Two Plays

I hope everyone has been doing well!

Not exactly the opposites that Varinka and Byelinkov are,
but still opposites!

We're reading and acting out plays in Professor Patton's class, so I wanted to comment on some of them. A lot of people in class said Byelinkov and Varinka's marriage will be unsuccessful, or at least unhappy, but I actually disagree. It is a common saying that "opposites attract" and people don't get very much more different than those two! Varinka is so lighthearted and innocent, while Byelinkov seems very OCD. He is so inflexible and particular about his life. I can see why my classmates would think their marriage would be unhappy, since these two contrast so much. However, there are so many relationships with this kind of dynamic.

A free spirited girl or woman is rarely seen with a free spirited man. One is generally more down to earth and careful with decisions. The relationships I can think of all have quite different people involved. I wonder why that is. Why don't people with similar personalities attract each other? Maybe it's because everyone wants something different. I guess it would be tiring to only hear your thoughts and never any other opinions.

I think Varinka likes a challenge, too. She wants to change Byelinkov and try to make him a happier man. On the web, there are uncountable pages for women about changing the men they are with. I just typed "try to change him" into Google, and there came out so many results!

Varinka appears to have good intentions by trying to make Byelinkov's life cheerier and I think he will put up much resistance, but he will change slightly with her help. He may not become the free child Varinka is, but I bet some of his lifestyle will change.

Byelinkov's last actions are really odd. I don't really know what they mean; either it's foreshadowing hope for a sustainable relationship where he is going to soften up a bit, or it shows his inability to keep from sticking to his old habits. Those two options are quite opposites, I think. Huh.

"The Sound of a Voice" was quite enthralling. I feel as though people could make many different interpretations of what everything means. I wouldn't know how to interpret the play further from what the introduction says--that the play shows men with "their fear of losing themselves in love" and women fearing loneliness. It's interesting how the man tests himself by going to the woman in the first place. Perhaps this is trying to say that men battle with themselves when they enter relationships, trying to be consumed by love. I found an interesting article that explains why men fear relationships. It says the main source is fear of rejection and shame. I don't know which psychological notions to trust, though, since it seems like even extremely crazy ideas have some merit. Huh, symbols are so confusing, but I like how they let you interpret them however you like!

Good bye now!

Angie :)

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Plays are interesting extension of literature. A lot of how they get interpreted comes from the actors and actresses, which has sits pros and cons. It's strange how Mikhail Baryshnikov was chosen to play Byelinkov. I don't think he'll be able to accurately portray Byelinkov's traditional views. Byelinkov is supposed to be quite conservative and not stray too far from what he's used to, which means male dancers are probably not acceptable to him. Choosing someone so different from the character as the actor doesn't seem particularly smart. Baryshnikov is probably naturally more open minded, and it would be hard to hide this even when acting.

Inflexible Byelinkov

I personally don't believe Byelinkov will enjoy his marriage. By tearing up his note, he made it clear that he wasn't open to altering his routine life. Encasing the ripped up note in an envelope just furthers this statement. The play is called "Man in a Case" for a reason--he will always keep to his habit of preserving all his belongings to get the most use out of them, which says he is not willing to change. I don't blame him; routines are rather efficient. Keeping to a regular schedule ensures productivity.
This play doesn't seem particularly feminist. The woman is portrayed as a little girl trying to marry a sophisticated man. Although she rides a bike, which may have seemed liberating and progressive at the time, she doesn't display many mature characteristics. She is only focused on making her future husband happy. This seems to further the subjective role of the woman, to me at least. I believe feminism is characterized by advancing the woman's role in society, not by pleasing men.
"The Sound of a Voice" also seems to have gender tensions. In the beginning, the woman keeps to her traditional role as a caretaker and the man tries to show his masculinity by chopping wood. However, when he plays with his belly, he seems to display a more feminine side to him. Men are "supposed" to be strong and confident, with few insecurities. Women, on the other hand, are stereotyped to care more about appearances and superficial situations. As the man's "womanly" side starts to show, he desperately attempts to hold onto his "strong" side by practicing swordplay and playing with his life.

"The Sound of a Voice" may have an Asian background, but I believe it can be applied to anyone. While it is impossible to characterize everyone with one description, there are aspects of this play in most people. There will always be a struggle for power in any relationship. For example, the issue of states rights has been going on ever since the U.S. declared independence! Power might just be the cause of the end of humanity. All these big corporations and industries are exploiting our world's resources to have the biggest influence. Crazy.

Deb.

Play!

My, people are so talented!

Kevin's backdrop

I couldn't believe how well my classmates acted! Kevin made the most beautiful backdrop for "The Man in a Case" and even memorized his lines! His outfit was really adorable, too. He set the bar extremely high, but he didn't make anyone look bad. Young Mi really embodied her part as Varinka, playing her with her usual sweetness. Her accent and appearance just made her character seem all the more kind. It was really entertaining watching the two dance, since it was only slightly awkward--in that cute way, though.

