Century College Common Book Project --

Century College Common Book Project

Why read this book?

Persepolis is a coming of age story of the author, Marjane Satrapi. The Common Book Committee selected this book over four other book choices. Persepolis is written in the form of a graphic novel. Satrapi engages the reader in her black and white drawings as well as her own personal narrative. Persepolis is a story written from a young girl’s perspective on her family and their stories. It is the story of how war affects everyone in a family. It is a story of repression, rebellion and hope. It is a story of one Iranian girl, her family and the people of Iran who lived through the Islamic Revolution. Satrapi allows us into what her life was like before and after the Revolution, including both its villains as well as its heroes. Satrapi is extremely honest in her depiction of herself, her family and her homeland.

Why should we read a book set in the Middle East?

We are all members of a wider global world. Global education is about looking beyond our own communities to better understand the connections, differences and similarities of all people world-wide. Today, especially since 9-11, the Middle East has been the subject of hate and negative stereotypes. Satrapi states in her introduction to her book, Persepolis, that she wanted to show that Iran is not only a country of “fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism”. In this book Satrapi challenges the reader to go beyond these stereotypes. She stated in an Associated Press Interview, “The only thing I hope is that people will read my book and see that this abstract thing, the Axis of Evil, is made up of individuals with lives and hopes.” Through her story, Satrapi breaks down the stereotype that all Muslims are evil; instead she shares her story of childhood innocence, hope during war, rebellion and pride in one’s culture and country even in the worst of times.

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Persepolis Discussion Questions These questions are intended to facilitate discussion, whether one has read the book or not.

For Further Reading This document contains a list of books that are relevant to Persepolis.