Introduction

In your file, organise: The answers to discussion questions that

came up in class. Any info you found about the novel / the

author / the context & the Persepolis booklet. Notes taken while reading, on: plot /

character development / your personal response / context relevant information.

Notes your took in class, during lectures, tasks and discussions.

Read the quote on the cover of the booklet: Do you agree? How do you think this quote might be

relevant to her graphic novel (a memoir) about her life?

What do you think she wants to show you with her novel?

Read the short biography on pp. 22 & the summarised interview on p. 28 of the reader and find out if you were right / whether the quote is linked to her purpose as a novelist.

1979 Iranian Revolution – Out goes the Shah, in comes the Ayatollah

Repressive Iranian Measures - The Islamic Republic is founded

1980-1988 – The Iran/Iraq War- Iraq greatly supported by powerful nations (The West is heavily involved!)

Read (and keep in mind while studying the novel) the timeline on pp.17-18 of the booklet

A Memoir? Written account of events based on personal

knowledge and / or written account of someone’s life and experiences, usually focussed on a specific aspect of that person’s life.

Like an autobiography but it includes ‘the story of Iran’ and is not just focussed on Marjane. An autobiography is usually broader and more general

Graphic novel?? Read pp. 3-9 to get a clearer idea about the what and the how.

Then read pp. 10-16 to familiarise yourself with the correct terminology.

Take graphic novels just as seriously as common novels don’t mistake the format for the content

Sequence of images is needed to tell the story Various icons are used in graphic novels (as opposed

to just letters and numbers in common novels) Comic rely on closure (you bridge the gap) – you will

need to work harder for this text! These terms: voice over / splash, panel, border,

gutter, emanata, speech bubble, graphic weight, angle foreground, midground, background, panel transitions (time)

Satrapi mainly uses moment to moment & action to action transitions

I. The characters: who, what, why & how represented in the graphic novel?

II. The plot: what happens and how is this significant?

III. The themes & message: what is she telling us, how, why and where exactly?

IV. The use of language in the text (think outside the box with a graphic novel, use the booklet!) Type of language used to get message across / Language used to characterise / Language used to create the setting & Effect of language used?