From "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" Movie

The scene with the galoshes and the bike was quite hilarious. When I read the play, the galoshes didn't seem that ridiculous, but when it was acted out, every time Byelinkov's galoshes were mentioned, I had to stifle my laughter. I didn't realize how uptight galoshes made people seem! Megan was amazing at acting, but I expected that since she seems like the type to enjoy theater. She only had to glance at her lines to know what to say and made her actions very convincing.

Skeptical Miguel

I enjoyed Allyson as WOMAN in "The Sound of a Voice" since she seemed very motherly. As she played her part, she made it clear she was a mom because her voice was so caring and knowledgeable. Miguel, of course, played his part with drama. With the lines so short, I expected it to be difficult to add a lot of emotion, but he found a way around it. He did make the MAN seem more skeptical than I pictured him to be when I read the play. Miguel used facial expressions and intonations to portray suspicion of the WOMAN's sanity, since the WOMAN did say some creeper-like comments.
I found Tim's portrayal of the MAN extremely hilarious. His voice is just so calm and monotonous. I could tell that he was trying to add emotion, but the way his words come out reminds me slightly of Squidward from Spongebob. That isn't a bad thing, though! It's unique!
The stomach scene was a lot more funny when Austin acted it out compared to when I read it. I guess the awkwardness needs to be seen to get the full impact of everything.
I found Josh Yeon's interpretation of the MAN particularly interesting. He made the MAN seem incredibly gentle, while everyone else acted the MAN out with more masculinity. I think Josh Yeon's acting did a really good job of showing the MAN's transition to a more feminine phase, though. He seemed to understand the complexities of the play, with all the dynamics and everything.
I don't know how I did in my part, but I had fun at least! It's nice to show the class what I thought the WOMAN was like :)
Well, goodnight everyone!
Angie :)

Dramatic head turns

The plays weren't actually that bad today. I was surprised at how much effort everyone put into their parts. Some had their lines memorized pretty well; I expected people to be unprepared and just reading off their scripts. Well, I guess that's the good thing about having low expectations--you won't be let down as often. It was interesting to see all the different interpretations of the plays, with each scene having different portrayals of the characters. Having people read off the papers kind of took away from the plays, though, since they weren't making eye contact or clear facial expressions. Then again, this is an English class, not a drama one. Still, they did a good job of being dramatic. 
Every scene was pretty entertaining, and even though some people got more into their parts than others, everyone impressed me. I didn't expect some of my classmates to not be afraid of acting silly, although, these couple of plays were relatively serious.
Well, I guess I'll just keep this post short.
Deb.

Poetry

May the wonderful bliss of the night be with all of you!

Oh, that sounds more like a goodbye than a hello. I guess I need to work on my poetry. Today basically consisted of talking about the poems we read for homework. I loved listening to everyone give their own impressions of what we read. It seems that the first two poems were about admiring a poem for how it sounds over dissecting its meaning. I think that's something schools should teach. Poems are a mode of expression--an art form! They don't always need to always allude to something; they can just be read and listened to.

I'm sure the poets don't expect readers to break down every line and examine every rhyme to try to understand the intended meaning. They just want us to enjoy what they have made and let it be!

My favorites were the first and last ones--they were the most pleasant to me. In class, we extended one of the poems by adding lines of what we thought were miracles. I didn't realize how deep my classmates were! When I heard some of the imagery, it was as if I was transported to another world!
Professor Patton says it would be good in include some of our own poetry, so I want to try:

Bathe in the power of presence

Let anxiety float as dandelion seeds into the open

Listen to lives and the workings of the mind

Jump into the brightness of others

Open the box to escape

Go

Well, that was totally weird. I tried to put my thoughts into less direct words and that's what came out. It's a bit incomprehensible, I think. Oh well, think of it what you will!

Here are some videos a friend showed me on spoken word, which is like poetry spoken out, but is slightly different.
I think teachers will like this one. It's really wonderful :)

The next one, called "Knock Knock" is pleasantly empowering:

The last one is a bit longer--5 minutes and 26 seconds--but it's incredibly inspiring. If you're having a bad day, listen to this! Listen fully--with all your attention. Feel the rhythm and words. 

Good day!
Angie :D


Meh, poetry? It seems rather unnecessary to me. Why say things so obscurely? Just speak as clearly as possible, darn it! Why make people question what you mean?
I didn't feel particularly liberated when I didn't have to adhere to normal syntax and grammar. It was just chaos. We need order in our lives people! We have there rules for a reason! How can we communicate effectively if people just disregard the rules?
Letting everything go up for interpretation is just not efficient. I'll give you an example:

Stepping through the array of swirls
Brightness ceases to fade
The breeze chides irrelevant thoughts
With the mind banished,
Only present matters

Doesn't that make no sense? What is it describing? Everyone might have different interpretations and there will be no consensus! Chaos will erupt and life will not continue peacefully.
Deb.

More about the Setting

Good evening friendly friends :)

So we learned a bit more about Iran and Islam today! There was some shocking material that was revealed! When this girl was trying to file some complaints about her husband, the man in charge said girls could get married as soon as they reached puberty, which may start at 9 years old! I was like 

Gross old men pretending to be 27.

