Response to Persepolis (by Jana Cawthon)

1.      The illustrations are simple and bold, there is very little detail. The simple illustrations are appropriate for the story being told because they are from a child’s perspective. No color is used but the illustrations don’t seem dreary or dull at all. The black and white drawings seem to magnify the simple way the girl saw things she didn’t understand.

2.      Presenting this story as a graphic novel really does an excellent job of telling the story through the eyes of a child. We see things as she saw them and feel the confusion, fear, passion and anger she felt over the things happening in her world and family. This story might lose the uniqueness being told by a child if it were a film. As a text novel this story would be difficult to read since most of it is told through dialogue.

3.      Marji, the little girl narrates the story and tells us her personal thoughts about the things she is hearing and seeing.

4.      On page 70 depicts Marji telling God to get out of her life. I think this scene is really significant because throughout the entire book Marji is hearing many different voices and seeing so much controversy that she has no control over. At this point in the story her friend has just died and she feels her world spinning out of control as the war starts; Marji feels God has failed her, she is angry and hurt. This would have been a very confusing time to be a child and it just solidifies the feeling that Marji feels like no one can understand how she feels and no one can make it better.