‘Persepolis’, by Marjane Satrap

Reading Questions for Part 1: Story of a Childhoo

Use the questions below to add to your personal notes on ‘Persepolis’

1. What is Satrapi’s point in writing ‘Persepolis’, according to the Introduction

2. The story opens in 1980. What had just happened in Iran

3. Comment on the relationship between captions and illustrations on Pages 3 - 5

4. What was Satrapi’s attitude towards religion at the age of 10

5. How did that compare with her parents’ attitude towards religion

6. How did religion and politics combine or contradict each other in Satrapi’s mind?

7. Sum up the history of the Iranian republic until 1979

8. What did this have to do with Satrapi’s family history

9. As the demonstrations against the Islamic government get more serious, and as Satrapi
learns more about the history of her family and of the country, what part does God play
in the narrative

10. By the end of the chapter ‘The Water Cell’, what have you learned about the character
of Satrapi herself
?

 11. Describe the revolutionary atmosphere described in the chapter ‘Persepolis’

12. What social class is Satrapi’s family? How does this confuse her in the chapter ‘The
Letter’

13. Initially, the success of the revolution brought celebration. Why

14. What did the young Satrapi learn about prison life under the Shah? How did this affect
her life later under the Islamic government

15. Do you think there is any connection between the clear love of heroes we see in the
chapter ‘The Heroes’ and the modern use of the term ‘martyr’ by the Islamic
government

16. How did the leftist revolution become an Islamic revolution? How did the new
government get away with it

17. In the chapter ‘The Sheep’ Satrapi’s Uncle Anoosh repeats ‘Everything will be alright’
several times. What effect does this have

18. What event nally persuades the young Satrapi to order God out of her life forever

19. What was the of cial justi cation for women to wear the veil

20. In the chapter ‘The Trip’, how does life change

21. What effect does the war have on Satrapi’s anti-government family

22. Describe the changes of mood in the chapter ‘The Key’

23. Who were the ‘Guardians of the Revolution’? Describe some of the things they get up
to

24. Explain Satrapi’s allegation in the chapter ‘The Cigarette’ that the government needed
the war? In what two ways does she explain this

25. How does Satrapi show that she is growing up in ‘The Cigarette’ and ‘Kim Wilde’

26. Describe life in Teheran as shown in the chapter ‘The Shabbat’

27. Summarise the punishment described in ‘The Dowry’

28. How would you describe Satrapi as a student if you were to write her school report

29. Why do you think her parents thought it best to send her away

30. Think of this whole section of the story and brie y list any similarities you can see
between life in 1980’s Iran and life in the society Orwell created in ‘1984’
.

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