What kind of madness is this? And the girl that was complaining was really a girl--she said she had a right to get an education because she was still a schoolgirl. I'm glad that she was fighting for her rights as a woman, but how could she get into such a horrible situation? She seemed to want guarantees from her husband, but when she asked what the legal age women could marry at, it was as if she felt she shouldn't be allowed to be married to that man. That man, by the way, said he was 27, but he looked pretty darn middle-aged to me! I bet nothing changed for her marriage even after going to the authorities. Seeing how corrupt the government was in Persepolis, it's unlikely that man she was talking to would have done anything. He didn't seem to care much, anyway. Why can't people be more caring?

Then we learned that women are considered 1/2 of men in Iran under the Islamic law. Now I'm sure the Koran doesn't say that! How can things be so misinterpreted?! Blood money for a woman is only 1/2 that of a man? Jeeze! I don't really see how you can buy a life using money, but that is besides the point! They cannot just say a woman is worth less than a man! They must be enlightened! Someone must show them the way!

I was happy to see some women demonstrating for equality, though! They were rallying and making speeches. It was a pleasant sight.

After that, we learned about some potential conspiracies about 9/11. It was really shocking. Could the U.S. really have planned it all and killed all those citizens? What would have been the benefit of that? I heard some people saying the U.S. would have benefited from going to war, but how is that possible? No one benefits from killing others! Why are people so blind?!

Well, I can only hope that it wasn't a conspiracy. That would make me lose a lot of faith in our nation. We're supposed to be the leaders in world peace! Actually, I'm sure it wasn't a conspiracy! I know we wouldn't kill our own people just to get into war! That is just ridiculous!

Enjoy life, my people!

Angie :)

Hah, what an interesting day. Some of these Iranian laws are just crazy. They can marry off girls at 9 legally? Men can divorce women without a good cause or consent? Women are valued at half that of men? My, and I only learned about this today! That shows how uneducated Americans are. We only care about our country and our people, disregarding the rest of the world. If I hadn't taken this class and had a teacher who required us to research and teach the class, I'd be left in the dark. Maybe not for forever, but who knows when I'd learn about the specifics of Iranian rule.

Some are probably reassured by the women lobbying for equality, but they don't realize that those women are just arrested and killed. It's amazing what control of the army can do. And the soldiers are trained to have no mind of themselves. They're just brainwashed to do whatever they're told. 

I found the conspiracies for 9/11 quite interesting. I can see our government doing something like killing thousands of Americans to justify getting into a war. Only in a democracy would something like that be necessary. In a dictatorship, the government doesn't need the consent of the people to go ahead with attacking another country. Then again, in a dictatorship, the government kill their own people without needing consent of the people. There is rarely enough of the country that has the courage to revolt and make an impact. I wonder how much of the nation is needed to resist to actually cause something to happen. The government is nothing without the people--if it doesn't have anyone to control, it has no power at all! It's pretty ridiculous how dictatorships work, actually. How is it that one person can control a whole nation when the people don't even like him? His control of the military plays a large role in keeping things in order, but how did he even gain authority of that? Common sense just seems to disappear the more you think about it.

My annoyance with the unreasonableness of people.

I guess this will be a short post today.

Deb.

Nearing the End

Hello my lovely people!

I realize I have been responding to like 60 pages at once, which is probably not the smartest thing to do. This book is so jam packed with subtle nuances that I'm just breezing over. So I'll try to break this last part into two.

Marjane really knows how to put a lot of meaning into her drawings. I bet there is a ton of symbolism in each box. For instance, the stairs picture is more abstract than an illustration of running to the basement. It shows how frantic everyone is--order isn't even present! Heh, I'm probably just making stuff up here. Marjane seems to use humor to display how paranoid everyone is about being seen--her dad fears the cigarette is visible even in the basement! I guess the cigarette also shows how stressful life is.

I wonder if the picture on page 104 is considered a collage. It shows a bunch of people calling each other to make sure everyone is alright and all the faces are jumbled together, but there are still speech bubbles. It kind of seems like a collage to me.

When I read that they had banned parties I was like 

How could they ban parties?! That is the craziest thing I have ever heard. And they even whipped their neighbor 75 times! What kind of crazy philosophy reasons this?

At least Marjane's family still partied. They know how to live. I agree with their friends saying life isn't bearable without parties. Seriously, you can't go through life without letting go a little! If all of Iran had listened to that crazy law, they would all have killed themselves by now. I don't know how people can stand going about life with complete seriousness. Crazy maniacs.

It's funny how Marjane's aunt just ditched her newborn baby. There are always stories about moms doing amazing feats just to save their babies, but this woman threw her baby away to save herself!

Then there was that intense situation with the guardians of the revolution about to arrest Marjane's family. I can't believe they could be bought off with money. That would never pass in America! They would get exposed and detained!

I did not get Marjane's joke about Iraq's army being bigger than America's though. I honestly have no idea what she meant by that.

