When you said we would be reading a graphic novel I thought graphic as in intense violence and sex. I never thought it would be something like this. However weirded out I was about the prospect of reading a graphic novel I am actually enjoying it. I think that after last class discussion, books such as these deserve as much or not more credit then non graphic novels do. Creating something as compelx as Persepolis would not only take a inordinate amount of time but character development would become a totally different kind of task. Using pictures to illustrate such a grown up topic is an interesting concept. I think that Satrapi is incredibly gifted. Her illustrations only completely prove what she is conveying. The black and white drab pictures demonstrate her point about individuality as seen in Iran. Obviously, Satrapi grew up in a collectivistic society where personal opinion and ideals were not valued. The rulers of Iran all seem to have had a common goal: kill the individual so they cannot think on their own rather as a group. I could never imagine growing up in circumstances that Satrapi describes and illustates. I find it almost unimaginable, and at the same time I wish at some point I had experienced something like seh did because it obviously gives you a unique and wise perspective on life. This story is told from the eyes of such a young child and that persepctive is very valuable. I think that her life experiences are worth more than the those in textbooks. It is impossible to get as close to an occurance such as the one described without getting personal accounts of feelings and thoughts. These people are real. They are not scholars or professors. They do not have doctorates in history or ethics. These are ordinary people who went through exra ordinary things. Not only is the viewpoint unique in that, it is also unique because it comes from the eyes of a child. Rarely do readers see experiences through the eyes of youth. Children most definately have a unique and invaluable sense of life and what it means to be a human. Children are far closer to basic instinct and intuition than adults are. They are closer to innocence and farther from corruption. I also find the premise of this story to be similar to One Hundred Years. Although the plots are compeltely different and the authors could not be farther from each other in every way, they explore similar realities regarding human nature and basic human rights. It is interesting that in every story we have read so far the moral imperative is severly questioned in each instance. I also think that the author in these two stories in particular seems very transcendent. They hold absolute power and without them there is absolutely nothing. This remains true for other books as well, however I thin that these stories remain unique in that they are based in fact just as much as in fiction. I think that each author yeilds an extrordinary power over the lives of their charcters. I never realized any of this Iranian history until I started to read this book. I think it is important for people to familiarize themselves with world history and hear stories like Satrapi's. History always repeats itself and if we do not take measures to correct the mistakes of the past the future will be mistake ridden as well. I think that is Satrapi's point in writing this.