Bria Jourdain                                                                                                   12/17/14

Final Draft                                                                                                      812

Many books have controversial topics like rebellion, harsh images, and violence that allow us to see lesson within. While these themes in the books are very harsh it allows students to learn more about the world. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, have many references towards war and violence. Through out the book, you see Satrapi’s journey during the Iranian revolution and students learn how to use their opinions, allow lessons to change their overall thinking, and can relate to their own lives, and therefore Persepolis shouldn’t be banned in our schools.

Persepolis encourages people to voice their point of views. In the article “Banned Books Awareness: “Persepolis” states, “If we don’t create opinions, we won’t have individualism,” said McDermott.”(2) Although, some parents and adults may see the book has, “…Powerful images of torture in the book,”(1) and this could allow students have premature or various thoughts on topics that they don’t have enough background on. However, most students didn’t think the images were problematic to begin with. Again in “Banned Books Awareness: “Persepolis” an eighteen year old who help with a protest stated, “If [students] can’t voice themselves, then we won’t have a country that’s individualistic.”(2) In addition, this is distinctly taught in the book. Earlier in the book, Satrapi learned that opinions should be heard. She explains to her parents that she wants to go to a protest, although, her parents think it will be an unsafe environment. She stated, “For a revolution to succeed, the entire population must support it.” (10) Opinions are taught to be use to acknowledged the world around us; therefore Persepolis has every right to enforce powerful images.

Persepolis advocates a new way of learning. Students were able to learn about a time where authority was being questioned and what consequences followed. In many cases bombing was almost a daily part of life. One day Satrapi decided to buy clothes, quickly after this event, her neighborhood was bombed. She rushed home to find it was safe, however, her neighbor’s home wasn’t. She stated, “No scream in the world could have relieved my suffering and anger.”(142) Greif-stricken by this event, she is worried what will come next. This includes an intimate view, which allows students to learn to value life like Satrapi did. On the other hand, in the article “Banning Persepolis” teachers and parents argue that these images can, “Insult the intelligence of its students.”(2) Yet, students of Chicago schools are able to go to a Holocaust museum, which has alarming, and starling images, that students are still able to learn lessons.

There are countless scenes in the text that many can relate to. In the book Satrapi has to leave her home because her parents want her to have exceeding opportunities. Before she left she spoke to the people that meant the most to her. She stated, “I never realized how much they loved me. And I understood how important they were too me.”(149) Satrapi realized the sacrifices she made, which many students faced or will face in the coming years. Students should be able to read the text because like Satrapi, students are able to see the good and some of the bad in life. Although, people believe that teachers need special ‘training’ to teach students these about themes, because some students might be sensitive to topics that are introduced in the book. Yet, many parents who have read the book haven’t had any complaints based on the subjects presented. Thousands of teachers and students have the book and it has been approved in many schools.

Persepolis is an intelligent book that allows students to form opinions and learn about new topics. It has a great impact on students, which presented a new view on topics such as violence. Up to now, many people agreed that this memoir should be banned because of its powerful messages. Furthermore, students shouldn’t be exposed to these topics. Some adults believe that students won’t be able to process strong material and they won’t be mature enough. Yet, many have stated without the unyielding images there wouldn’t be individualism, opinions, or new ways of learning. Persepolis shouldn’t be banned in our schools because it helped discover a new world in reading.

        Works cited

"Banned Books Awareness: Persepolis." Banned Books Awareness. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.

"Banning Persepolis?" Socialistworker.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.

Marjane Satrapi “Persepolis: A Story of a Childhood” Marjane Satrapi Jun. 1. 2004

Access Nov. 27. 2014

 Bria Jourdain 812

                                                              Social Awareness Project

Poem

I look around and see hope

Lives beaming in front of me.

Yet my life barely has a flame

My life’s beam in taken away.

People think I’m hopeless

That I’m a shame

Barely nothing.

I can be anything.

But I won’t be anything.

So I’m stuck

For nothing.

As much as I believe my appearance

Is nothing

It’s something.

And as much as I believe my life has a flame

That I can build a path to success

It’s nothing.

This poem is about how people can look down others. It can be simply about race or how others look at a certain group of people. While writing this poem I tried to really think about what I would feel in these types of situations. I believe that more people should really think about this topic. Lives are being wasted because people are prejudice. Therefore I wanted to explain that in my poem.

Interview

I interviewed my father because has lived in Park Slope for most of his life. Therefore he has seen many changes throughout the neighborhood.

    Have you had experiences in your lifetime based on discrimination? If so what were they?

Yes I have had experiences. I’m Haitian-American, when I was in seventh grade AIDS was a new disease. People said people who had Haitian descent had AIDS. The discrimination that I faced when I was a student at that time was people who I thought that were my friends, turn out not to be my friends. They feared that they could catch AIDS from me. Although some didn’t care and accepted me but it wasn’t like they became my friends.

       Have these experiences affected you? Why or why not?

It has made me see how people have looked at me differently. Some people recognize me when on the block and when I’m not on the block they don’t. It has made me see that people see what they only want to see not what is actually in front of them. People have a perception on how to look at other people.

     Have others changed based on different experiences?

One night, I was walking home I saw my neighbor and I said hello. And my neighbor quickly said hi to me not knowing who I was, just saying hi to be nice. Then they realized who I actually was and said, “Oh hi, sorry out of context!” This has changed people because sometimes the people, who are talking to you, might be people you actually know. You don’t need to put some sort of barrier.

    What does discrimination mean to you?

Ignorance. People do not understand what one person or one thing is really about. They have a pre-judgment, hence the word on prejudice on that person or that one thing.

    What do you want to improve in Park Slope or in other places?

When I first lived in Park Slope it was very diverse. It was an even spread of ethnic groups. And it has changed over the years. Diversity is the key. And I wish we had more of that.

            Response

Discrimination lies everywhere. To the streets that you walk on, or the history that many have faced. In the poem, Incident by Countee Cullen states one person’s encounter with racism. The poem explains how people only want to see what they want to see.

            Discrimination is making a distinction on a person or a group. It can be in favor or against the person or group. Yet most of the time it turns out be against. In the poem it states, “And so I smiled, but he poked out his tongue and called me, “Nigger”. The speaker in the poem found a someone staring at them. To response to this, the speaker smiled. Then the boy responded rudely. He only chose to see that person as a derogatory label. The text also states, “Now I was eight and very small, And he was no whit bigger,” They are both the same age. Therefore the boy is already being influence by things around him. He is also seeing what other people want him to see. While the speaker only saw the boy as eight year old, just like him.

            The poem allows the speaker to understand what everything really means. The text states, “I saw the whole of Baltimore,” the speaker is seeing what Baltimore is based on his encounter. That there is something more than just age, there’s race. That’s the one thing the speaker will never forget about Baltimore. As nice as you can be to someone, people will have that barrier towards you. That’s what he found towards the other boy.

            Discrimination should be something that we should think about. We all could be doing it in a very simple way. Discrimination is something that is hurting us. It can easily stop someone from getting a job or like in the poem, being friendly to others. It’s a barrier that we all have, however some of us allow it to affect our perception, while others look over it.