Persepolis Analysis Questions

Chapters 16 & 17: “The Passport” & “Kim Wilde”

Directions: After reading and annotating the chapters, please answer each of the following
questions in at least 3-4 thoughtful sentences.

Chapter 16: “The Passport”

1. Identify Satrapi’s perspective on the effects of war (yes, this could be considered a global
issue…) and discuss at least two quotes or authorial choices that she uses to convey this to her
reader.
In the chapter “The Passport”, Satrapi demonstrates the appalling circumstances that numerous
people must experience during war such as the separation of family. Satrapi first explores this
idea when Marji’s Uncle Taher reveals that he is “glad that [his] son is safely abroad”, but later
worries about when he will see him again due to the borders closing (118). Marji’s Uncle then
unfortunately has a heart attack and while at the hospital he expresses that he only has “one
wish” which is to see his “son again” (124). Satrapi utilizes graphic weight on page 124 to
emphasize the importance of family and how an individual will have to endure the misfortune of
wondering when they’ll be reunited. Satrapi goes as far as to portray how parent;s will sacrifice
everything for the well being and safety of their children.

2. Discuss the irony of the final panel and Satrapi’s correlating theme within the chapter. Use two
direct quotes in support of your response, other than the one provided in the final panel.
Satrapi illustrates how the new regime isn't concerned about the well being of their citizens,
while also being hypocritical. Marji’s Uncle needs surgery and needs to travel to England, but “to
do that, he needs a permit” from the hospital director in order to get a passport (121). Marji’s
aunt reveals that the “fate of [her] husband depends on a window washer” demonstrating how the
regime allowed ordinary and lower class people to ascent into powerful positions that are
helpless. The irony is that her Uncle Taher was in need of a passport in order to get better and
continue living, but instead he was given a passport the day he passed away for his funeral. It is
said they need a permit/passport in order to travel, but when one

Chapter 17: “Kim Wilde”

3. Investigate the significance of at least three allusions within the chapter and discuss their
relevance to the chapter’s main idea. This may take some research on your part...

A. Kim Wilde: Kim Wilde is a English/British songwriter and rock star whose career began
to take off in the 1980s. She is Marji’s idol and admires her music despite not even being
allowed to listen to it. Marji aspires to be just like her, a careless, yet nice, rock star who
defies social standards with her music and looks. Satrapi incorporates her love for Kim
 Wilde to demonstrate that as she began to get older, she started to become more reckless
and careless about what others said or commanded.

B. “Kids in America”: One of the lyrics of the song is “looking out a dirty old window,
down below the cars in the city rushing by, I sit here alone and wonder why”. This song
reveals the difficulties during teenage years and how countless teens don’t acknowledge
how fast time is going by once they're having fun. Marjane utilizes this allusion to
express how numerous kids, even adults, wanted to be like “Kids in America”. They
didn’t want to have to worry about what to wear, what they could or couldn’t do, they just
wanted to have fun and forget time existed.

C. Michael Jackson: During the 1980s and the 1990s, Michael Jackson began to become a
legendary and popular figure in the music industry. Two of his most famous songs,
“Thriller” and “Billie Jean” were known for disregarding and challenging racial
boundaries as well as becoming appealing to all audiences of any background. Marji’s
admiration for him illustrates her negligence towards the standards and laws in Iran as
she begins to grow older. In previous chapters, Marji has expressed how she wants
everyone to be equal; consequently, she looks up to people who treat people equally and
overlook social norms.

4. Explore at least two examples of the regime’s abuse of power within the chapter and the
effects they have on the Iranian citizens:

A. Through the chapter, Marji demonstrates the regime’s abuse of power by stripping
Iranaian citizens from any kind of entertainment. They began by slowly taking away their
rights, but in order for Iranian citizens to continue to follow them, they must strip them
from things that might influence their thoughts, ideas, or opinions. Consequently, this
leads to the black market in which various vendors sell popular music in secret,
smuggling simple things like posters, or even having to hide clothes in order to create
happiness and entertain in a minor way.

B. After Marji decides to go out by herself to find a few things, she abruptly gets called a
whore for what she is wearing while only being thirteen years old. As a child, they should
never be called names such as a “whore” because it is installed into their brain which
leads it to it being normalized for them. Marji later reveals how the regime is able to
detain and physically abuse, without informing anyone, because of their power and
dominance. This leads to citizens continuously lying or posing to follow the regime,
when in reality it's to protect themselves.