The scene in the book that I felt I related to the most starts on page 80 (to pg. 86) in Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Marjane was visiting her father at work when they heard a BOOM sound from outside.The sound was from the Iraqi fighter planes bombing Marjane's country, Iran. Instantly you see her transform from an adolescent preteen, to a patriotic supporter of her country. The first thing that comes to mind is when I was in High School and the World Trade Centers were boomed by planes flying into them; as well as,"THOSE ASSHOLES(pg.80)!" That same day on 9/11 there were 12 recruiters, which was more then the usual one recruiter we had on campus. If I hadn't been a Junior in High School I would have enlisted. I too instantly became patriotic and supported of my president (even though I'm a total liberal), and forgot the fact that he was an idiot. Nevertheless, I had the overwhelming feeling that we needed to boom who ever did this. 
As the war went on and the more I learned about what was actually happening in our war, the more I shared similar beliefs as Marjane's parent, I began to see the bigger picture. We went from being at war with Afghanistan to being at war with Iraq as well. Then from Afghanistan and Iraq to 'terrorist' and 'weapons of mass destruction'. I was patriotic to my troops but not to the war, patriotic to our people but not to our president. Sure enough all the kids that enlisted that day on 9/11from my school were the poor kids. Instead of promises of gold keys that open to heaven, it was promises of financial stability.Objective Interpretation:
I feel that Marjane Satrapi is trying to illustrate (no pen intended) in Persepolis, how important critical thinking really is. Throughout the book Marjane is investigating every event and action that is occurring all around her. For the most part the book in one constant 'train of thought' after another. She show her initial reaction to the situation at hand, then evolves her thinking with each evidences that she finds. The moral (at least for the moment) is don't be a sheep. I feel that at the time of 9/11, I was so 'gun hoe', similar to how she was when her country was boomed. I didn't feel the need to question my government just as she believed her local broadcast-while her parents wanted to hear the BBC.
I felt the same way when the the planes hit on 9/11. I also felt the same way once the government was making the war into a war for oil. I thought we were there to serve justice to terrorist? Now we have more soilders dead or injured than we could ever imagine. I am all for supporting the troops, but it is wrong to mislead someone into battle especially if they are willing to risk their lives for it.
ReplyDeleteI like your post Erikah. I agree with you that all governments try to deceive young people to participate in the war against their fellow creatures. One government deceives them by promises of gold keys that open to heaven, and another one does by promises of financial stability.If each of us tried to increase our consciousnesses and be awakened, nobody could deceive us, and there would be no war in the world.
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