importance of stories in our lives. The book tells a number of stories, for example Uncle Anoosh’s story, Marji’s grandfather’s story, Niloufar’s story. Is there any story in your own life that has shaped who you are or given some sort of meaning to your life? Explain.

Persona

From personal experience of identity search, I'd say making a decision is always linked to something that has happened once before. Either from watching friends, family, family's church or any outside interest. In this instance there is a little girl growing up watching/hearing her family, government, schools etc. tell her constantly whats wrong and whats right. She is in a constant battle between herself and the life surrounding her. As a ten year old girl growing around contradictions on her family's value system, I completely see why she acts the way's she does. Such as when she felt that her family was striving for equality and then her father completely disconnects the maid and the neighbor because of status. Again with contradiction, Marjane's parents teach her to forgive when they are protesting "all tortures should be massacred!" Of course she will always love her parents but the struggle to determine whats right will always be a question in her mind.

"choosing" identity

A! Throughout Persepolis, Marjane develops her identity. Because of the constant changes of perspectives and lives of everyone around her, she initially reaches a struggle when developing her own point of views.  I feel that initially she felt she was a very religious person but unfortunate events she lived and heard of caused her to change that. All the negativity around her and ultimately the unfair loss of her uncle caused her to abandon her faith.  I definitely think Marjane's parents had a lot to do with her shift in identity too. Despite the fundamentalism that occurs in Iran, Marjane's parents are very 'modern' as she calls them.  Their liberal point of views and political activism are a tremendous influence to Marjane, as she tries out the protests herself. Also, I think gender plays a role in it.  As she grows up, Marjane is able to see the difficulties of being a woman in Iran. For example, the wearing of the veil, and how it objectified or didn't objectify women. For those reasons, I feel that Marjane was able to identify with the older rebellious girls and also with the western items her parents get her. She felt more comfortable in rebellion than being subordinate to that which she did not agree with.

B! For everyone there are obviously elements of  identity that weren't chosen, like race, gender, or where they came from. But I generally feel that we all have a good amount of control with creating our identity. I mean, although we may be influenced by communities or family, as individuals we all decide what our take on situations and ideas are. Each to our own opinions. So I guess what I mean is although we may be inspired or forcefully pushed to embrace something by our surroundings, we ultimately have that final word in whether we choose to agree or disagree or to believe or not to believe. At least I hope.

"IDENTITY THEFT IS NOT A JOKE JIM" -The Office

a. Marjane Satrapi's identity shifts throughout the book because her mindset constantly changes. She is forced to grow up faster than is normal with everything that goes on in her life. By changing from aspiring prophet, to rebellious teenager, her identity changes. The shifts in her mindset are the result from events that have transpired in her life such as, the required wearing of the veil, the revolution, and the war. Most of the factors that cause her change again and again were factors she did not choose. Like I said before, Marjane has practically been forced to grow up and think a certain way from her parents and all the things happening in her world.
b. I think that people have a lot of control over their own identities. They may not have any control over the factors that make them who they are, but they can control what they do with what life has given them.

DUE JAN 30

A.) Marjane's identity shifts around which is fairly normal for a teenager. Having been exposed to her Uncle and his stories, plus her parents don't really hide anything from her, and exposure to different people all help shape her identity. That's what growing up is; trying on different identities. Her parents made it possible by getting her posters and buttons and Nikes and a jean jacket from Turkey. A couple older school girls make her want to grow up. Rebellion is strictly forbid in the country she's from but she still manages to rebel; it's in her nature. Her parents encourage demonstrations and sticking to her beliefs, as does her Grandmother, which is something she didn't choose. Perhaps if she was from a different family she would be forced to repress her outrages toward the Islamic government...
Her identity is shaped from her strong moral convictions and need for a better Iran. All of those feelings make her who she is. She has always been and will be stubborn and blunt.



