Lolita: An Influential Giant on Pop-Culture

When I got the syllabus for this course, I saw that our last book was Lolita. I’ve heard of this novel many times but I’ve never really known what it was about. The past couple months, Mr. V would give us some hints about the novel without giving the whole story line away. Mr. V was not the only person hinting about this certain novel; I have actually seen it through our “Pop-Culture.” Back in February, one of my favorite shows, Pretty Little Liars was on air for its second season. While watching, I noticed that in a couple episodes the characters found a copy of Lolita and it actually played an important part in the show. What the show was basically trying to convey is that the main character, Alison, exemplifies “Lolita.” Alison had a relationship with an older man and she is now dead; she was murdered. The show is based on her friends trying to find out who killed her, but they are also being harassed by an anonymous menace threatening them with their secrets. When Alison’s friends found her copy of Lolita, it gave them an important clue to find out who is harassing them. This is only one example of how Vladimir Nabokov’s novel can be found in today’s society. Also, in January, singer Lana Del Rey came out with her debut album, Born to Die and I remember reading reviews about it, and they were mostly positive so, I downloaded it. She has a track on the Album called Lolita with lyrics such as, “Hey Lolita, Hey, Hey Lolita, Hey, I know what the boys want, I’m not gonna play. Hey Lolita, Hey, Hey Lolita, Hey, whistle all you want, but I’m not gonna stay. No more skipping rope, skipping heartbeats with the boys downtown. Just you and me feeling the heat when the sun goes down.”  I think it is safe to say that Vladimir Nabokov’s novel is actually everywhere in today’s society, from being a literature masterpiece, to being used in a top rated television program and also utilized in the music industry. These are only a few examples, but I think if we all keep an eye open while reading this novel, we can find even more.

Horrible Childhood or Culturally developed? Both, please!

I'm not exactly sure whether the point of Persepolis was to sympathize with Marji and her horrible childhood, but I feel the exact opposite. Obviously, you cannot deny that growing up in the center of war in Iran would bring about issues... but I think that her childhood was really interesting and intellectually stimulating. It's horrible that Marji and her family were in constant fear with imprisonment and death, yet i feel that because of her childhood, she has become a more culturally developed woman. When she moved to Austria, it was interesting to see a different perspective of the story because it is so dissimilar from Iran (according to this book anyway). Throughout the book, I had been honestly comparing Marjane's life to mine at different points in time, and it is safe to say that my life is not as interesting (and probably never will be) compared to Marji's.

Seriously, Who is this?

                Alright, now I know that I talked about this in class, but seriously, who is that kid on page 26 whose head is covered on page 27?! If you don’t know who I mean, I’m talking about the boy on the bottom of page 26, whose thought-bubble has a skull in it as he looks at Taji. His face is covered over in the next page as Marji and her grandmother talk about how the family had been poor.

                I don’t know why this boy’s presence bothers me. I suppose it’s just because everyone else whose appearance seemed bizarre had been explained at one point or another, but this boy’s story just goes completely untold. Is he dead? Did he kill himself? Did he kill his brother or try to kill Taji? Is he stuck in an asylum somewhere? Did he leave and go to Europe? Or do they not even know what happened to him? Could it be possible that Marji had planned to write about him later on in the book but simply forgot to or had disregarded him, forgetting that there was already a picture of this uncle in the book? Come to think of it, I don’t think the other uncle was ever mentioned either.

                The story feels very incomplete without knowing what happened to him, and I don’t think I’ll ever completely like the story until I know what happened, if anything happened at all.

Graphic Novels vs. Novel Novels

After Reading Persepolis I have gained a better appreciation for graphic novels. Although I was not a huge fan of the story line, or even the main character for that matter, I cannot deny that I was intrigued by the graphic novel style of literature. Picking up on the subtle clues left in the drawings that have a 'deeper meaning' became like a game, and made the book more enjoyable. Noting the author's clever use of shading or perspective to represent their main ideas was fascinating to observe. Although I had previously read Mous, Freshman year, it was not until Persepolis that my appreciation for this unique style developed. While reading Mous, I would have to wait until the next day when Mr. V would point out the subtle messages and explain their meaning. Although this made me anticipate English class every day, it made actually reading the book a bit anti-climatic. Now, as I read Persepolis, I was able to pick up on these details myself, thus giving me a better understanding of the protagonist's personal feelings toward the plot. One example is found on page 52, when Laly tells Marjane her father is a hero. In every other panel the two girls are the same height, but after saying this, Laly suddenly becomes twice as big as Marjane. This is done to illustrate how small Marjane felt next to Laly because her father was not a war hero and had never been to prison. Details such as these have given me more respect for the artistic style of graphic novels. I have always preferred literary novels,as I would rather picture the story in my head then have it already depicted. But, after reading Persepolis, my interest in graphic novels has grown and I plan to read many more.

