POST #6

Reading Persepolis, one notices the black and white comics which seem dull but it must be understood that it didn’t happen by accident.  Satrapi captures the audiences feelings and empathy by sharing her life in black and white which tells us that it wasn’t of the pleasant lives lived. It is a clever way to help the audience understand the mood of the memoir.  Depressed would be about the right word to use here in terms of the mood of the story.

Satrapi also shares her mood by making blunt statements about things or events that make her feel as if whatever is going on is pointless. An example would be the veil. She states that it is obligatory to wear it but she didn’t know why she had to. Just like that, she makes a statement and makes it seem dull even though the events of the story revolve around it. 

During the early stages of the memoir, Satrapi shows us her optimism and hope for her country by keeping a communication with God and showing us her high ambition.  However, optimism is just a part of being a young kid. As Marji grows, her hopes fade gradually and she leans towards a more rebellious side. She cuts off communication with God and shows us that she didn’t fear anything to come even though deep down she was afraid of losing her family and her country.

Taking risks was something Marji did frequently and she didn’t know the seriousness of these risks until she was caught and confronted. An example of this would be when she decides to go out wearing a bold fashion statement and gets caught.

Spending some time in Austria, Marji sees and does things that are not even thought of back in her own country. These elements make her feel like she is forgetting who she really is and its also making her even more sad knowing that whatever she is doing is most likely going to be disapproved. Not belonging in the west yet not completely Iranian anymore, Marji feels lost.

POST #5

Characterization is the way that an author communicates information about certain characters to their readers. This can be done through characters being seen doing things, how they talk to people, and how they react. Characterization can be limited due to how the story is told. Because Persepolis is written from the view of the author, about the author’s life, it is limited as to how much a reader can know about other people in the story. How the characters talk and interact with one another takes place only as it is told to Marji, or as she herself sees it happen, making opinions formed about characters rather biased. To Marji, her uncle Anoosh is very important and a very nice man. As a reader you feel bad for him, and enjoy him because he makes Marjane happy.  Uncle Anoosh is always there for her, they bonded when he got released from prison. "I tell you all of thisbecause it's important that you know, our family memory must not be lost". (pg.60) He tells Marij that "she is the litle girl that I always wantted to have". (pg69) You even grow attached to him a little bit because Marji does in the story. As readers, we see him from one point of view, and that’s Marji’s alone. We don’t know what if her parents think he’s maybe a bit of a hassle, or maybe think he should have done things in his life differently. They don’t mention anything about it to Marji aside from his life story, so we don’t really know too much on their inner thoughts and feelings. We also feel the sort of innocent desire to have the family maid be with the next door neighbour she’s in love with, since that’s what Marji wants. We see it from Marji’s untainted, childish desire to have two people happy and in love. At that point we can’t see it from her parent’s point of view, or the neighbours, where the maid is too lower of a class for him to ever be with her. As a reader, you feel sorry for the maid because of that. But she’s just a minor character who doesn’t get any development after that. Marjane’s parents and grandmother receive a bit of character development through the course of the story, and that’s perhaps because Marjane herself is growing older and understanding them better. As children, we don’t grasp why our parents do and say what they do and that limits our understanding of them as people. This same thing happens within the story, so proper understanding of Marjane’s family can’t really happen until near the end of the book. For the most part, Persepolis and Marjane Satrapi use direct characterization, since she tells you what she thinks of a lot of things, and because it’s from her point of view. There is some use of indirect characterization simply because the readers are still able to form their own opinions through the actions of characters the Marji sees or is told about.

