1. Persepolis: “The Letter” chapter 5
Read “The Letter” and the short article “Social Classes in Iran.” from my website. Note: “secular” means denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
What is Mehri's position within society according to the article? What about Marjane Satrapi’s family? Why does Mehri get slapped?
Animal Farm connection: What is the importance of education within society? (Use both texts from today to help answer this question).
What does the letter symbolize in the story? How does this connect to the theme of social hierarchy or education? Pick 3-5 panels to justify your answer.
What is Satrapi saying about social class (wealth vs. poverty) in this chapter?
Do you think Marjane's father did the right thing by ending the crush?

3. ‘Black Friday’ in Iran [pg. 39, panel 6]
September 8th,1978.
Between 84–88 people were killed and 205 injured.
The deaths were described as the pivotal event in the Iranian Revolution that ended any "hope for compromise" between the protest movement and regime of the Mohammad Reza Shah.
The incident is described by historian Ervand Abrahamian as "a sea of blood between the shah and the people."

4. ‘Black Friday’ in Iran [pg. 39, panel 6]
September 8th,1978.
Between 84–88 people were killed and 205 injured.
The deaths were described as the pivotal event in the Iranian Revolution that ended any "hope for compromise" between the protest movement and regime of the Mohammad Reza Shah.
The incident is described by historian Ervand Abrahamian as "a sea of blood between the shah and the people."

5. ‘Black Friday’ in Iran: There’s Even a Video Game

7. Persepolis: “The Party” chapter 6
Describe the imagery, techniques, mood, and effect of pg. 40, panel 1:

8. Persepolis: “The Party” chapter 6
Describe the effect of this juxtaposition:
Pg. 40, panel 1
Pg. 42, panel 1

9. Persepolis: “The Party” chapter 6
How does revisionist history occur after the Shah leaves? What do you think will be the consequences of this?

10. The effects of Revisionist History on a population of people…
Revisionist History, especially for families with someone ‘erased’ often grow up with a deep and painful “void.”
“an empty space, a void develops in their identity.” (151).
Bonds between people and family members become shallow and distant, “children raised in this way experience gaps in their emotional life which affect their ability to make and keep intimate relationships.” (152).
Very damaging.

11. The Soviet Union and Iran: Revisionist History
How does revisionist history occur after the Shah leaves? What do you think will be the consequences of this?
Go to Smith’s website and read ‘Revisionist History Textbook’ on the page for The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia.
How is it similar to scenes from Persepolis?
Keep your eyes out for Revisionist History in Animal Farm.

12. Theme: Education and Literacy
Page 19 panel 1-2
Based on the content of Persepolis chapter 5, chapter 6, and these panels from chapters 1-4.
How is the theme of education and literacy developing?
Can you come up with a theme statement? Does Satrapi value education?
What about in the beginning of Animal Farm?
Page 4 panel 3-5

13. Persepolis: “The Party” chapter 6
What signs exist in the art that everything isn’t going to be a “party”?
What literary techniques create this in the text?
Who were the “Savak”?
Why do the kids want revenge on Ramin? What ends up happening?

14. IRONY?

15. Persepolis: “Heroes” chapter 7
What was torture like under the Shah?
What makes someone a hero according to young Marjane Satrapi? What is problematic about this?
What is the effect of growing up around so much violence?

16. Persepolis: “Heroes” chapter 7
Describe/Analyze this series of panels:
Pg. 48, panels 4-6

17. Persepolis: “Heroes” chapter 7
Describe the imagery, techniques, mood, and effect of pg. 51, panel 4:

18. Persepolis: “Heroes” chapter 7
Describe the imagery, techniques, mood, and effect of pg. 52, panel 1:

19. Torture
As political prisoners to the Shah, Mohsen, Siamak, and their deceased comrade Ahmadi were tortured in order to get information. And not only were they tortured, the torturers gained their knowledge of “enhanced interrogation techniques” from the C.I.A. How are the Shah and the CIA connected?
It is often the case that we associate torture and political assassination with dictators, but the U.S. is just as guilty of these actions as other countries.

20. C.I.A. Torture Programs
“The Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program” is a report compiled by the bipartisan United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) about the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program and its use of various forms of torture ("enhanced interrogation techniques") on detainees between 2001 and 2006.The report details actions by CIA officials including:
torturing prisoners, including waterboarding;
providing false information about classified CIA programs;
impeding government oversight;
that more detainees were subjected to torture than was disclosed;
that more forms of torture were used than previously disclosed;
and mismanaging the torture program.

21. C.I.A. Torture Programs

22. C.I.A. Torture Programs
“The Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program” is a report compiled by the bipartisan United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) about the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program and its use of various forms of torture ("enhanced interrogation techniques") on detainees between 2001 and 2006.The report details actions by CIA officials including:
The Senate report admits that torture was not an effective way of gathering intelligence: “At no time did the CIA’s coercive interrogation techniques lead to the collection of imminent threat intelligence,” stated committee chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
The CIA and its allies say the opposite. “The documents will demonstrate that the program was effective in saving American and allied lives and in preventing another mass casualty attack on American soil,” former CIA director George J. Tenet shot back.
Both miss the point. Torture isn’t about secretly collecting information. It never has been. Torture only works when it isn’t secret. Fear is only effective when it spreads. Terrorism only works when it happens in public.
The Nazis and Soviets understood this. The world’s most brutal dictators—to whom the CIA outsourced some of its torture—also understand it.

23. Persepolis has been intensely. graphic
Persepolis has been intensely *graphic* so far… what is the point of using foul language and disturbing images? Should it be allowed?
What books have been banned?
Should books ever be banned?
What is ‘over-the-line’?

24. Are these good reasons to ban books?

25. Ban or Don’t Ban?

26. Ban or Don’t Ban?

27. Free Speech? How much? Who decides?
What about bad ideas? Good ideas? Sexist/Racist ideas?
What relationship does censorship have with free speech?
In any case, free speech is DIFFICULT but essential to democracy.