PERSEPOLIS

INTRODUCTION TO

Table of Contents1. General Disclaimer2. East and West3. History of Iran4. Islam5. Key Themes

General DisclaimerCountries, cultures and religions are complex systems with many sides to them. As the world gets more and more interconnected, we can’t afford to be lazy when it comes to understanding people different from ourselves.

The goal of this presentation is to help you understand what the characters in Persepolis are talking about, not to “explain away” the realities of their lives.

What do we already know?Brainstorm three lists for what you already know about:

-“The East” vs. “The West”- the country of Iran- the religion of Islam

The East / The WestThe East refers to countries/cultures…•on the Asian continent, everything from Turkey to China•whose mainstream cultural heritage doesn’t come from Greek, Roman or Christian traditions•it’s common to call countries– in eastern Asia = the Far East– in western Asia = the Middle East

The East / The WestThe West refers to countries/cultures…•in Europe and North and South America– but especially countries like Britain, Germany

France and the USA•whose mainstream cultural heritage comes from Greek, Roman and Christian traditions

The East / The WestThinking about the world in terms of “East” and “West”…•has been common for many centuries.•can be a convenient way to imagine what different groups of people could be like.•is, however, ultimately just another way to stereotype groups of people without actually getting to know them.

Since the late 20th century, Middle Eastern cultures have been “discussed mostly in connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism and terrorism. As an Iranian who has lived more than half of my life in Iran, I know that this image is far from the truth.”

– Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis

Iran Tehran

IRAQIRAN

SAUDIARABIA

ancient city of Persepolis

IranThe country that is now Iran used to be the Persian Empire:•founded by Cyrus the Great in 500 BC•the largest empire in history up to that time•an advanced and accomplished civilization•conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC

Persepolis• capital of Persian Empire

• founded by king Cyrus the Great

• a symbol of past greatness of Iran

Very Basic Info About Islam• Islam is currently the second largest faith in

the world• In English, people who believe in and follow

Islam are called Muslims

Very Basic Info About Islam• the Arabic word for God is Allah• founded by the Prophet Mohammed, considered

the last and greatest of Allah’s messengers• Mohammed wrote down Allah’s final messages to

humanity in a holy book called the Koran (or Qur’an)

• according to the Koran, people can earn salvation and entrance into heaven by trying to live a pure life according to the Five Pillars of Islam

Very Basic Info About Islam• applying Islamic teachings to civil laws and

government is called Sha’ria• in Persepolis, when Marjane Satrapi refers to

“fundamentalists,” she most likely is referring to Muslims seeking to make Sha’ria the official, universal legal system of Iran (whether people wish to be devout Muslims or not)

Key ThemesClass Conflict / dealing with the realities of

- wealth vs. poverty- education vs. ignorance

Growing Up / becoming an individual - in one’s family

- in one’s society

Being an Outsider / what makes Marjane different from people around her?