 What parts of your identity come from factors you didn’t choose? Have people

you have known ever had a negative reaction to these factors?  How much
control does someone have over their own identity


B.) When you're little, parents and household environment affect you, you just don't realize it then. Until I got exposure to a household that didn't yell all the time, I thought that's how everyone's house was. People don't change from the factors they were raised around until they are exposed to something else. Something external like a book or movie or another person's opinion. Beliefs and opinions stem from one's identity/personality. Beliefs are conditional and children are very impressionable. The more naive someone is, or the lower their self esteem, the more susceptible they are to be influenced by another person. In middle school I was trying on identities left and right, mostly because others around me were a certain way (so basically for social acceptance) but I totally wretchedly sold out my beliefs. Factors of my identity I didn't choose: I was raised vegetarian, and to be open minded, and to be whoever I wanted, and that everything that went on in my house I was told was "normal." People I have known have had a negative reaction to these; sometimes I can be too empathetic, if that's even a thing. I'm not sure. Also components of your identity include but are not limited to: gender, ethnicity, socio economic status (at least in this country) religion. I personally think identity is personality and beliefs and actions, and that the previous list is apart of it depending on how important you view those things. In Iran there's an ocean of differences between a man and a woman, so yeah.

Class 4 Homework

a) Marjane starts as a very young girl who is unconsciously rebellious to the Iranian government. She didn't have the knowledge yet to know that she was going against the gov. when she was making fun of wearing the veil. Eventually she becomes conscious that she's being a rebel, but it doesn't seem that during her childhood and early adolescence, she ever has a clear idea of why. She hates the government, but she does not hate her country. Her father and her rejoice at the word that Iraq had been bombed. It seems as though she gains knowledge throughout the story that leads her against her own government; knowledge of torture, execution, and exile. But the majority of her views come from the views of her family. Which she cannot control. She also gains her view because she is a woman growing up in Iran and is, therefore, oppressed.

b) Some characteristics that I nor anyone can control are their gender, ethnicity, physical characteristics, family, and where I grew up/what language I spoke growing up. My parents passed away when I was young, which I could not control, and so I was pushed towards taking care of myself and being less dependent at a younger age than most. It made me who I am today, and I had no control over it. People don't really have negative reactions to this characteristic of my life, they are generally sympathetic and caring. I advocate the idea that with the right mindset, someone can be whoever they want to be. But in some cases, it is much harder for people to get into the right opportunities, for example, if they were born in a third world country, it would much more difficult.

-Matthew

CLASS 4 questions a and b!

a)

Marjane goes from being a 10 year old girl to a 14 year old woman.  She grows up a lot in these four short years, her exposure to violence, death, and a corrupt country push her to grow fast.  She is still naive but has experienced so much.  When she was 10 she wanted to be a a prophet, later on in life she learned that there was no justice in her country so she decided to rebel, like most teenagers do.  She expresses herself and her rebellion side through the close she chooses to wear around, and her behavior in school gets her into a lot of trouble. 


b) There are many parts to me that I did not choose to draw.  For one I chose to draw myself, in pants, vans and a shawl wrapped around my neck that was given to me from one of my best friends in India.  I guess you could say by this description I have a pretty laid back personality, although I also have many more personalities.  I think people assume by the way I dress that I am a stoner hippie girl, which I guess one could take in negative context because that is not at all what I am about.  I think people have a lot of control over their own identity for themselves.  For the outside world, for other people looking in on ones life, no it is entirely someone else perception.  One can choose who they want to be to themselves, what morals and where they want to stand in the world.  

INSERT CATCHY TITLE

Satrapi begins Persepolis as a child, sure of who she is as an individual, and by the end of the novel declares her independence from her mother and father through the ritual of smoking a cigarette. In the end, Marjane's parents force her to leave her war torn home for her safety. Throughout the novel Marjane must come to terms with her own beliefs and understanding of the world with the strict cultural rules of the Islamic regime. Much of her identity is shaped by outside influences she has no control over. For example, her parents' political views and actions conflict with each other; her father tells Marjane the maid and the neighbor could never marry because of their social class, despite claiming to believe in class equality. This causes Marjane to see the injustice in her countries class system. Another example of Marjane's shift in identity is her abandonment of her faith. As a child she sees herself as a prophet, sent by God to stand up for love and justice. As she grows older and witnesses the injustices caused by fundamentalism, the execution of her uncle in particular, she breaks from her faith.


I've always believed in nurture over nature. Most of our identity is shaped more by what we see and what we're taught. I would have completely different political views if my parents weren't democrat. Perhaps I wouldn't be so critical of religion if my father wasn't.