Post #4

Persepolis there are many themes that are present, but the one that sticks out the most to me is the theme of religion. Religion is the belief and worshipping of a superhuman controlling power. In the beginning of the book Marjane sees herself as a prophet in the line of Zarathustra, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed. She wants to be a prophet so very badly to help the people around her. Another aspect that illustrates the theme of religion in this graphic novel is the fact that Marjane is convinced that she wants to become a prophet when she grows up. She continuously says "I want to be a prophet"(pg 6), "I will be a prophet but they mustn't know" and "I want to be justice, love and the wrath of God all in one" (pg 9). The main reason for this is because she wants her grandmother to stop hurting and her dad to stop driving a cadillac. Marjane feels as if she can make a change to the Iranian political situation and help her family by becoming a prophet. Her imaginary friend is her vision of God as an old man with a long flowing white beard. God encourages her to become a prophet and stand up for love, justice, and peace. As Marjane begins to confront the political and social realities of her world, the reader sees her slowly detaching from her faith. As she hears stories of political imprisonment and torture, she finds that God no longer gives her comfort. As the Islamic regime comes into power, she feels that she cannot defend a faith represented by such fundamentalism. The imprisonment and execution of her Uncle Anoosh causes a break in her faith and she describes herself as lost and alone in the universe. Marjane was born with religion, it was instilled in her since birth. In the end, it is clear that theme of religion arises several times in Persepolis through different contexts. The first key fact that illustrates this theme is that Marjane's family comes from a religious background then there is Marjane's inevitable desire to become and prophet and lastly the fact that it is not a coincidence that the narrators imaginary friend happens to be a figure that resembles God and has God-like

POST #3

The book that I read "A Mercy" was very good, although the wording was complex. Complex wording is just what Toni Morrison does. In this book, if I could change one thing it would be how Florens acted to the blacksmiths’ foundling. If she had not gotten in an altercation with the boy, maybe things would have turned out a lot different. Maybe if Florens had not assaulted the foundling her and the blacksmith could have stayed together. They could have feel in love, and had a baby that they raised together. She and the blacksmith could have lived a decent life, although the times for blacks were hard then. The blacksmith had it pretty good compared to most back then. Florens and the blacksmith could have even tried to escape from the colonies, because the time was before the revolutionary war.

They could have been back to the homeland. They could have even started a rebellious group around the colonies. They could have gone down in history as the 2 rebellious leaders, who led a population of slaves back home. If Florens had not assaulted the foundling, she could have started a family with the blacksmith. She could have died at an old age, with her true lover. Even if Jacob Vaark did not die, maybe Rebekka would not have felt she had the authority to start sending slaves away. If Jacob had not died, maybe the two homosexual slaves would not have felt comfortable showing their affection for one another. This story could have taken many routes. If Florens had not learned some English from the preacher, she would have not been the daring woman she was. She would have been clueless just like many other slaves were during those times. Back in those times, knowing how to read and write even a little could go a long way.  They could understand what was being said, and they could be capable of thinking for themselves. The story could have gone so many ways if Florens actually had the desire to escape.

In the book, she say's that she doesn't like the feeling of freedom, which is because she is surrounded by Jacob Vaark and his very harmonious plantation. If Florens knew what it was like to have to survive against her master, she would love the feeling of freedom. She feels at home with the Vaarks. Having restrictions and cruel punishment a daily basis would make a person want to be free. Florens had never experienced life without someone to care for her even though she is still a slave, which is bad, but the Vaarks still show compassion. She would not know what to do if she was out on the run or even just on her own. If she did like the feeling, she could have been dead by the end of the book. Maybe she could have gotten the entire plantation wiped out. Maybe she would have been transferred to another plantation, and reunited with her mother. All I know is a lot could have happened, and it was a very good book. 

POST #2

                             

If I were to be in the story of  "A Mercy", I think I would have been stronger. Not just, because I am a male, it's because I think I am just a strong person. At the same time, I cannot really say, because I have never been in a situation like that. Florens made some decisions that I do not agree with, like when She assaulted the foundling. That was very unnecessary. Florens just did some things that were very impulsive. I think that I would have have acted different in my current state of mind. If I were to have grown up like Florens did, being separated from my mother, I would have probably made the same decisions that she did. I would have been angry, but grateful at the same time for Jacob Vaark. Even though he was a slave owner, He was a very cool owner, who felt pity and sympathized for orphaned slaves. He was a good man that owned slaves ignorance is bliss. Even though, I was still their slave I would have been very grateful that I was with them.

