Persepolis Argument Essay

Summer Boone                                                                                              12/17/14

Argument Essay

            A controversial argument when discussing the book Persepolis is if the main character was desensitized by the war, in some cases the answer would be yes, if the psychology was not so flawed. The war taught Marjane many things about herself and other and she appreciated what it took for her to realize that. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a memoir about when Marjane was a young girl in the Iranian Revolution. The book deals predominantly with the issue of war. Marjane describes in epic detail her experiences going through war and how she saw the revolution in her eyes. This text should not be removed from middle school libraries because it teaches students about countries and culture along with the topic of war, and allow students with unique experiences to connect to the book.

People, middle school children included, need to learn about the countries, cultures and what these countries are like, war being a part of that. Middle and high school students should not be naïve to that. Children in middle school are being taught basic knowledge of war, what it is and what causes it, but there are limited primary sources. This book, a primary sources can help children understand not only what happens throughout war, but also how people of all ages are immediately affected. Just because the Iranian Revolution is not typically taught in middle school does not mean that it will not help the kids gain perspective on wars that they learn in their textbooks. In the book, it states how textbooks changed after the revolution. Marjane Satrapi suggests that the textbooks only reveal certain parts of the Iranian Revolution, which may leave kids clueless on some parts of it. Marjane Satrapi does not hold back when writing about her experiences in Persia as a child. A particularly compelling example of this is on page 102. The book illustrates scenes from Satrapi’s minds eye of how children were being forced to essentially kill themselves for their country. Suicide bombing most likely will not be in the textbooks because it is a poor depiction on the country. Without knowledge of the past or present, middle students will be too naïve.

            Censoring nonfiction and fiction texts with ‘questionable’ content do not allow readers with unique experiences to connect to anything.  Jake Rich, the author of, “Can Book Censorship Save Our Children and Their Innocence?” suggests that most books about middle and high school student completely realistic. Specifically, a line in the article demonstrates how realistic a fiction book called The Fault in Our Stars is. In fact, Rich states that the book, “inevitably focuses on the pair’s (Hazel and Augustus, the main characters) sexual awakening, as well as showing the human side of high school students: less than perfect and unafraid of crude language.” What this makes clear is how students, both middle school and high school are not sugar-coated in any way in books like The Fault in Our Stars.  They realistically depict the actions and feelings of the average student. In addition, Jake Rich also indicates in his articles that as children get older, they start to think about things that had never occurred to them when they were younger. Growing student seek guidance not only from adults but also from their peers, going through the same things. Students find it reassuring that they are not alone in situations, which they will most likely not happen if books like The Fault in Our Stars is taken away from them.

            Persepolis contains many graphically violent scenes in the book. Marjane Satrapi did not desist from accounting even detail of her knowledge of the revolution, violence being a monumental part of her book. An example of this is on page 76, when Marjane depicted her first sighting of real violence, leaving out no detail. Satrapi delineates a girl around 13-15 years of age, being stabbed in the leg, calling out for her father. Although some argue that this is too violent and graphic for middle school students, Marjane experienced this before she was of age to enter middle school. This moment empowered her to fight for what she thought was right. The violence had a liberating effect on her and she encouraged those around her to fight for what they believe in also. On page 89, Marjane presents an illustration of fires burning cars down to represent her country being bombed on a regular basis. Most parents would say that they don’t want their children to know about the bombings and missiles, but often forget that it is another child’s life. Persepolis is not spurious. It is a true account of what Marjane Satrapi went through. Her book is not fiction made to mess with a student mid, but to tell her story. She lived through it and handled it very well. If Marjane Satrapi lived through it, middle school student can read about it.

            The book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi should not be removed from middle school libraries because of the benefits that it brings to middle school students. The book allows students to learn about countries and cultures, and allow students with unique experiences to connect to the book. Banning books is an peremptory way to eliminate things that other people have a problem with. If books are being banned now, no one knows what the limit will be for banning anything. For instance, eating certain animals like cows, pigs or goats can be banned because certain religions worship them. Words could be punishable by law because certain people find then offensive. Banning books could be the start of something that could essentially end freedom of expression.

