Iranian Literature Sampling; Persepolis: Day 1

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Thank you for participating (and running) the coffeehouse last night. Good job!

The 8th graders are taking a math exam today in our lab. So, let's watch this instead:

Persepolis (2008) by Marjane Satrapi

But first a little history of Iran. Watch the crash course video and learn something about Iranian culture/history for context.

Hafez: (Persian/Iranian poet)

Ode 44 (translated by Richard le Gallienne) 
Last night, as half asleep I dreaming lay,
    Half naked came she in her little shift,
         With tilted glass, and verses on her lips;
Narcissus-eyes all shining for the fray,
         Filled full of frolic to her wine-red lips,
         Warm as a dewy rose, sudden she slips
    Into my bed – just in her little shift.
Said she, half naked, half asleep, half heard,
With a soft sigh betwixt each lazy word,
‘Oh my old lover, do you sleep or wake!’
And instant I sat upright for her sake,
And drank whatever wine she poured for me –   
Wine of the tavern, or vintage it might be
Of Heaven’s own vine: he surely were a churl
Who refused wine poured out by such a girl,
A double traitor he to wine and love.
Go to, thou puritan! the gods above
Ordained this wine for us, but not for thee;
Drunkards we are by a divine decree,
Yea, by the special privilege of heaven
Foredoomed to drink and foreordained forgiven.   
Ah! HAFIZ, you are not the only man
    Who promised penitence and broke down after;
For who can keep so hard a promise, man,   
    With wine and woman brimming o’er with laughter!
O knotted locks, filled like a flower with scent,
How have you ravished this poor penitent!

Today we will be watching Persepolis (2008) by Marjane Satrapi.

At the link, you can find (fortunately) the original graphic novel. Please take a bit of time to look at how the graphic novel differs from the film by reading some of the novel and comparing/contrasting the different genres. Notice how the film, at its heart, is a traditional bildungsroman--coming of age story. Issues of gender and women are interwoven with post-colonial issues. See the links on the sidebar regarding comic book history/culture. And comicon.

At 8:45 Ms. Aspenleiter needs to take your senior picture again.

HOMEWORK: Read your selected novel. Aim to complete your novel by Friday this week. 

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