PERSEPOLISINTRODUCTION TO

Table of Contents

1. Disclaimer2. East and West3. History of Iran4. Islam5. Key Themes

General DisclaimerCountries, cultures and religions are complex and multifaceted. As the world gets more and more interconnected, we can’t afford to be lazy when it comes to understanding people different from ourselves.

The goal of this presentation is to help you understand what the characters in Persepolis are talking about, not to “explain away” the realities of their lives.

The East

The East refers to countries:• on the Asian continent• (from Turkey to China)

• that were NOT influenced by Ancient Greece or Christianity.

• Common Names:– in eastern Asia = the Far East– in western Asia = the Middle East

The Middle EastTurkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Israel, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco (Afghanistan, Pakistan)

The West

The West refers to countries:• in Europe and North and South America– especially countries like Britain, Germany, France

and the USA• whose mainstream cultural heritage comes

from Greek, Roman and Christian traditions

The West

The East vs. The West

The terms “East” and “West”…• have been common

for centuries• are a convenient

way to group cultures

• are often used as stereotypes

Iran

« Tehran

IRAQIRAN

SAUDIARABIA

l ancient cityof Persepolis

Iran

The country that is now Iran used to be the Persian Empire:• founded by Cyrus the Great in 500 BC• (at the time) was the largest empire in history• an advanced and accomplished civilization• conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC

Persepolis

• capitol ofPersian Empire

• founded by KingCyrus the Great

• a symbol of past greatness of Iran

Background Knowledge: Islam

• Islam is the second largest religion in the world.• People who believe in Islam are called Muslims.• Muslims believe God (called Allah) spoke to the

prophet Muhammad so that he could write The Qur’an, their bible.

• Muslims believe that a pure life (according to the Five Pillars of Islam) is the path to heaven.

Background Knowledge: Sha’ria Law

• the application of Islamic teachings to civil laws and government is called Sha’ria

• when the author refers to “fundamentalists,” she is referring to Muslims who want to make Sha’ria the official law of Iran.

ThemesClass System- wealth vs. poverty- education vs. ignorance

Growing Up - establishing identity in one’s family- in one’s society

Restrictive Government- lacking freedom to choose beliefs- little to no access to information

Marginalization (Being an Outsider)- not feeling like you truly fit into a group

Check for understanding

1. The primary difference between the East and West is

a. Western culture heavily influenced by Greco Roman or Judeo Christian values.

b. Eastern culture is mostly Asian and there are very few Caucasians.

c. Western culture is on one side of the globe and Eastern culture is on the other side of the globe.

d. There is little to no difference.

Check for understanding

2. Geographically, Iran is located between:a. Morocco and Spainb. Iraq and Afghanistanc. Sudan and Saudi Arabiad. Turkey and Turkmenistan

Check for understanding

3. Who is the author of Persepolis?a. Sasheer Zamatab. Malala Yousafzai c. Marjane Satrapid. Kareena Kapoor

Check for understanding

4. What is the meaning of the title Persepolis?a. City of pursesb. Persepolis is the name of an ancient city

that was once the Capital of the ancient Persian Empire that is now in ruins.