So anyway, I'm surprised that ditching school is the second rule Marjane has broken. I thought she was a rebel! Oh well, I'm glad she's having fun. I didn't know who Rod Stewart was, though, so I looked him up. I'm surprised the guy with this hair hadn't been caught already! It seems so different from what Muslim men are supposed to have. And he's really not that hot. He actually looks a bit odd. If he wants to pose shirtless, he at least needs some muscles! Man, style back then was so weird.

Man, Marjane's mom is so strict! I didn't think she would get so angry at Marjane for missing class since the school curriculum isn't exactly agreeable. I guess her mom did cover for Marjane, but her emphasis on an education was still surprising. "You have to know everyone better than anyone else if you're going to survive"? That sets some pretty high expectations.

I can't tell if Marjane is being more rebellious than usual now days. When she was 10, she had gone to that revolution against her parents' demands. It doesn't seem like puberty is fueling her actions, though, since she hadn't been interested in the boys at Kansas. I also wonder why they called that place Kansas. Did Alice in Wonderland just come out or something? Oh wait, they couldn't watch movies, so I guess it's from something else.

Man, Iran had the chance of ending the war with Iraq paying for all the damage, but they refused! I felt like flipping a table. How could they think it was better to conquer that Shiite city than to let peace reign? Such ridiculousness, kind of like these Victoria Secret costumes.

It's really strange how Marjane sees smoking a cigarette as becoming an adult. Smoking is for losers! Maybe she doesn't know how bad smoking is for her health. I can sympathize with her, though. At times, I do things just to spite my mom. Who is she to tell me what to do? I can decide things for myself! Goodness! But I guess she is right most of the time...

Marjane being so stubborn at 12 years old does actually seem kind of normal. She's almost a teenager and thinks she knows everything about life. Then again, she did go through a lot in the past couple of years. So it seems justified that she acts so high and mighty.

I wonder why Marjane felt so embarrassed in the hospital, though. Her uncle had a legitimate reason for being in there, so it's not like Marjane's uncle was taking attention away from those hurt soldiers for some minor injury. It's crazy how her uncle couldn't get surgery when he needed it, especially since his situation was so intense! I have never faced being denied treatment because of a lack of doctors. Life must have been hectic there.

Marjane's dad seems so cool. He has so many connections! That guy selling fake passports could have saved the uncle's life (if he hadn't fled)! Huh, but it still ended sadly, with the uncle's wish never coming true, and that Jewish girl being executed. What sad times. 

I was shocked that Marjane's parents just left Marjane for a couple of weeks. What kind of loving family does that? They seemed happy enough; I don't think any re-ignition of romance was really needed. Oh well, at least her parents got some cool stuff for Marjane. They even smuggled some illegal posters back for their daughter! That's pretty awesome. Man, Marjane has the coolest parents. I laughed a little when Marjane said, "Far out!" She's so old school.
It was also really funny how the black market had such fun things for sale. Selling music like ABBA and Stevie Wonder so secretively seems so trivial, but they acted like they were selling guns or something! Well, I guess people only act so paranoid when they're selling guns because it's illegal if not done right...And selling music was illegal. Still, it was funny. 

I couldn't believe there was a group of police that would arrest people for not wearing a head scarf properly. I guess that might be like someone here getting arrested for wearing something obscene, but their standards are so crazy!

Marjane did a good job of making it entertaining, though, with her excuses about sneakers and black Michael Jackson. Oh, good times.

Then Well, I guess I will stop here!

Good day to you all!

Angie :)

It's crazy how the government was able to take so much control. I wonder if the other families truly believed that strict fundamentalism was the way to go, or if they were all just scared of getting caught as well. It's really strange how they ban board games, like chess. I can understand videos and cassette tapes, since those might have subversive material, but how does chess hurt the Islamic "republic"? Do they think that anything that requires thought will overthrow their government? Or do they just not want people to enjoy themselves? It's interesting how they equate fun to evil. Are there really people that avoid all things enjoyable to please their god? That is just really sad.

It's funny how Mrs. Nasrine kept on apologizing to God as she stepped on the grapes. I wonder if she believed in what the government was telling her and just broke the laws because her employers were so anti-government, or if she also didn't agree with the propaganda.

I think the aunt throwing her baby at Marjane is an indication that fear can overpower maternal instincts. Which is strange. If the goal of life is to produce viable offspring, from an evolutionary point of view, why would anyone overpower maternal instincts?

I was at first surprised that the guardians of the revolution could be bought off, but then I realized how normal that was. The whole government is corrupt anyway, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for the people at the lower levels to also be a little messed up. Money is really very corrupting. See? This is another example of the power of greed.

