Week 2: Culturally Relevant Book Clubs

Before the group discussion:

So far I have loved reading this book. The style of an autobiographical graphic novel is so interesting visually and tells a story in such a unique way. This story is told with such vulnerability and detail that I often find myself feeling the things that Marjane does as she travels throughout her life, even though I have never lived through conditions such as hers. I think that the experience of being human and vulnerable like this can always be shared, even if one's own life experiences don't mirror the character's experiences. I love how she talks through tough moments about her life in Iran and the pain of not knowing where she fits in is very visceral in her storytelling. Throughout these chapters, I can tell that Marjane is constantly evolving and that her identity will continue to evolve as the book continues. 

After group discussion:

1.) What do we know and understand about the main character’s sociocultural background/ identities?

We discussed the fact that Marjane is someone who is extremely politically conscious and aware of the changes that are occurring in Iran. Her family is also deeply involved in the various revolutions of the Iranian state and many of her family members have been directly affected by the religious regime that is in place. Marjane's family supports various tenants of Marxism and socialist ideologies and this is where a lot of Marjane's understandings come from. On the other hand, she has also received part of her education in a non-religious secular French school, which means she also has a complicated relationship with religion. Throughout her story we see her relationship with God start to decrease as she experiences more hardships in her life. Through this "Westernized" schooling she also has an appreciation for rebellious music and counterculture. She often wears jeans, paints her nails, and buys black market punk cassettes or CDs. 

2.) How does your own sociocultural background and identities and literacy or schooling experiences compare/contrast to the main character?

In reading this section, I connected deeply with the aspect of homesickness and not knowing where to fit in in a new environment. I've only ever lived away from my parents for a span of 5 months, but those 5 months were some of the most difficult because of how homesick I felt. I connected deeply with the pain Marjane felt as she lived her adolescence in Vienna. Although, I can't imagine what it would be like to live away from one's parents through one's most critical years and to be constantly worried about their safety and well-being. 

In terms of my schooling experiences, I think it's important to note the role that 9/11 plays in my understanding of certain aspects of the Iranian experience. Since I was schooled in a public school system in the post-9/11 era, the idea that middle-eastern countries are the "enemy" was very pervasive in my life. The Iraq War started only a few years later in 2003, the same year that this book was published. While I refused to buy into the fear-mongering, I definitely was limited in how much information was available to me about these conflicts until I entered college. I definitely would not have read this book when I was in school and was not exposed to "the other side" of the conflict either. It was in my late years of high school and early college years that I really found my voice as an activist and educated myself about why things in the world were happening. I think that as I grew up, I grew in similar ways as Marjane where I discovered that things are not always black and white and that it's important to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. 

3.) How do you reflect upon your positionality in relation to the characters in the novel?

I think that my positionally is similar to Marjane's in that we are both women who strive to be educated and like to think and write critically about our lives and lived experiences. Although I can relate a lot to Marjane, I think that no one can truly understand the pain of living through war unless you have lived through it as well. Although the US has been involved with many conflicts since I was born, they have been in distant places that place no immediate danger to myself. In that way, I think that this book is incredible in the way that it exposes the experience of living through such a horrific series of events. Because I can relate to the more human sides of Marjane's experience, I think that it makes her story more tender and real for the readers.