Here's an interesting read on identity if anyone's interested.
http://www.jodidavis.com/pdfs/excerpt_identity.pdf

EXPRESS YOURSELF! (class 4 homework, question 3)

a) When the story beings Marjane is pretty sure of who she is, but this quickly changes as the cultural revolution engulfs all of Iran. Marjane quickly becomes confused, this is clearly shown when the kids on the playground are throwing around their veils instead of wearing them like the Shah demands. Or quite possibly when Marjane is playing with her friends and make the rule that whoever loses must be tortured, including getting nailed or a mouthful of garbage. Marjane's parents soon recognize this behavior and tell her that even tough people might have been bad in the past that she needs to forgive them. When Marjane starts to get a little older, she starts to develop her own style such as when her mom makes her a sweater with holes and a chain necklace. Marjane's parents recognize her developing her own style and starting her own little self rebellion against the government and actually approve of it. They even buy her a denim jacket and Kim Wilde poster in Turkey. When Marjane's parents told her tat they were sending her to Austria, she came to the realization that she really didn't know who she is without her parents and maybe she really wasn't ready to live alone at 14. While her parents reassured her, Marjane was still unsure. 

b) Our identity is comprised of many different aspects whether is be from where were from, our friends & family, or other outlets, staying true to who you are is very important. Throughout my whole high school life, fellow students would automatically assume that my personality and personal identity were linked to the town I was from. I went to high school in the neighboring town for academic reasons in Streamwood, IL, which is considered a lower-middle class suburb. Where I am from, Bartlett, IL, is an upper-middle class suburb. So when people would ask where I was from and I would respond "Bartlett.." I would automatically get judged upon and everyone would assume that I was the typical Bartlett stereotype, a rich bitch. Besides four years of that, I consider my personal identity something very special to me. Being a fashion design major, sometimes I dress a little unique and truly express who I am through clothes. Self expression and identity go hand in hand because I believe that if you can't truly express yourself, how can you have a true identity? How much control that one has over their own identity is completely dependent on how independent and outgoing one is.

Frank :)

Ryan Boden

1/27/12

First Year Seminar

Questions on Identity

1. I noticed that at the beginning of the book Marjane seemed to be confident in her convictions having declared that she was going to be a prophet at such an early age, but as the story goes on I think that she begins to conform and retaliate against those to wrong her. (ie. Chasing after the boy with nails between her fingers) As the story closes, though, Marjane realizes, once again, the importance of staying true to one’s self and shifts character again. She realizes this after speaking with her grandma before she leaves for Austria and when she feels as if God is no longer there. I believe that there are many physical parts of her identity that she cannot control such as the family she was born into or when her birthday is, but I think that identity is defined more by internal factors such as how one responds to a situation or how much compassion a person can give. 

2. Personally, my identity is something that is very important to me. I feel that it is all we truly have. I got the words “Born This Way” tattooed on the inside of my finger to represent the idea that who I am goes above all else and staying true to my personal vision and loving who I am is more important than anyone else’s opinion of me. I believe that there are controllable factors in our identity (another reason why I got the tattoo was because I believe in the idea that birth is not finite, it is infinite. I can be re-born again and again until I become the person I am ultimately destined to or truly want to be) but there are some components that aren’t alterable. We cannot change our family, our birthday, or our sexual orientation, but I believe that those physical factors make up only a fraction of our identity on a larger scale and what is more important is how we treat people and how much love we give. Decisions we make are also part of who we are and you can always use your actions to change or help you become who you’ve always wanted to be. 

My Life My Life In the Sunshine! IDK! Amber Memoir

If I was to start my life of with a memoir hmmmmm....I would start my life off in Chicago because that's where I'm from woot woot gotta  love Chicago. Than I would move to New York when I'm like 24 to start my own Fashion Label because I am an inspiring fashion Designer. I would start off  my memoir by the age of 10 because that's when things started making sense to me. I begun writing stories and being drawing in the process . By the time I was 11 I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer. So now I'm here at Columbia College the best school in the world!

Ryan Boden

First Year Seminar

1/24/12

Blogger Post #1

I felt that Marjane Satrapi began Persepolis the way she did because it suggested to the reader that her and her family’s story was no different than many of her fellow countrymen. It begins by showing her alone and then shows a frame of children that look almost identical to her. I believe that this was presented this way to express that times were hard for everyone. Many of the people on the first page look like copies of one another , I believe, to create a sense that all of these people suffer under the same set of hardships.

If I were to write a memoir recollecting my past, I would start it by taking a scenario from the present that well represents my character and from there bring the reader back and tell my story from its beginning. I would do this because I think it is important to establish a point of reference in the beginning  of a story that sets up the reader for their journey. I would do this so my transformation over the years would seem more drastic.

