Assignment for class 3

In the Introduction Marjane Satrapi provides at the beginning of the novel, the reader is faced with the history behind Iran. The memoir is begun with the introduction of the new religion being implemented in school by making the girls in school wear veils and how they rebelled. By explaining pre-war Iran and then furthering the novel through the stages of the war, it not only shows the cultural transformation of Iran, but as also herself as a person. As the book progresses and it becomes quite evident that Marjane is confused between what she is learning at school and what her parents believe in at home. However as Marjane becomes older (age 12) it is quite evident that she is no longer that "ignorant" child but rather an educated young lady as she goes into her basement to reflect and as she states "In fact, Iraq proposed a settlement, and Saudi Arabia was willing to pay for reconstruction, to restore peace to the area (Satrapi 16)" If I were to write my own memoir, I would follow by example and begin my story from my childhood. The story would most likely start around when I was 5, because that is when a very unfortunate event transpired in my life, and then further reflect upon my current life at age 18. Unlike Satrapi, my childhood did not occur during a war nor some giant cultural revolution however, everyone has a story that deserves to be told.

Frank