Honestly, Who Cares?

It just so happens that we finish reading Persepolis when I'm starting my existential play. Putting two and two together, I'm left with a major question: Who cares?

The book is a coming of age story about a Muslim Iranian girl during the 80s. It's safe to say that most people can't totally relate. Of course there's some teenage girl problems in there, but the majority of the story revolves around the horrors of war and the oppression of women in Islamic fundamentalism. Furthermore, this story is nonfictional. I assume all the events happened to Marjane Satrapi in some shape or form. Unlike fictional stories, everything in this book isn't created to say something. Instead, these real memories are chosen to say something. Why these events? Why should we, anyone who's not similar to Marjane, care at all?

I don't have the answer. I liked the story, it was informative and entertaining as any coming of age story is, but I didn't come away with anything. Marjane's memories are all unique and haphazardly connected, creating an alien story in my opinion. Her childhood was war and she was a stubborn kid. She fled the sexist oppression in her country to find boy problems. The story is uncanny, familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I don't really know what coming of age stories are supposed to do. Growing up is hard for everyone?

Maybe the story's moral is that even though Marjane had one of the worst childhood's possible, although with a foot in the average childhood, she made it to maturity. And I think this may tie into that end scene where she remembers how her grandma told her to be true to herself. I don't know. All I'm saying is that I definitely couldn't write an essay on the core message of Persepolis or why it (aside from the art and culture) stands out from any other coming of age novel. But maybe someone else can.

A Struggle Through Life

              In the book Persepolis, the reader is introduced to an Iranian girl, Marjane. Marjane speaks about her life and her struggles of growing up in a time of war in her home country, Iran. Although she is young while the war is going on, she still suffers from it. In my opinion, this story is more effectively told through its form of a graphic novel. You can truly see Marjane's interpretation of things through her pictures.

              Before reading the book, I had slight knowledge of Iran and it's struggle with war. I have read books that are slightly similar  and there is obviously the history that is accessible online and in history books. However, I haven't actually gotten a picture of what people went through during this time. I have heard about the massive deaths and how terrible it was to see people dying everyday, but no book gave me a distinct feeling that Persepolis did. Marjane effectively portrays how she saw the war. She felt lost and alone most of the time because she was young. She explains how losing her uncle to the tyranny of the regime in Iran led her to lose her faith in God. Her interpretation of this is astonishing because she was young when this happened. I feel that if this was not a graphic novel, this struggle would not have made as much on an impact. It is not only the writing that captivated me at this point-- many people speak about their loss of faith-- but it is also the pictures that are drawn to display how she felt. She not only displays the struggle of war, but the effect that it had on her life.
              Marjane speaks about the struggle Iran had with war and the effect it had on her and her family specifically. She showed that every single family in Iran were effected in some way. Whether it was a death of a family member or the new repressive government laws that were issued, everyone suffered. She shows that even though she was not in Iran at the time, she was still affected by what was occurring. She could not escape the place she was from, it was a part of her. Through her graphic novel, Marjane Satrapi was able to portray her struggle with the war through her life. She suffered from what was happening to other Iranians, it hurt her to know what was going on. She felt guilty about what was happening and had to deal with this struggle while she was in Austria, punishing herself for something she could not control.

A Good Change After Weird Existentialism

When I learned that Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis was a graphic novel, I was not sure if I would like it. I never read a graphic novel before; I used to read the comics in newspapers every once in a while. However, when I started reading over Spring Break, I enjoyed the book! I love Satrapi’s story and her humor. It is touching, but also melancholic.  Satrapi reveals facts about the Iranian culture and government that I previously did not know. We do not seem to learn much about Iran; current news only tells us that there is a possibility of war with Israel. I like Persepolis because it strays from the stereotype that all Iranians are radical or crazy in the midst of a harsh Islamic regime. Marji and her family are not like that at all. They are modern, against the veil, and are influenced by European and American culture. I also like that Marji's father is not the stereotype of a possessive and dominating Muslim. Marji’s mother is very independent, and she speaks what is on her mind. That leads to me appreciating Marji’s character as well. She takes after her parents’ personalities, and she is comical when she rebels against the Fundamentalist women at school. When I read this book, I feel the emotions that Satrapi is trying to convey. I laugh when she wants us to, and I feel sad when she shows something that is awful. Her departure to Austria made me want to cry, and I laughed when she tried to communicate with her German roommate. When I learn about a scary, radical government, and find the humor, fear, and sadness of the characters, I can't deny that the book is truly great. I also know that I love a book if I'm reading past the given homework. 

