I just finished reading Persepolis, I an enjoyed it. I like reading stories (or watching movies) that are based on true stories, or someone's life.
I like that this book shows the viewpoint of people from the middle east. Especially with what is happening today, I think that some people assume that all middle easterns' are bad. This book give us a view of what they have to go through when their country is at war. It reminded me of The Book Thief because it is seen through the eyes of the people that are usually generalized as the bad people.
I think this book could be beneficial in a classroom, especially today, because it would give students a different perspective. Since it is another graphic novel, I think that a lot of students would enjoy reading it. There are many issues in this novel that could be worth discussing. Although the United States is not mentioned much, we can see some pretty strong feelings towards the country (and western civilizations in general). That could be an interesting discussion.
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I think this would bring up some interesting discussions in a classroom as well. I'm interested to see even what we discuss in our own classroom.
ReplyDeleteExposure is huge, especially when students often follow in the footsteps of what their parents believe when it comes to other cultures, races, etc. It's sad that we're still at that point, but information never hurt anyone, which makes exposure to other cultures and ways of life a good thing.
ReplyDeletePoint of view is always an interesting way to take a literature discussion in a classroom; and you are correct--this text lends itself well to that discussion.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned this in my blog, but I felt at a total loss when I first started this book because I never knew anything about the Iranian Revolution. In fact, the only thing they ever taught us in school about Iran is that their are a lot of zealots and that the country is full of people who want to hurt the US. The book brings the perspective of other people into consideration. Satrapi was not a religious zealot. She talked to God, and she was religious, but she wasn't a radical like most people expect. It would be wonderful to see this book tied in with a history unit on the Middle East or even Iran specifically. There is such a misperception, and this book really does a good job in correcting that.
ReplyDeleteI agree- the perspective on this was great. It was also nice to see how a student's mind was shaped by her education and her parents and her country---I think this could be good in helping students define themselves and their beliefs!
ReplyDeleteI often wonder if books that discuss another culture should really mention the United States. I feel that often the centralization of the US often can distract a person from what is really happening. Even though we are an influential nation we often are a distraction to the real topics.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a great point. I think this would be a good novel to help students empathize with someone who lives in the Middle East. Many Americans view Middle Easterners as terrorists or bad people. This is an easy read that will allow the reader to view Iranians and others as humans and not as terrible people
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