The shabbat by marjane satrapi

https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWrGkdzGINY

Discussion Questions

What do clothes say about the people who wear them? When do they become an expression of identity?

During the civil rights movement in the United States, some African Americans wore a hairstyle called the Afro, which was considered an expression of black history, culture, and pride. When do expressions of identity become a protest?

Do you think that the state/government have the right to tell you what you can or cannot wear?

Reading Assignment Discussion questions

Immigration: What does being Iranian mean to Marjane as she adjusts to life as an exile in Austria?

Class Politics: how are the different factions of society affected by the revolution? In other words, discuss the people who have migrated to other countries as a result of the war and those families who decided to stay in Iran after the revolution.

Coming-of-Age: What are the stages in Marjane’s downward spiral that ends with her living on the streets? To what extent does she take responsibility for her failings? What changes has she gone through that lead her to embrace the veil and to return to Iran?

Humor: American writer William Zinsser has written that “humor is the writer’s armor against the hard emotions.” Is this the way that Satrapi seems to be using humor when she says that “every situation offered an opportunity for laughs” (97) and again that laughter is “the only way to bear the unbearable” (266)? What instances of humor stand out to you? Why?

Sexuality: How does Marji cope with her romantic relationships and sexual maturity in Austria?

The Iranian Revolution: How is revolution portrayed in the book? In Satrapi’s account, what are the stages of the revolution and what do these stages mean for the Iranian people?

The Shabbat and The dowry

As the bombing increased, Marji and her family lived with her Jewish neighbors but do not survive the next bombing raid.

The dowry becomes a revealing chapter as it shows the negative effects of the war. Marji’s family does not believe that she is safe in Iran and force her to migrate to Austria after they witness the execution of a young rebellious woman.

Her mother is gripped with fear by her rebelliousness, explaining that she risks execution, which is even worse for young women because it is against the law to kill a virgin. To circumvent this law, a Guardian of the Revolution will marry a condemned virgin, take her virginity, execute her, then sends a meagre dowry (and message) to her family. I

Part 2 Begins

Who makes Marjane feel at home in Austria? How do they do it?

What does a person need to feel at home in a foreign place?

Why do you think Marjane ends up with her group of "outsider" friends? What are your impressions of them?

Let’s discuss Marji’s life in Germany. How does she communicate with her roommate?

How does Marji cope with western holidays including Christmas?

Compare and contrast Marjane's friends at school with Lucia and her family in Tyrol. In what ways do they make Marjane feel better about her new life?

Pasta

What is Anarchism, and why do you think Marjane's friends are so interested in it?

What are some of the key differences between the culture in which Marjane was raised and the Western culture into which she tries to assimilate after she move