I don't think Marjane skipping class is the second time she broke the rules. What about all those parties and stuff? Maybe she means without the consent of her parents. It's kind of amazing that Marjane's friends could even focus on guys while the war was going on. I guess that goes to show how easy it is to distance oneself from tragic events, even if they're happening at home! When people hear of something happening in some other country, like those elementary school aged girls getting married off to middle aged men, they just say, "What a shame," and forget about it. Rarely does hearing about it affect their day. Even the Boston bombing barely had an effect on people in Boston! I was there during the bombing and the streets bustled about as usual after the event. The news was filled with the chase and Obama coming, and the streets were filled with police, but people carried on with their business as usual. I guess events just have to affect people's lives specifically to have any impact.

Marjane's mom does make a very good point about education. She clearly understands that her nation has fallen into this rut because so many can't read or write, and they haven't learned anything about the world. With a proper education, Marjane can make intelligent decisions and realize what is the proper thing to pursue. This idea about knowing everything better than everyone else is interesting. I wonder if that is specific to Iran. Supposedly, everyone has equal opportunity in America, and I guess it depends what you know more about than others. If you know what people want and how to talk, you'll be more successful than the other person trying to sell or make the same thing. I'm sure it's like that everywhere. Maybe unstable countries require more knowledge to navigate.

I did find it interesting how Iran used the war against Iraq to justify killing all those against the regime. Although, I wasn't sure if that is what they did. Did the government say there was only one war against another country, or did it say there were two--one against Iraq and one against the rebellion? In any case, it's a bit ridiculous how the country just kills those who are against its government. Perhaps it leaves only the faithful, but I'm sure millions of useful citizens were destroyed or they fled. That reminds me of another revolution. It might have been the French revolution, where Napoleon killed all of his commanding generals, so his army grew weak and then his nation failed. Such stupidity.

How Iran's government should feel.

Marjane's first smoke did not seem like a transition to adulthood. Where do children get the idea that doing what their parents tell them not to do (Well, Marjane's mom didn't even tell her not to smoke) makes them an adult? Perhaps they think that doing so is like making decisions for themselves, but listening to parents is also a personal decision. If you know the reasoning behind what they say and agree with it, then following their instructions is just as mature.

Kids these days.

I can't believe that window washer became a director just because he became super religious. The reasoning behind some of Iran's actions are just crazy. Of course, I understand that they'd prefer ardent followers over actual professionals. I'm surprised things aren't going worse for their country. I'd expect everything to be run improperly, with not enough or untrained workers and management.

It's really frustrating to read what's happening, because the reasoning behind denying treatment for the uncle is caused by their own country and is completely preventable. Those in charge just want more suffering for some reason. I can't believe the masses haven't risen against the government yet. Perhaps they don't realize how unnecessary the conditions are.

Then when I read how the people from Iran and Iraq are being used as guinea pigs for German chemical weapons, my disappointment in humanity just deepened. I think I've asked enough rhetorical questions to leave it at that.

I was actually pretty touched when Marjane's parents went through all that trouble to bring Marjane back some gifts. It almost outweighed the fact that they left her alone in a country at war.

It's a little hard to take the black market seriously when they sell things like Pink Floyd music and chess sets. I guess when someone tells you that you'll get punished for selling one thing or another, it becomes risky and exciting. To them, things like that were like drugs now days. Maybe in the future, there will be something worse for us, and drugs will just become like snack food. It's interesting how standards change with time.

Well, there are only a couple dozen pages left, so I expect them to be good.

Deb.

The Revolution Taking Hold

How is everyone on this fine Halloween?

I know I should have blogged right after finishing the reading, but I got a little lazy and waited until now. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get more out of it in the second read-through!
Anoosh's philosophy was quite interesting. I guess when you're a firm believer in a type of government, like Marxist communism, there is no stopping your faith that it will triumph in the end. He saw the religious leaders taking control over the revolution as a stepping stone towards a proletariat-ruled country. I guess it's nice to know that people have so much hope (especially after he has been tortured), but I think he's a little misguided. Is it better to keep up this hope or accept that the revolution is not going in the right direction? I guess since he's about to die, ignorance might be a better decision.
Maybe if he realized that the people of Iran wouldn't be able to break from the Islamic control and lead a workers' revolt, he might not be so complacent with the current route. Then he could try to educate everyone about the proper way Iran should be run and everything would turn out fine! One person does have immense power, you know! For example, Martin Luther King Jr may not have won African Americans more rights by himself, but he certainly united the masses and was a huge factor in making it all happen. 
I felt bad for Marjane when her father scoffed at her for believing that 99.99% voted for an Islamic government. She's just a little girl! Even I would believe it if the TV reported a poll like that! He can't blame people for thinking that other people are telling them the right thing! I guess he wished she was more skeptical, like this baby over here. =>
I couldn't believe that the revolutionaries were being killed by the people they supported. Everything is just blasphemy! Then when I read that Anoosh's wife called him from Moscow, I was very suspicious. Hadn't they been separated and no longer talk? Why did she call?
At least Anoosh wasn't dead. It was so nice to see how close he and Marjane are. Why can't everyone just treat everyone else like family? That little bit about the uncle bread swan was funny. They treat such strange things with so much care!
It seems like Marjane lost faith in God after her uncle was executed. That seemed to be when everything turned upside down. Iran was being bombed, the US embassy was being occupied, the schools were closing. Then Marjane's mom was assaulted when her car broke down! I wonder if the men that yelled at her were always so extreme, or if the revolution taught them to be such jerks. Jeeze, I wonder if it was their uneducatedness that let the extremists take over their minds. Is social pressure much greater in uneducated areas? Are places that value independence less prone to mob rule?

