Persepolis

So, I have a lot to say about this one. First of all, I was not expecting a comic book as our last read of the year. I have never been one to read comic books; I guess I have always associated them with nerds and Seth Cohen from the OC. I was actually watching the OC this weekend, Season One of course, and Seth and Anna were talking about how comic books should actually be called graphic novels. This way, Anna said, they would be taken more seriously as an intellectual art form. I instantly thought about Persepolis and the major issues it raises as a graphic novel.

I have so many thoughts about Persepolis that I don't really no where to begin. First of all, the idea of the veil has me sort of stopped. Whenever I hear "veil" my mind darts to DuBois and his definition of the veil that covers the opportunities of the black people. I suppose the veil has a similar purpose in the lives of Iranians following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The wearing of the veil became obligatory; they were symbols of the taking away of freedom. The veils marked the loss of opportunity for the Iranian people. Veils used to mean weddings to me. Now I think of censorship and inhibition.

I also noticed the comparison between Marx and God. What does this bold observation make? Was Marx as powerful as God? As just, loving, and forgiving? Were his principles good? We read Marx this year. I would definitely not say he was comparable to God. He had some good ideas, yes, but something is unnerving about comparing him to the most powerful archetype known to man.

Che Guevara. A reference to Che struck me as well. In my Spanish in Politics and Society Class we spent a lot of time talking about "el mito de Che." (the myth of Che) Che was a symbol for the people of Argentina. He was a Marxist revolutionary and a leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. Che was an inspirational icon of leftist revolutionary movements worldwide, but it is debatable today as to whether he created more good or more violence during his extremist reign. The people of Argentina looked to Che as a God. Almost like the comparison of Marx to God. People are always looking for someone to follow and something to believe in. This is why dictatorships occur and why dictators are so loved.

Random post. But I guess my last thought is that I am proud to be an American.