Savannah Delgado
11/20/13
Block 2
Argumentative
Essay
Persepolis, a graphic
novel by Marjane Satrapi, it is a non-fiction story about Satrapi’s life
growing up in Iran from the time she was 10 in 1980 to until she was 24 in 1994
and moved from Iran for good. She talks about first getting the veil, going
through revolutions/protests, being discriminated for being a girl, living in
Austria for a few years then returning back to Iran, and also her own daily
struggles. Johan Bennett, Chief
Executive Officer of SMJUHSD, wrote an email/letter saying Persepolis shouldn’t
be taught in school. “Persepolis is not
a rigorous text that high schoolers should study” says Bennett. He also states that it may be alright for
advanced placement or honors classes.
Johan Bennett is right in his decision, Persepolis does have explicit
things, and AP or honors classes typically has a more mature reading matter for
students, so they’d be able to read it.
Johan Bennett states in his letter why Persepolis
shouldn’t be taught, he gives many examples such as: drug relation, crude
language, rebelling against authority, etc...
An example of crude language, is “f**k you son of a b***h”, Satrapi
yells to a man when he assumes she is a prostitute (320.6). Young readers shouldn’t have to read about
things like that. Additionally, Bennett states, “The main character, Marjane
Satrapi, is not a good role model for our young, impressionable youth.” He also
comments “Not only is it inappropriate, but it also introduces the reader to
many questionable philosophies and beliefs that high schoolers simply need to
not be exposed.”
Marjane
Satrapi shows she isn’t a good role model by many examples, one of which is she
lied and told on an innocent man so she wouldn’t get in trouble. “There’s a guy who said something indecent to
me.” Satrapi says to a guardian (280). The
guardians put him in the back of a van taking him away. She watched them take him, but never said a
word, even though she knows what they would most likely do to him. She is showing that lying is appropriate only
if you don’t get in trouble. Marjane
Satrapi also talks about suicide and how she tried it. “So I waited for my wrist to heal to swallow
all my anti-depressants.” Satrapi says
(326). This gives young readers an idea of how to commit suicide. If those did not change any thought of the
book, Satrapi also talks about drug use.
“This is how for love, I began my career as a drug dealer,” she says
(222.7). She becomes a drug dealer “all
for love”. That “all for love” phrase in
a young immature mind can be romanticized and seem cool to the reader, much as
romance novels do. Do young minds need
to read those things?
Although
Satrapi shows many bad examples, she does have some good ideas. Marjane Satrapi talks about how she calmly
voiced her opinion on why it’s wrong that women have to be covered up and not
men. “Why is it that I, as a women, am
expected to feel nothing when watching these men with clothes sculpted on them
but they, as men can get excited by 2 inches shorter head scarf?” Satrapi states (297). That teaches people to say your opinion but
to do it in a calm matter. “My father
was so right that the next day I apologized to him” Marjane says (326). She knew she was in the wrong so she apologizes,
teaching people that when you know you’re wrong you should say you are
sorry. Satrapi talks about how when she
was living with a friend she was rude to her mother. “To behave like this toward one’s own mother
made me indignant”, says Marjane (180).
That made Satrapi feel a strong displeasure toward her. She believes you should treat your parents
with respect showing that she isn’t all bad, and again, has some good ideas.
Furthermore, Satrapi
uses unnecessary crude language and lack of self-control, and rebellion. “Go
f**k yourself!” Satrapi screams (234.5). Though she may have been justified in
her anger, but she loses her temper and shows no control over her tongue, when
her roommate accuses her of stealing her brooch. “No I
think you’re a selfish b***h.” (291.5). Satrapi’s grandmother says this of
Satrapi when she hears she got an innocent man in trouble, as stated in a previous
paragraph. “Oh sh*t” (165.2). This quote by a boy in the background is unnecessary
because it lends nothing to the story line. If it had been omitted it would not
have affected the story at all. Marjane Satrapi falls for peer pressure by
ditching school to look cool in front of older girls.
She states, “If I wanted to be friends with the 14 year olds, then I had to do
it.” Marjane knows what she is doing is wrong, but carries on anyway. “I had
already broken the rules once…This was the second time”, she says (111). As a
12 year old she’s beginning to test her boundaries, but continues the rebellion
by lying to her mother about ditching school. She first lied about ditching to
stay out of trouble, then lied again about which class she cut to make the
trouble less. “And you just lied again!” says Satrapi’s mother. “I had said
religion [class] to try to make my mother less angry,” she explains (113.6). Marjane Satrapi may have lived in a totally
different world than what many of her readers are familiar with and the book will
have influence but is what kind of influence is it?
Persepolis isn’t
appropriate for high school readers; talking about drugs, suicide, foul
language and rebellion. She may have
some good points in her story, but the bad outweighs the good. Johan Bennett is
right that her book shouldn’t be allowed to be taught in school. While this may be entertaining reading on
your own, high school is not appropriate due to its content. Would you want young
readers to read this even if there are some good points, but more bad
points? Do the good points justify the
reading of this book in high school?
