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Persepolis - Coggle Diagram
Persepolis
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Chapter 5
Marjane explores social classes and reflects on her childhood experience when she has witnessed such discrimination.
She reads books from a Kurdish writer and begins to understand the plights of people are not in the same class as her.
She remembers her maid, Mehri, who was taken into the family at the age of 8 because her family wasn't able to feed her.
The two were very close when Mehri and the neighbors son fall in love and begin exchanging letters. Marjane helps her read and write the letters back.
Once the entire family finds out, Marjane's father tells the neighbor that Mehri is actually the maid. This information ends the relationship.
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Chapter 7
Approximately 3000 political prisoners were liberated two of whom were known by Marji's family: Siamak and Mohsen.
When they are all reunited, both tell gruesome stories about the torture they had to go through in prison: whipping using electric cables, putting out cigars on their backs, burned by an iron, etc. They even had to witness assassinations of their friends.
Marji incorporates her learnings about torture later when she is playing with her friends. She introduces a game where whoever looses had to be tortured (twisting arm, filling mouth with garbage, etc.)
Emotional perspective: These stories shocked everyone. Marjane is disappointed that her father isn't a "hero" + She is jealous of Laly's father. Taji is outraged and says that "all torturers should be massacred" --- This upsets Marji again as she thinks that her mother wants to kill people.
End of chapter: Marjane claims that she does not understand the true meaning of justice (immature mind) + She feels the true comfort in the arms of her closest friend i.e. God.
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Chapter 6
As the number of massacres and casualties increased, the more people pushed for Shah to quit.
Shah tried to implement a democracy but he was superficial about it. He tested a few prime ministers whom he then rejected, judging them on their physical abilities.
Shah eventually left which led the country to enjoy it's biggest day of celebration. However, Marji's father remains ambivalent.
Following Shah's departure, schools reopened + restrictions were low.
However, everything at school has changed. What was once taught was now rejected. Marji is confused by this and describes them as "strange phenomena".
Someone tells Marji that Ramin's (another child) father was in the Savak and he killed a million people.
Infuriated by this information, Marji decides to force an attack on Ramin which is haunted later by her mother.
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Taji explains that it isn't Ramin's fault that his father caused casualties. Upon understanding, Marji forgives Ramin. Ramin responds by saying that his dad only killed communists, who are evil.
Jimmy Carter (President of the U.S) refused to give refuge to the exiled family of Shah. However, Egypt's president, Al-Sadat accepted them as a result of long-term friendship.
Chapter 8
Marjane is upset that her father wasn't a "hero". Hero in their society is someone who went through pain and torture in jail or were even killed but stayed committed to their country.
One day she met Uncle Anoosh (one of her father's brother's who she had never met before as he had been imprisioned since she was born.
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Story told by uncle Anoosh: Him and his uncle Fereydoon believed in the democracy. So after Fereydoon proclaimed the Independence of the Irabian Province of Azerbaijan, he elected himself as the minister. Fereydoon was soon caught by Shah's police but Anoosh managed to run away. He walked through harsh conditions for days to reach his parent's house who took care of him for a while. It wasn't safe for him there so he soon escaped to the U.S.S.R where he educated himself and settled with a family.
When Anoosh got divorced, he felt lonely and decided to go back to his country (i.e., Iran). He attempted to hide his identity but his disguise wasn't so successful. He was caught my Shah's police and was imprisioned for 9 years.
Uncle Anoosh did not have a good experience with this wife. Emotional torture in the relationship + Physical torture in jail (According to the uncle, emotional torture was better).
Uncle Anoosh presents a creation of his while he was in jail: a swan made out of bread. He asks Marjane to keep it safe and not forget the story he had just described to her to keep the family history and heritage going.
Marjane was in a desperate need of a hero. She fabricated false stories about her father being a hero.
Chapter 9
Turning Point for Marji: Her political and religious views change as she overheard her uncle Anoosh and father conversing. Marjane even attempts to be part of that conversation.
Many of Marji's friends leave to the U.S because they said it's better to leave rather than settling under an Islamic regime. It's too dangerous.
Taji proposed to go to the U.S. but Marji's father turned it down because he didn't wanna be a driver/didn't want for his wife to work as a cleaning made in the U.S. He claimed this was only a "transitional period"
Mohsen, who was previously released from jail was drowned to death in his bathtub. They were confident it's a murder as only his head was underwater.
End of the chapter has a turn of events: Marji played upset on her bed with the gruesome feeling of betrayal when someone shouts at her to run to the basement as there were bombings happening.
Siamak and his family escaped the dangerous situations by crossing the border amongst a flock of sheep to continue being hidden.
Uncle Anoosh gets arrested. He is only allowed one visitor in his cell so he calls Marji. Upon her visit, he remarks Marji with his kind and courageous words.
Uncle Anoosh was executed soon after which upsets and infuriates Marji. She even asks God (someone she trusted and had faith in) to "get out".
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