Oh Come On! Seriously?

I know that ALL of you can think of more creative titles for your posts than "blog 1" or "response 2," etc.

I know that all of you can be more creative than that.

Response 2

I think Marjane begins the book the way she does because that point in her life was when her life started changing, and she started growing up. She goes from being an innocent child, to learning all about the revolution and the hardships that come with it. I particularly like where the reading ends on pg. 117 where she smokes a cigarette and says, "with this first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye. Now I was a grown-up." because it is the moment where she stops believing she is a child, which is a big moment in someone's life.

If I were to begin a memoir, I would probably start at the beginning of my life. This way someone could see everything that happened to make me who I am today.

Memoir of Dawn

If I were to have a memoir of my life I would have to start it the day I "grew up".  When  was shipped off to a complete foreign area and expected to adapt NOW. When I first began to make a decisions that would not only effect my life but my "shipmates" lives as well. I was forced to adapt to a team and work with each other for one another. It would start in a room full of sweats, training bras, granny panties, gym shoes and spedo swimsuits. I was forced to surrender my belongs and to take immediate ownership of these specific items. Without say if I even wanted them. Well I believe this is where I surrendered my freedom to give to something more. Though with all my disagreements I learned who I was and what I stood for. Until this happened I'd have to say my past was just a swift breeze to reality and that I'm starting to understand where I stand in this huge picture called life. To relate this to Marji and her trials I believe we share the same light as growing up. Finding our place and where we need to be.

Response to Q B

"This format helps the reader envision what she is talking about. She makes it more personal this way. Its almost like she is right there with you telling the story."


She is, her thoughts and emotions swirling politics and revolutions and the war and up close. It has a more profound impact on the readers I think because of the pictures that go along with everything. 

Question 1)

I believe Marjane Satrapi beings her story Persepolis with the veil because she wants to show her and some of her peoples true feelings about the veil.  How the veil can be seen through a child's eyes and how most people in Iran saw these rules and fast changes that went on in their country throughout the 1980s and so on. 

Question 2)

If I were to write a memoir of my life it would begin when I was adopted from Lima, Peru when I was 1, by my mother and father who were from California.  I would start my memoir off with this event because this was one of the biggest changes in my young life.  This event determined whether I would grow up to be an American which in Persepolis, Satrapi doesn't speak very highly of Americans.  Or was I to grow up living in poor conditions, with poor education and opportunity but maybe have more understanding of farming and how nature works. 

blog 2

I'm not sure where I would begin my memoir. I like where we ended off on page 118: "With this first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye. Now I was a grown-up." I would probably begin it with a significant moment in my life (so far) the beginning of something, or a cracking point, or the end of my "childhood" (it's over?!) Something with emotionally gripping detail. Or like start at a point when my life got seriously/ drastically different. I don't think I have given myself enough distance from all the events in my life to write about it yet, I mean, heck, I'm only eighteen. I am in awe that Satrapi is able to remember things, for example, her father said, from way back when she was just a kid. Not sure I can even do that. 

Response 2

I believe that Marjane Satrapi begins the story the way she does because, by starting the story with childhood, Satrapi is showing how the revolution has made her who she is today. I think the significance of the story starting with wearing the veil is that, that was when Satrapi really noticed that things were changing in her life, and that something bigger was happening.
If I were to write a memoir of my life, I would start by talking about my parents, and then about my childhood. The whole point of a memoir, is to learn about someone's life, so we can see what kind of person they are. Things like someone's parents, and their childhood, are essential because they're two of the biggest things in a person's life. It would only make sense for me to start talking about them first.

First Year Seminar-

I believe that Satrapi wrote the beginning of Persepolis the way that she did so she could convey how young and naive she was in her childhood. For instance, at the beginning of the story, Satrapi grows up idolizing religious figures and wants to become a prophet herself. Then, once the widespread protests gain attention, she radically changes her aspirations to becoming a revolutionary such as Che Guevara. This to me just screams naive because they are completely different subjects and have little to no relation. I also believe that Satrapi's writing style was also meant to give the reader an insight to her internal conflict on trying to find an identity for herself.

