Week 9: Persepolis


To me, Persepolis was a a biography through in through in the vein of so many classic, coming-of-age stories. Technically it is a auto-biography which makes the coming of age aspect of the story even more authentic and personal. One thing that immediately stood out to me about the novel is the blending of personal and historical elements in a very engaging way. We see her own upbringing, as recounted by her, but we also learn the historical event and importance of the Islamic revolution, which we learn, along with her. As a white westerner, this is valuable insight into a culture and series of events I am not at all familiar with and the personal aspect allowed me to latch on to Marji, who is an incredibly likable character.

When we are given the opportunity to slip into Marji's shoes and discover her family's past, historical past (of the place she lives) and personal lives (reconnecting with family in a new way and discovering love) we are really able to feel like we are experiencing those things for our self, which is incredibly valuable when it comes to telling a story that is autobiographical.

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