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Although I thought development of Marjane Satrapi's //Persepolis// was slow, by the middle of the story I was invested in the Iranian culture and role of women in revolutionary Iran. The explanation of women's role during this time period was very intriguing. Especially the traditional sense of what women should act like in society, including clothes and behavior. The change in social acceptance of women and their appearance in different societies gave me a better understanding of culture and their views of gender roles in society. The graphic novel was an interesting take on writing a novel. Although it was different, I liked how this form of a book brought different elements to the story as a whole. The pictures allowed a visualization of the story in a unique and modern way that keeps readers interested. The creation of //Persepolis// allowed me to learn about women in a different culture and the struggles they face. -Courtney

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi was very easy to read and understand, and very interesting. I thought it was an excellent choice for the author to write her story as a comic strip. Although the topic about the Iranian War is serious, Satrapi does a great job of adding some humor in her story so that the topic does not become too overwhelming for readers. After reading this book, I got the impression that the men physically suffer more than the women in Iran. Clearly, the women endured events that were just as brutal. However, in Persepolis, it was mostly the men who were constantly arrested and beaten to death. In fact, Satrapi's father was saved from being beaten or jailed thanks to her mother. -Kiana York

I really enjoyed //Persepolis// as a comic book. It took my imagination to different places as I explored and looked into the life of Marjane. I never took an interest in the Iranian culture. I always assumed that the women of Iran wore the veil because they wanted to, not because they had to. Women in Iran definitely have a role and are judged day. Men and women have to look and act a certain way that society wants. They have specific rules to follow or there will be consequences. It is hard to be a woman in Iran. - Klein

This was a very unique book based on the fact that it was written as a comic. I thought that being written as a comic allowed the reader to think about things in a different way. Instead of imagining what Marjane Satrapi was trying to say, you can clearly see how she herself pictured and remembered each event. I also thought that her story showed how women have a hard life in Iran. I don't know how it is to be a woman in today's society. I always thought that in America we still do not treat women completely equal. But in Iran women are not allowed to pursue certain careers and I think that men and women should have equal opportunity at anything they want to do. Racesen

//Persepolis// written by Marjane Satrapi encompassed many different types of obstacles a person may face. I enjoyed how her unique and identifying culture allowed her to explore the problems faced in cultural diversity as well as gender discrimination within her culture, all as she illustrates the story of her upbringing. While allowing the reader to understand how it felt to be an outside in a different country, then returning home to feel like an outsider all over again, she gives her audience insight to the hurdles of wanted to be free and different, but also accepted. Her culture restricts women's rights, and I like that she stands up for what she believes in. Satrapi wrote a daring book, especially for a girl with her religious background, which is why I admired her story, and loved that she delivered it in a fun and engaging way. -Sabrina

//Persepolis// was not only a good book about Iranian history, but it also showed how Iranian society portrays each gender. From this book, I got the impression that the Iranian government is male-based; they put men before women. If anything was going to harm them, they will do anything to get them out of harm's way. This book showed that men perceived women as sirens. Women's looks will distract men and will ultimately lead to their downfall. Seeing women's beauty as a threat, the government had created a type dress-code. Women had to be covered from head to toe, showing no shape or figure. The dress-code for women was much more strict than it was for men. I really admired Marjane's strong faith and her courage to speak up for herself. Stacey Lee

The //Persepolis// was an amazing book. It really opened up my eyes to issues that do not pertain to people in America. We take life and our rights for granted here in America. Marjane is the ideal image for women. Marjane strong minded, independent and looks at a different perspective. She stands up for what she believes in and is determined to change her world and the Shah people. She is out to help people. Marjane helps her maid write letters to their neighbor even though they are in different social classes. She even stands up to beat up the boy who was apart of the secret police. Marjane stands up for women as a whole. It was a very enjoyable because the comics helped put pictures to the story. -Nikki