I would assume so. In America, you can say whatever you want (as long as it isn't harming anyone) and get away with it. I guess with so many different views being expressed, people are exposed more than just one ideology.
I really admire Marjane for wanting to become an educated scientist when she grows up. When I was as young as her, I don't think I cared about cancer or anything that important. I wonder where she gets her ambition.
It was nice to see Marjane's mom wanting her daughter to participate in the demonstration. Her family seems so progressive. My parents aren't nearly as active as hers, and they put safety ahead of everything.
Being rich really does have its benefits. Marjane's family was just able to leave the country for a vacation when things were getting rough and avoid the mess. However, all those who couldn't afford to leave were stuck in the turmoil. Life really does not seem fair. If only everyone could afford to do whatever they wanted. Or, I guess better yet, the world would stop fighting all the time! Then there are rappers that brag about being able to buy whatever they want, like in "Whatever you Like" by T.I. 

I know Marjane is supposed to be seen as patriotic for wanting to bomb Baghdad, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed in her. Then when she became upset because her dad didn't want to fight, I was more annoyed. She shouldn't need her family to be for attacking others to be proud of them. Of course I can see why she'd be so angry at Iraq for bombing her country, but hasn't she heard that you can't fight fire with fire? She has read so many books about philosophy! Surely one must have complained about the ridiculousness of violence. If only there was a way to talk things out.
I wonder why her teacher didn't like her essay about the war. Shouldn't the teacher have been pleased with all Marjane knew? Perhaps she wanted something heartfelt. I guess it isn't very meaningful when you just write a bunch of facts. It might distance the student from the war. So writing emotionally could be what the teacher was aiming for.
It seems so stressful when supplies are running low. Her dad completely blew out at her. I'd be so scared if my dad did that to me. I feel so privileged. I guess that's what I get for living in a 1rst world country. Our problems are so insignificant, like this guy here:Everything I need or want is available whenever. Sure the gas prices have risen and people complained, but it's not like we weren't able to pay and there was no shortage of gas. The worst thing that happens to us in America is that prices rise, but not to the point where we can't pay. People say we are overpopulating the Earth, so resources are running out, but it seems like America isn't affected at all. We actually have a surplus of everything. People never finish their food, they throw out paper with one sentence written on it, everything is used to the minimum before getting tossed. It's so wasteful.
It was pretty funny how Marjane and the two boys were laughing about farts, but it didn't really lighten the mood when Mali and her family were rudely commenting on others in their country. Why do they even think "southern women are all whores"? I don't even know how they could have come up with that. 

It's so strange how the schools try to push maturity onto the kids. Just look at how immature these kids are at the right! It's like the adults don't realize that children see the world differently. How can they expect such young people to understand the point of hitting themselves (which I don't even know) or make hoods that they hate? At least the parents understand their children. I'm glad they came together against the schools, although, it didn't seem very effective. I laughed a little at Marjane's dad's comment about that teacher's mustache. 
Oi, then that whole key business. It's crazy how much influence schools have on children. They put them into trances and brainwash those innocent kids. It sucks when the regulators are all corrupt. All these different viewpoints existing in the world is kind of good, but at the same time, not so much. If the ideology doesn't satisfy those who are affected by it, shouldn't it change?
I wonder why Marjane described her fun party right after describing all those young boys being blown up. Was she trying to juxtapose how easy it was to separate herself from the war? Huh, this woman is too deep for me.
Well, I guess it was a rather depressing read in the end. I hope it turns out alright!
See you next time,
Angie :)