Work Cited

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2003. Print.

Rich, Jake. "Can Book Censorship save Our Children and Their Innocence?" Highlander RSS. 7 Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.highlandernews.org/14413/can-book-censorship-save-our-children-and-their-innocence/>.

Social Awareness

Table of Contents

Poem………………………………………………pg 1

Reading Response…………………………………pg 2

Interview…………………………………………..pg 3

Work Cited………………………………………... pg 4

Poem Title

I started to believe him…

He pushed me down

And called me faggot

I screamed for someone the help

Until he muffled my words by putting a bag over my head

You deserve to die!

He said

But then the sirens blared

He released me

And ran away

On my way home

I started to believe him

I did deserve to die

Faggots shouldn’t be living

It’s unnatural

It’s disgusting

It’s unthinkable

And I did deserve to die

            While writing this poem, I thought about the effects of bullying and what people get bullied for. The first thing that came to mind was getting bullied for being gay. I know many people kill themselves because the feel that there life is not worth living. Bullies can convince them that they don’t deserve to live for. I wanted to let one of the many effects of bullying be known.

Pg 1

Reading Response

            Ai Welwei’s display called, “ S.A.C.R.E.D.” is about his imprisonment in China. It displays him laying in a bed, with two large guards watching over him. Ai Welwei was imprisoned for his work. He threatens the government, which is why he was locked up.

            This display can be compared to the Hunger Games in a way. The one person threatens the government. They isolate and punish that person because they can weaken or in some cases destroy an already fragile government. If the government couldn’t be diminished so easily, then there would be no need to imprison Ai Welwei. One person can make such a difference in the world. In the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is the one that the government wants to get rid of. In many ways, Ai Welwei is Katniss Everdeen.

            I found it interesting that Ai Welwei made his body small and limp, and the guards very large in comparison to him. This emphasizes how threatening he is. For a man surely under five feet, and lying limp and still, why are there two large guards watching him? I also noticed how realistic his face looks in relation to the guards’ faces. It is a clear way of pointing out that he is the focus of the exhibit.

            This piece has made me think more than I thought it would have. This exhibit tells a story, and the more you look at it, the more it reveals itself. It makes me wonder how many other people are imprisoned because they are a ‘threat’ to the government. It also makes me wonder their intentions. Whether it was to contribute to the downfall of the government or just make something that they believe in known.

Pg 2

Interview

Interview with Crystal Matthews- Nurse

Q- How long have you been a nurse?

A- I have been a nurse for 7 years.

Q- Why did you become a nurse?

A- I became a nurse because I wanted to be in the health care field. I wanted to help sick people.

Q- How did you react to your first ‘coded’ patient? (A coded patient is a patient that has died.)

A- I was surprised, but at the same time I wanted to do everything I could to help the patient.

Q- What is rewarding about what you do?

A- When patients say thank you for everything at the end of the sift and then they say, ‘ You’ve taken very good care of me’. It makes me smile and it make me feel like I’m doing a great job. It also makes me feel like I make a difference.

Q- What are some things that you would change about your job?

A- I would choose the type of person I deal with. For example, I would rather take care of surgical patient than medical patients.

Q- What advice do you have for young people that are thinking of going into the nursing profession?

A- It’s a great and very fulfilling profession and there are many opportunities for growth. My advice would be to just go for it!

Pg 3

Work Cited

Edward Wong, An Artist Depicts His Demons, nytimes.com, May 26,2013, November 29, 2014.

