Persepolis Part 1

On page 101 the panels show Marjane's cousin visiting. He is on leave from the military. He had joined right when he joined the service. The last two panels on the page show poor kids from the country who are told the afterlife is better than Disneyland. The cousin, Shahab, says the kids are hypnotized and sent to die in battle. There is disgust in the way he discusses this. The last two panels are interesting because they have black backgrounds with the outline of people being drawn in white. At this point we know Marjane's family is very intellectual. Her cousin may not share the same ideas exactly, but he is able to think rationally unlike the fanatics who have taken over. It is one more example to illustrate the government's abuse of its people. This conflict has forged an identity of rebelliousness for Marjane. Her parents raised her to question authority, especially that of her government. The war further solidifies her opposition to the government. The poems we discussed Monday share this same sentiment. "Memorial Day for the War Dead" talks about the flag losing touch with reality. At this time, Iran lost touch with reality, or its people. Once someone comes to the realization that their government does not have the people's best interest in mind then it is hard to respect them.