Persepolis Warfare

No matter where you live in the world, you probably know what war is like in some aspect. (Even if you live under a rock somewhere, you must have an Xbox under there with you to play Call of Duty with, right?) Perhaps you, a friend, or family member has served in the armed services. Or perhaps your hometown has been the subject of attack. In Persepolis, Marjane lives in Tehran, which is subject to relentless bombing throughout Marjane's childhood there. Many of her friends and family members also either serve in the war or are prisoners of war. She makes it perfectly clear that war is hell, no matter how you experience it.

Questions About Warfare

1. How does the war affect Marjane and her family?
2. Will Iran ever know a time of peace or will it always be at war?
3. Marjane wants her dad to fight. Why doesn't Marjane's dad serve in the war?
4. How do the people of Vienna see the war in Iran differently than the Iranians do?

Chew on This

Going through things that other teens and young adults go through—drug abuse, failed relationships, divorce—isn't easy for Marjane, but she's able to cope with it all a little better because she was raised in a war zone.

Iran often gets depicted as the bad guy during its many times of war, but more often than not, it is the victim of invasion, not the other way around.