Pg 4

Nonfiction Reading Response

    The author of "Malala's Mission," Allesandra Potenza wants the me to know about Malala's goal of women's equality. More specifically, the goal of a women's right for education in her nation, Pakistan. The article is about a girl named Malala Yousafzai who was shot in the head because her role as an activist for the equality of boys and girls. Since 2008, Malala has been speaking out for what she thinks is right.  
    The author wants me to focus on Malala's story as an activist. Before going into the interview portion of the article, she talks about Malala's life. She described Malala's life in Pakistan and until she was shot in the head. The author also described where she fled to after being shot. From Malala at 15 years old until her at 17 years of age, the author has summarized her life so I can get a feel of why Malala is fighting so hard for what she believes in. In the interview portion, Potenza asked questions like, "Why do you think girls' education is an important issue?" and "What would you say to the members of the Taliban who tried to kill you?" to give me a further explanation of Malala's motives. These questions show me why Malala cares so much about women's education.
    Malala is quoted  quite often, as there is an interview with her in the article. Her perspective adds depth, personality and a connection with readers. Her interview shows her point of view instead of just the facts. Its states her experiences and how she dealt with them. One example is when Malala was giving advice to her peers. "They [teenagers] usually consider themselves people who have fun [and] take selfies, but I think it's important that teenagers take active roles in speaking up against injustice and inequality." This part of the text makes me think about all the ways that people can contribute to society.
    This article has made me acknowledge that women don't have the same opportunities as men. Living in America has made me take my opportunities for granted and forgetting that not everyone can just go to school. It makes me wonder about the government of other countries and why they believe that everyone shouldn't have equal rights. For that, I would like to further research it.

   

Reading Response for Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

    Wars happen every single day, all over the world. Although kids should not be exposed to them, they are. Young children are traumatized by the by the graphic things that they have to see and the overall confusing concept of war. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi discusses many heavy topics, the main topic being war. The book will most likely be problematic for young children,(ages 11 and down) therefore should be limited to only older and more mature people.
    Certain scenes in the book are too graphic for young kids. They might be traumatized by the scenes and be scared by seeing the drawings in the book and reading the excruciating detail. For instance, on page 40 of the book Marjane wrote, "After Black Friday, there was one massacre after another, May people were killed." Many young kids would be dolorous with the content of the book.
    Young kids cannot apprehend war. This is just one of the many things kids around the age that Marjane was during the war in her country did not understand. To corroborate, Marjane wrote on page 92, "We didn't really like the veils, especially since we didn't  understand why we had to wear them." If young kids cannot understand why they were being obtruded with the veil, they definitely could not understand why a war would start and why a war would be so violent and relentless.
    This connects to the world because wars happen everywhere, everyday. Unfortunately, young kids cannot choose not to be there. They are traumatized by just looking out of their windows. Not having young kids read books like Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is one way of limiting the amount of traumatized and disturbed children trying to cope and understand war.

"Harry Potter and and the Order of the Pheonix" Archtypes Synthesis

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," by J.K. Rowling Reading Response

    Harry Potter is the boy who lived. Right from the start, he wasn't a normal teenager boy, although it would have made his life a whole lot easier. In the fifth booking the series,"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," Harry goes through some serious life changes. He undergoes pressure like no other, he pushes himself to the limit and loses the one person he loves the most. Having been through so much throughout the course of one year, he has had no choice but to emotionally mature beyond his years.