If I were to write a memoir, I would ideally like to write it about a certain event that i believe influenced the rest of my life such as marriage or the death of a beloved family member and focus on the conflict and the resulting emotions i felt. I feel that this would be the preferable beginning to my memoir because I could effectively use my voice and give the memoir more depth.

-Thanks for reading!

Alex Cumming

Second Post

By beginning her memoir at childhood Satrapi is able to provide some insight as to why she reacts to significant events as she grows older and begins to form her own identity. For example, she becomes quite rebellious (skipping class, smoking, calling out the teacher on a lie) and this is related to what she experienced as a child (the revolution, taking part in demonstrations, her parents' encouragement to fight back). Childhood is just a natural place to start a memoir of your life anyhow.

If I were to begin a memoir of my life I would probably start at my childhood as well. It wouldn't be very detailed but I do remember some the most influential moments and what I took from them; if someone knows how you were brought up, it becomes easier for them to understand how you became the person you are.

Second blog entry.

If I were to begin a memoir of my life, I would begin with a setting and situation that I often go through with extreme details of my surroundings and thought process trough the situation including dialect if others are involved. I would do this because, this gives the audience an experience of what I go through, or have been through. Instantly they would get an ideal of what I and my life is about.
Marjane Satapi does something like this, she sets everything up immediately. The should us where she goes to school, whats it like, her home, what her parents are like, her social status, etc. She does this to give he readers an instant ideal of what her life is like, at that moment for that when the book begins to progress you see even the minor changes taking place. In the story it majorly highlights the role of the veils on women, in the beginning there was no stated reason for them but as the book progressed the "importance" or role of the veils were soon reviled, followed by the opinions of how she and her family felt about it. Its a story telling scene where without pages upon pages of detail, you can still catch on to small changes through her thoughts in the comics and captions at the bottom of texts.

Jasmine A. Jackson.

Second Blog Entry

I think Marjane Satrapi begins the book the way that shoe does because, she off the bat, brings you into her world and her own experiences in the way she experienced them. The whole comic style memoir is a story from her childhoods point of view, displaying her confusion and sense of naiveness with what was truly going on around her. So in order for her to truly send the message across she gives us complete background into her life, her childhood, her experience, her story. If she didn’t start the memoir off the way she did, it wouldn’t be as powerful. She wants the reader to, in a way, grow up along with her from when she was a child and trying to understand the world around her. 

If I were to begin a memoir of my life, I would start off within my childhood, like Marjane started Persepolis. This way I give complete background of my life and really where it all began. I would want my readers to view my memoir as, not only a story, but also an experience. Taking them through this magnificent journey of Christina Hesslau’s life. As lame as this memoir of my own would be, it would have to start off where it all began. You can actually start thinking for yourself and exploring the world around you as a child so, I feel that would be most suitable. 

Part A (First Blog entry)

I feel that Marjane Satrapi chose the comics style to produce her memoir because it really sets the whole tone of the story. This story is being told through a child’s perspective and experiences of this time, and she had even mentioned reading comic strips within the memoir as a child. This really displays a sense of a childhood and innocence, this way the reader can get more of an understanding within her story. The way a comic book is laid out is very straight forward and childlike. The story itself is broken up in these strips formed and displayed in a way child thinks and sees things. This style gives us, as the reader, more of a understanding of the memoir. It in a way, this memoir is in written form, of what is actually going on through a child’s mind. 

2

  I think that Satrapi started the book the way she did to set a tone for the book. She used the veil not only to show the changes the Islamic revolution has caused, but to illustrate the particular struggle she had as a child going through it.  The image at the bottom of the first page show that the children couldn't comprehend the need for the veil, and didn't want to wear it.  I think that there are two important factors of her story that are revealed in the beginning.  One is the push of culture and religion on youth, which is shown by the veil. This is also shown in the book on pages 95 to 102 in "the key" where the students were ordered twice a day to mourn the dead and beat their chests, and young boys were trained to fight and offered a 'key to heaven' in return. The other factor that she introduces is her family's attitude on current situations. On the first square on page 6 she shows herself split between what she's taught in school and at home. I think Satrapi used that image and others throughout he book to show her difficulty in deciding what is right and what is wrong.
If I were to begin a memoir of my life, I'd probably start when I was 10. I say this age because I had a sort of near-death experience, and I feel like my time in the hospital caused me to mature. I started doing creative things around then too, so I'd be able to elaborate on that I guess. I don't know, I wouldn't want to write a memoir of my life.