Reaction to the film...

I have been enjoying the film version of Persepolis. I like how the film begins in color, then when it traces back to past events, they are in black and white. I appreciate the film version; however, as usual I feel the novel is better than the film. I think the only reason I enjoyed the novel more was because it was more detailed. I predicted that the film would not include certain events, but this film tends to not follow the novel closely at all. Events are out of order which is fine, but the fact it completely excludes a great deal of material upsets me.

 In the film, many scenes from the graphic novel are left out. One of my favorite chapters in the book which the film did not include was the tragic love story between the maid and the boy across the street. They could never be together because of their difference in social class. The maid was not even in the film. I felt there were many details in the graphic novel that were important for telling the story of Marji’s life. Regardless of the movie’s exclusion of many scenes, the animation is identical to the novel which is a plus. I guess the film could be seen as a preview to the novel.

an important graphic novel

I am really enjoying the graphic novel we are reading. Not only because it is funny and captivating, but also because the characters and the setting takes place in the Middle East. The book would be excellent on its own, but the fact that its setting is in Iran makes this especially important. I feel it was significant that Marjane Satrapi brought this novel to the world because our world, especially our country, needs to acknowledge the goodness of Islamic culture and the innocence of the people. Our society is exposed only to the terrorist attacks, hate crimes, and other negative aspects of the Muslim world. Our stereotypical attitude towards their race leads to suspicions and even mistreatment of every woman wearing a veil and every person who appears to be Muslim. They cannot ride airplanes without receiving  dirty looks.

Satrapi also makes her childhood life very relatable. From her experience with losing faith in God, and her relationships with other children and her family, Marji might remind us of our own personal life experiences.

Marji and her friends attempt to attack another child who happens to be a son of a murderer. An important quote which Marji’s mother says is, “His father did it but it is not Ramin’s fault…It is not for you and me to do justice…we have to learn to forgive”. This incident can relate to the United States’ grudge against the Middle East, and our ignorance. We tend to blame the entire race for a crime that only one group committed. With this graphic novel, the world is exposed to the other side of the war. We now have the ability to be aware of one girl’s struggle and a true experience of life in the Middle East.

Pictures Are Truly Worth a Thousand Words

Persepolis, a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi tells the story of her life growing up in revolutionary Iran. This is the first graphic novel I have ever read, and I love it! At first I thought I was going to have a tough time with the graphic novel; I was expecting to be lost while reading the story. Surprisingly, it is the first book I enjoy reading. While reading a regular novel, I get bored easily but since graphic novels have detailed pictures telling the story, I know what is going on. Graphic novels display exactly what the author is trying to portray to the readers. I like this because I am not one to use my imagination that often, especially when reading a novel. I always find myself reading the words over, and over again and yet I have no idea what I just read! Persepolis is different. The pictures keep me interested in the story. By examining the pictures carefully while you read, the reader can see what the author is truly saying. The details in the pictures are actually more important than the words in the novel. Marjane can put very few words to a picture in her story and the reader can interpret exactly what she is trying to convey. For example, on the bottom left corner of page 52, Laly was telling Marj that her dad is a hero and you can see how Marj feels about that; she feels inferior to Laly because her own father is not considered a “hero.” If this was portrayed with just words, I would have never known how Marj truly felt about that situation. Graphic novels help the reader connect with the characters more; by actually seeing how the character acts, it makes them more relateable.