Wasn't that a pleasant read--full of war, brainwashing, and despair.
It's amazing how ignorant Anoosh is. He really expects the extremists to fail? Just because they don't know how to manage a country, doesn't mean they will fail. The country will fail instead. Everything will go corrupt.
Justice really seems to vary from person to person. When I saw how the republic thought that it's okay to kill those who have fought for them, I was a bit like Jackie Chan here on the left. In the beginning, I thought the whole country was just fighting to finish the Shah, but I guess after he was overthrown, there was a battle for power. That is the trend with revolutions, isn't it? There is always turmoil after a leader disappears. Life is so disorderly. But killing Siamak's sister instead of him makes absolutely no sense. Nothing is accomplished by doing so! Siamak is still able to further his cause if his sister is dead. Man, people are so unintelligent.
It's really more sad than inspiring to see Anoosh still believe the proletariat will rule when he is about to die. He still doesn't see that the Islamic extremists hold power over the military and this is really all they need to take control of the country. Sure in America, we believe in popular sovereignty, or consent of the people, but even if some crazy party took hold of some massive force (like the army), we'd be at their mercy. I feel like Anoosh should realize this.
I guess I can see why Marjane took out her anger on God. She probably feels it's his fault that Anoosh was executed, since it was the fundamentalists that killed him. I'm sure she doesn't realize that something with truly good intentions can go the wrong way if people are too greedy for power. They'll just morph whatever teachings or ideology they can into gaining more authority for themselves. Still, she's just a child, so it's understandable to hate everything that might have caused her uncle to die.
It's amazing that the government was able to close down universities for two years. Are the people of Iran that subservient? Education must go a long ways for them to not rise against the government. And now that they're reforming the curriculum, the new generations will be further brainwashed. Great.
I guess that is illustrated by the propaganda to cover up. Those men on the streets shouting at Taji just show how easy it is to manipulate people. It was strange how the neighbors who wore flimsy clothing and drank every day suddenly changed, though. I had assumed people were only becoming stricter in their religious views, fueled by the propaganda, but it seems like their neighbors weren't very religious to start with. I guess when you don't have a good fundamental set of morals or views, you are pretty easily swayed.
It's a shame how unequal economic status affects the lives of people. Marjane and her family are able to leave in the midst of all the chaos, while those less fortunate had to stay. I'm surprised Marjane didn't comment on this difference in class. I thought she was all for communism and equal treatment.
Another interesting moment was when the Iraqis bombed Tehran. Marjane was ardently for attacking Iraq and even made some generalizations about the Iraqis. From what she learned, they had always hated Persians and forced Islam onto them. Luckily, her dad was there to disagree and say the real problem was from their own government.
I don't quite know where I stand on this whole thing about standing up for oneself. I guess it all depends on what you're fighting for. Patriotism only makes sense if you truly believe in your country's virtues. Some people just support America just for the heck of it. This song kind of makes fun of that, or maybe it makes fun of American stereotypes and how ridiculous some people think Americans are: 

I was actually amazed that the stress of having a shortage of supplies didn't affect Marjane's family more than it did. Her dad only lost his temper once and they made up. Of course, this story is a much abridged version of her life, but still. If it had been a bigger deal, I think she would have emphasized it more in the book. 

It's such a shame how people always need to find someone else to blame. While Mali's family was complaining about the refugees, the children were laughing about farts, which was an interesting juxtaposition. Children are known to always blame each other for farting, which parallels Mali's family's conversation about the refugees taking everything. They even found the need to make up some blasphemy about the refugees being sluts just to take out more anger on them.

Is it really necessary to have something to blame? I guess it does make people feel better--they can pinpoint the problem on someone or something. It's worse to be in confusion as to what the problem is.

It's interesting how Marjane thinks that all the unmarried martyrs are virgins. Of course, in her country, premarital sex is forbidden, but it isn't impossible for people to break the law. The revolution on recently occurred, which may mean that people were not as strict about Islam before.

This idea that Persians are resigned is new to me. I know that many Asian cultures are like this--it's more honorable to be a modest mouse than a bombastic lion. In America, on the other hand, you'll never survive on hard work alone. You need to flaunt your abilities and talk up yourself. This does not seem as beneficial as just relying on hard work alone, though. Someone could be a complete slacker and just know how to smooth talk to get where he or she wants to go. If our nation ends up filled with people like this in charge, it'd become tyranny! We'd be run by a bunch of losers.

So anyway, I do wonder where this idea of beating oneself to celebrate the martyrs came about. Inflicting self-pain does not seem particularly respectful. Oh well, who am I to judge?

The plastic key painted gold is a bit sad, especially how it is used to target the poor. This idea of hope can be really powerful. Hope for a better life, even if it's after death, seems to fuel everyone's actions. However, when life seems as good as can be, I wonder what part hope plays. Is it still existent? Or is hope only a force when things aren't going well? Hm.

Deb.

More History

Hello my wonderful people!
Wow. I learned so much today; I really hope I don't forget too much of it! I must write it down! So after Anam and I gave the quiz, the rest of the class period was filled with student presentations. 
The first one was about Barefoot Gen, a manga on Japan during WWII. I remember the extremely graphic anime scene where people melted from the A bomb. At first, when Austen said it was pretty graphic, with people melting and stuff, I thought he was just using the wrong word. People don't melt! But then the clip showed otherwise... It started rather peacefully, with a little Japanese boy and girl walking on the street. The boy dropped something and bent down to pick it up when the American fighter jet dropped the A bomb. The scenes flashed black and white as the bomb hit. The drawings of the people turned red as their eyeballs and skin melted. It was SO DISTURBING. I don't understand why the U.S. thought this was appropriate at all! Why did we think it was okay to do this to people? They must have known it wouldn't be pleasant dropping an A bomb, and yet, they went through with it! Huh, how can educated people support such horrible treatment?
At least I learned a little more about what the bombing situation was like... It wasn't very enjoyable to watch, though.
So then a few people gave interesting presentations on Pedro and Me, which was about AIDs awareness. I feel so bad for Pedro! I can't believe how intolerable people can be, treating him differently just because he was gay! Ugh, why can't people just enjoy each other's differences? If we were all the same, life would be SO BORING. All the stories would be the same! This situation of homophobia reminds me of Lily Allen's song. I'll post the censored one, but you can click here for the uncensored one (which sounds way better).
I can't believe Pedro died at 22! Life is so unfair. He didn't do anything to deserve this fate! People should have educated him more! Why does disease even exist? It should all be terminated >:[
Go go Terminator!