//Persepolis// by Marjane Satrapi, is a very different and interesting book. Unlike most authors, Satrapi brings her book to life by not only telling her life story through words, but also using pictures to capture the readers emotions. She isn't afraid to tell the truth in her novel, and doesn't hold back details. Women are not allowed to dress how they want to, or get jobs that they strive for; they have next to no rights, and if they have any at all, they are stripped to basically nothing. In the United States, we are sometimes blind to these acts, and Satrapi brings up incidents that others are too scared to issue, her words are brutally true, however her bravery to publish her work is what makes her novel so powerful. -Sammi

//Persepolis// by Marjane Satrapi was a book full of surprises. I liked the fact that she told her story like a comic book. I feel that if she had written it out as a normal book, I would have been lost in the words and would have gotten bored. I was very inspired by her life story, too. I knew a little about the issues in the Middle East, but what I heard was the male historian perspective of it. By reading this book, I was able to see how life during the Iranian Revolution was through a woman's perspective. I also loved how open and blunt Marjane is when telling her story. It really shows how strong of a woman she is, and the power that women are capable of. -Aolana

I thought this book was interesting and relevant to women's rights in society. I liked that it was personal and reflective. The setting allowed the story to be quite relevant to the world today. Women take the lead in this book as character who are strong and not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. At the same time, both the author and her mother go through situations where they are caught in conflict with society and become limited. Overall, this book was good because of the inflight it provided on the personal level from the author. Kathryn

I found this comic book novel kind of interesting but sometimes parts were a bit boring. The parts in the book that I liked was when Marjane talks about God and when she stands up for what she believes in. Persepolis is an inspirational novel because Marjane is a very strong woman because she goes through so many trials and tribulations. As she grows up, she is away from her family and dealing with things still in her teen years. I do not think I would be able to handle all the political and social issues and drama that Marjane had to go through because of the Revolution and Iran. - Sayge

The book, The Complete Persepolis, started off slowly, but picked up in the middle of the book. Page after page, I was fascinated to read about the life of Marjane and how she moved about the Middle East to search for a better life. The part that I found the most interesting was how she was kicked out of school by the nuns. Rather than talk about what actually happened, the nuns made up a lie that was sent as a letter to the parents. The whole time Marjane was away, her parents thought of her as a perfect child when, in fact, Marjane was turning into more and more of a rebellious teenager. This story of war, love, and the search for an identity was a quick read and had me flipping through the pages for five straight hours. -Tristan

Persepolis was definitely a variation from the usual summer reading that we have had in the past. Reading a bibliography provided as a comic book was definitely interesting and although it took away from our imagination, we had a better view of the author's own perspective. Satrapi exemplified a brave and courageous woman filled with her own explosive personality. Although her culture had brought her up in a very restricting environment, Satrapi managed to fight on and live through the oppression. Although Marjane was a girl it was still easier to relate to because of the fact that she is also a teenager and she has the wants and desires that all people our age can relate to. - sean

Enlightened by Persepolis

Persepolis was "different" at ﬁrst, but the book grew on me over time. The reason it got better for me was because I started to identify with Marjane more and more as the book progressed. Although I haven't done some of the outrageous things Marjane has done, I do know how hard it is trying to ﬁnd my true self and being happy with myself. Similarly one of my major struggles was with my parents and my culture. Like Marjane, I've ﬁnally settled on something I'm happy with despite what others might say or do. My culture which used to be overbearing no longer tries to take over my life, but rather we both live in harmony now. After I have explored some basic deﬁnitions of gender, I've realized that femininity is frowned upon in Islamic culture. Iranian people think that femininity is something that lures innocent men in. Thus women have to hide their hair behind veils, and are not allowed to wear make-up or risk being persecuted by society. On the other hand, masculinity is promoted because men are allowed to grow their beards which could signify manliness. Islamic culture also has an emphasis on male superiority over women. Thus it is thought that masculinity is better than femininity. Marjane, the female heroine, breaks that concept by introducing "the modern age" woman, a person who cares about her education and her future. This woman is strong, mature, and is able to take care of herself. I loved this transformation.