Absurdism is too Absurd

Absurdism is a difficult concept for me to grasp. From the gap between the acts, to the characters and their relations, I find it challenging to follow. Are the acts in The Skin of Our Teeth connected? It is hard to determine the connection between the acts. It is confusing because in Act Two, Mr. Antrobus knows who Sabina is, yet his family does not seem to acknowledge her in the way one would expect them to being that she was their maid. I wonder if Act Two shows Mr. Antrobus and Sabina’s relationship prior to her becoming their maid because in Act One, Mrs. Antrobus refers to Sabina and her husband’s affair, which seems to take place in Act Two. That may be an absurd thought since it may not be chronologically correct; however, it is something to ponder upon. I feel as though each act is a separate story because they do not refer to the past disasters. There is no correlation. Perhaps this is just the concept of absurdism. It is difficult for me to grasp this idea. Maybe I am a realist since I cannot make sense of this story. I feel there needs to be a connection and for the story line to be realistic. I cannot comprehend the fact that they are thousands of years old because I try to relate that to normal time frames. Take the children’s ages for example. In my mind, I was trying to determine if they were about 12 or 15 years old, but then in the third act, Gladys has a child, which made it impossible for her to be in her preteen years as I presumed. The final concept I found to be absurd in my mind was the play-within-a-play idea. When watching the play, I felt as though the characters were not acting when they “broke the fourth wall” and spoke to the audience. Then when I one reads the play, he or she finds it to be part of the script. I found this absurd—it is almost as though the characters themselves are acting. As enjoyable as this play is to watch, I find it too “absurd” to comprehend on my own.

The Ending is Only the Beginning

          Throughout the play Endgame by Samuel Beckett, existentialism is a major theme used. The play begins with the character Hamm covered with a handkerchief; the same stance that he has in the beginning of the play. In addition to this, Clov has not left at all. This state of similarity shows that although they attempt to change thier lives, Hamm and Clov are stuck in this vicious cycle. This is more thoroughly shown through Clov and Hamm's fear of a child. It shows then that life goes in a cycle. People are born, they grow up, they get old and they die. However, the cycle does not end here. Instead, during people's lives they procreate, making the cycle constant as their children go through a nearly similar cycle. This point is gone over constantly in Endgame through existentialism. This leaves me with an eerie feeling. It is almost haunting that this is what life is according to Beckett; a recurrence. Nothing is original. 
         This is the exact feeling that Beckett wanted to leave with his audience; it is the point of using existentialism. Beckett throws his belief that people are stuck in their routine of life at the audience, to show them what is becoming of our world. People are stuck in their old habits, unable to escape this fate. This haunts the characters within Endgame; although they desire to be freed of their routine, they cannot escape it. Instead, they are trapped in their hopeless fate, destined to live in the same manner forever. With this thought, it can be inferred that even though we wish to change ourselves, we cannot because it is not our fate.

A Darker Third Act

While reading the third act of The Skin of Our Teeth, I noticed the play had taken a much darker tone. The first two acts were riddled with hilarity and chaos. The third act, however, has a clear sense of foreboding throughout the whole scene. I believe this twist in the atmosphere of the play only highlights the ludicrousness of the story's plot. The first two acts both deal with an 'end of the world' crisis and yet they are filled with comedy and zeal. Although facing an approaching Ice Age in the first act, a combination of the dinosaurs, Mr. Antrobus's 'new' ideas and Sabina's constant defiance allows the audience to laugh at the situation of the world's impending doom. The same occurs in the second act; as a flood is threatening to destroy the human race, the audience still feels cheerful and jovial. However, the third act centers around the end of a war, where good triumphed over evil. Normally in a  play this scene would be a joyous scene, full of glee and laughs; but this is not the case. There is a definite sense of gloom throughout the whole scene. Both the play and the 'off-script' portions of the scene are melancholic and emotional. The playwright's decision to write this play in this manner suggests a moral of humanity thriving in chaos. The characters in act three repeatedly claim they wish they were still at war, because they are all anxious about the peace-time. This reflects the author's feelings that the human race flourishes under pressure or in times of trouble. But, when a common enemy, such as a wall of ice or a giant flood, is removed, and humans are forced to cooperate with each other, the laughter fades away, and the violence and panic begins to rear.   

Who's The Baby?

In the ending scene of The Skin of Our Teeth a baby appears. Gladys says that the baby is hers. As I was reading, I was trying to figure out who this baby is. Because the play has many biblical references I thought the child might be Jesus. They do not give any hints to where the baby comes from or that Gladys had relations with any one. The play begins to restart and the world has a new chance at survival. This is where Jesus could have come in and helped his people. They wanted to start new and Jesus can help. The baby just appears when the destruction and war is over. After all the biblical references made I see no reason to suspect that the baby is Jesus.