They were very nice masters, Jacob Vaark and his wife. They did not treat their slave with much disrespect and animosity. It was probably very different for Florens' mother, whom Florens was separated from when she was about 8. Jacob Varrks wife was a very nice woman. When Jacob Vaark passed from the smallpox, I know it had to be devastating, I would have had great pity for her loss. When Rebbekka Vaark came down with the smallpox too, I would have been a little sad, because they were all like a little family honestly. I would have gone to get the blacksmith, the only one who could cure her smallpox with hesitation.

Another thing that I would have done differently I would not have broken the foundlings arm. An unfortunate mistake. I would have tried to find a different way to reprimand the boy. I honestly would have not tried to escape the jurisdiction of the Rebekka Vaark, because she was a very nice person who just like her husband felt pity for orphaned slaves. They were not usual slave masters. They did not beat their slaves for unnecessary purposes. They also bonded, because of the death of Jacob they were like a family.

Most slaves during that time had an ambition to escape and be free, the Vaarks’ were not like that so the slaves that they had loved them. Some of the slaves did not agree with Rebekka ‘s change of plans around the plantation. Some began plotting to escape.

Sorrow wants to take her baby and escape with Florens, as Rebekka is threatening to give her away. Before she leaves, Florens decides to write a message on the walls of her room with a nail. Sadly, she realizes that the blacksmith cannot read and that the house might burn down, meaning that her words will go unread. She regrets not being able to communicate with her mother who separated from her in order to care for her infant boy.

POST #1

                    The book that I am doing this blog on is "A Mercy", and the author is Toni Morrison. The book is about a Florens, a black slave that is 16 years old. The book opens with her and her family being separated from one another by a malicious master. Florens is saved by a good master named Jacob Vaark, her "minah mae" or mother chose to leave Florens with Jacob Vaark. She took her and her newborn with a wicked master, in order to give Florens a better chance.  Florens is then shipped to live on the plantation owned by her new master, and his wife Rebekka. Tensions builds up when Jacob Vaark contracts smallpox and dies. Shortley after the death of her husband, Rebekka also catches smallpox. She thens sends Florens to find the blacksmith, whom Florens is in love with. She brings the blacksmith back in time to save Rebekka. Florens and a little foundling of the blacksmith get into a scuffle and Florens is sent away. Florens begins to come to terms with her life, including past and present. The final chapter is about "minah mae", who explains why she did the things that she did in her life. She explains that above all, she just wanted her daughter to receive mercy.
       

                     I think that to convince a librarian to put this book on their shelves, it must be said that this book is amazing literature, created by an amazing writer. Toni Morrison is most known for her book "Beloved", "A Mercy" is kind of like a prelude to that. I would also remind the librarian that this book is fictional, but is based on historical events that occured quite commonly back during those dark times. It's just a historical fiction with an amazing story, it's a very good read for teenagers, who wish to be enlightened on how the world was during those times. The wording in this book is complex, it would be good read for any age. It is not a long book, but the themes are what make this book a work of art. One theme that I noticed in this book was "slavery and freedom", even though no slaves were freed, all of the slaves on Jacob Vaark's plantation felt free under his jurisdiction. This theme has always been popular and people find it interesting. It shows people what life was like back not so long ago. Not every plantation was controlled by malicious owners, and I think that this book captures that element of history. Slavery is just a very controversial topic that people like to explore, that is why I truly believe having this book in every library is essential.  In order to read this book, and fully get lost into it, you cant speed read this it is a slow book, with little action. This book enlightens the reader on a good portion of what went through a slaves mind during those times. This is just another reason to put this hardcover on the shelves.