    In the start of the book Harry lived with the Dursleys', his aunts family. The feeling of hatred was mutual between Harry and the Dursleys', though they still took him in. They were emotionally abusive, which gave Harry a tolerance to many insults. When members of the Order if Phoenix came to pick him up, he was ecstatic, he was able to leave his 'family' and not see them again almost a year.  When he got to where the Orders' hideout was, he surprised to find his two best friends and all of the people that actually care about him. During the beginning of the book, Harry is confused, defensive and , all of which he has a right to be.  He shows this be being hostile and seemingly unable to control how he expresses emotions. Harry is confused about why he was brought to the meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix and what the Order really is. When he finds out that the Order is meant to prevent anyone from joining Lord Voldemort and to stop Lord Voldemort's army from collecting more people, he is upset. He is not upset because of the purpose of the Order, but why the Order was needed. The Order was needed because the minister of magic refused to believe that Lord Voldemort existed, therefore there was no need to take precautions against him.  He is upset because he is being told that he is not just like his father. He strives to be just like his father, because he feels as though he should be able to live up to all the amazing things that his father did. Little did he know that later in the book, he wouldn't want to be exactly like his father.
    During the middle of the book Harry is very shocked. He finds out that his father wasn't the best person while he was Harry's age. Harry found out the reason why Professor Snape hates Harry's father. Harry saw something that he shouldn't have. He saw Professor Snape's memory. Harry saw that his father used to bully Snape. In fact, every time they saw each other's throat's out. He was shocked to such an extreme level because he had built up such a large expectation of what his father was like. He didn't want to think about how bad his father was. He didn't take this well, but he took it better than when he found out what the Order was needed for. He didn't talk much the night he found out what his dad really did when he was Harry's age, which is an improvement from being hostile to everyone.
    In the very end of the book, he backtracks, though with good reason. Harry and his friends were a lot of trouble. They were battling the Death Eaters (followers of Lord Voldemort). They were not doing so well until the Order of the Phoenix appears out of nowhere. The Order includes Sirius Black, the person that Harry cares most about. Right before the Order defeated the Death Eaters, one of then kills Sirius Black. Harry kicked and screamed and tried to get to the Death Eaters only to be held back by Sirius' best friend, Remus Lupin. When he got back to Hogwarts, he smashed many valuable things in Dumbledore's office. Although he got out of control, this 'tantrum' made him realize that he is not a little kid anymore and he cannot act like this.
   Harry's life has never been easy, but in, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," he learns his to somewhat control how he expresses his feelings. He does not confuse this with not having feelings or emotions, he merely begins to learn not to direct his emotions towards other people, possibly making them feel uncomfortable or getting himself in a lot of trouble. 

"Beautiful" by Amy Reed

     Cassie didn't want to be herself. Who would be, when you're a smart, beautiful, and talented seventh grader? Cassie just wanted to be popular. In the book,"Beautiful", by Amy Reed, Cassie got what she wanted and way more. Her life is turned upside down by peer- pressure and abuse. She moved from a small town into a suburb in Seattle. Normally, girls would be devastated if they had to leave all of their friends, but not Cassie. She wanted a fresh start. She was determined to be the one that everyone looked at while in the hallway in between classes. With a little help from her good 'friend' Alex, her life becomes more than she can handle and before the school year is over she has dug herself into a hole that was nearly impossible to get out of.
    One of the two main themes of the book was peer-pressure. Cassie meets a 'cool' girl named Alex. She and her friends are older than Cassie. Most of them do drugs and have sex because it helps them let go of their horrible home lives. When Alex approaches Cassie and tells her to come hang out with them, she finds her way in to the cool crowd. She is incredibly beautiful and she uses that to her advantage. All of the cool kids, including Cassie and Alex go to one person's house. Before she stepped foot in that house, she was a virgin. When she came out, she wasn't anymore. Soon she starts doing drugs with Alex and having even more sex. The drugs and sex become a replacement for her emotions, to block out her alcoholic mother and dad that doesn't care about anything but work.
    The second of the two main themes of the book was abuse. Cassie abuses drugs and lets others abuse her body. She is now just like the other cool kids. Every time she has a problem, she takes a smoke, a drink, or drugs. She has become reliant on those three things to get her through every day. She has sex so that she can feel something, even though it brings her no joy, but the opposite- emotional pain. Cassie cannot stop it although she tries. When she becomes aware that she is addicted, she stops trying, thinking that there is no way to get out of this. An example of this is when Cassie was at a family gathering. She was tired of hearing her family, but could not just leave. Instead, she took an acid strip and went of to fix herself a drink.
    The book "Beautiful," by Amy Reed can teach the reader about  the power and effect of peer-pressure and addiction. It can destroy anyone's life, no matter how young or old the person is. It makes the reader more mindful about how they make other people feel and how other people are making them feel, because just one word,'Beautiful', can change the course of someone's entire life.