Persepolis

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In 1979, Iran experienced a revolution that transformed their political and social institutions. What do you know about the 1979 Revolution in Iran?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt will help students develop a contextual understanding of the events in the book. It will also contribute to students’ understanding of the unique aspects of the author’s experiences involving the themes of Coming of Age During Revolution, Civil Unrest, and War and Family Resistance and Heroism.

• a detailed overview of the events pre- and post-revolution in Iran from Britannica
• HistoryPod describes the timeline of the Iranian Revolution succinctly

2. Communist ideology is prevalent in many societies around the world, and it has inspired many rebellions and revolutions in the 20th century. Describe what you know of the fundamentals of the communist ideology. What type of political, economic, and social structure do communists believe in and advocate for?

Teaching Suggestion: This question encourages students to think about a political ideology they may not be entirely familiar with. Since the author mentions this ideology frequently in the novel without a detailed explanation, it is important that students have an understanding of the fundamentals as well as its relation to the revolution in Iran.

• a detailed overview of the ideals and history of communism from Britannica
• Marxist.com shares the story of the revolution in Iran through the perspective of a workers’ revolution

Short Activity

In many societies around the world, individuals wear head coverings for religious reasons as well as traditional purposes. Working in small groups, select one region of the world and research the head coverings worn in that region. What do these head coverings look like? What is their meaning and importance in society? Why are they worn in this region?

Teaching Suggestion: The introduction of the veil and the subsequent protests and social and political fallout of its forced use is a major element of Satrapi’s story. This activity will help students understand not only the prevalence of such items of clothing but also the ramifications of wearing or being forced to wear such highly visible representations of the wearer’s beliefs or social status. Students should be encouraged to research a variety of types of head coverings for both men and women and to present their findings with the class. This relates to the first Teacher Resource on teaching about the veil.

• DW provides pictures and a brief explanation of different religious head coverings from around the world.