It was also interesting to hear that comics were not popular back then. I always thought since old people always liked comic books, comics must have been super "in" back then. But then the presenter said that when the U.S. tried to use comics to gain support for the Vietnam War, they weren't very successful. I feel like that may have been because people were very against the war. I mean, it's understandable. Nothing can be solved by killing people! Jeeze, why has humanity even resorted to this horribleness?!
That kind of leads to the next thing covered--torture. Man, listening to the brutality of humankind was torture in itself! I can't believe some people think it's okay to put people through pain to get them to do something. Even if the person contains knowledge that could potentially save some people from dying, I don't think he or she should suffer! Well, actually I don't know. Those other people have a right to life as well. That is a tough question.
I really enjoyed listening to Hok and Miguel though! Their personal stories were really engaging! Since Hok had to go through training, he shared with us what he had to learn. I'm really glad that they teach the military that their prisoners have human rights as well! 
I hope the soldiers have enough integrity to follow those rules, so the other side won't be tortured or abused if they're caught! 
Miguel had such a powerful voice! I didn't know he wanted to become a pastor! I'm sure he's going to make a fabulous one some day :) Anyway, what he said about torture really enlightened me, especially when he defined it as anything that makes you lose hope. Hope is really a powerful force. I guess you could say it's what gets people through their days. I think hope is even needed when people aren't going through tough times. If nothing is wrong with my life, personally, I still need hope that other people's lives are going well. I need hope that problems around the world are going to get solved soon. Otherwise, if I accept that problems are going to constantly exist and worsen, I would be very depressed. So when I get up every day, I hope that people are making an effort to better the lives of themselves and others! 
It was also interesting to listen to Miguel emphasize mental torture, especially when he gave the example of taking away our phones! He has the best sense of humor! I guess that makes him rather intelligent, according to Marjane! 
I always thought of torture and physical, but when he explained the other methods of torture, I realized that everyone goes through torture. We just don't realize it! If we realize that our mental health is just as important as our physical health, then I think we would be able to pin point problems faster and feel much better!
Another shocking presentation was about Iran's execution rates. Every 8 hours, 1 person in Iran is executed, in 2011, at least. That's ridiculous! And the reasons for the public hangings were bogus! Jeeze, we must end all this injustice! I truly hope something is being done. Amnesty International is supposed to be heavily against torture and has demonstrations, which perhaps helps spread awareness. That's good. At least more people are finding out about this situation.
Even though the presentation topics were a bit depressing, they were incredibly interesting. That reminds me of the quote about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. All my classmates are just normal people and they produced such wonderful work! I was truly amazed.

'Till next time!
Angie :)



Wow, what a deadening period of presentations. I don't mean the presentations put the class to sleep or anything, but they kind of killed the mood. I guess when you talk about torture and AIDs, not much happiness can come out of it.

Atomic Bomb Victim

I don't know if I agree that dropping the A bomb was the best idea. We'll never know if more lives were saved by dropping it. I don't know if more lives would have been affected if it hadn't been dropped, since those affected by the radiation faced so many problems afterwards. They had organ failure and unhealthy children because of it. However, if we let the war play out, then more people probably would have been killed or tortured. It's a tough say. The video in class was highly disturbing, but I'm glad it was made. People should know the effects of what the U.S. did and plans to do in the future. Making it an anime probably de-emphasized the visuals, since people could distance themselves from what they were seeing, but it was an appropriate start. Maybe they can make more realistic interpretations in the future and spread the word that way. Of course, it may be better to keep the public in the dark about some things. What if it really was better to use the bomb and save the soldiers who would have died? Then many more would have had to suffer because the public didn't think killing a few so brutally would be worth saving the rest.
From the Pedro and Me presentations, I learned that people are ambitious enough to try to spread the word about sexual education. It amazes me that individuals believe they have the power to significantly affect others. So many times, people handing out fliers to spread awareness and ask for donations are ignored. They stand outside of Target and grocery stores, but 99% of people turn away and avoid eye contact. No one likes to give money. People think that they worked hard for it and they deserve it, so why should someone else take it away from them? I guess that's like the fundamental U.S. value of property. We all have the right to what we make or own. So I find it hard to believe that these people trying to raise money or spread awareness will affect anyone in their community. So rarely do people give strangers the time of day.
I wonder why that is. Is it only now that people are more kept to themselves? Or has it always been like this? I think now since we're so focused on creating the best lives for ourselves through making money, we don't care about others. How lovely.

Then there's this whole business about torture again. Honestly, people are just monsters. All these things that people disagree about are really just so trivial. It's all just because people have too much time on their hands. When it used to be that all people could think about was getting enough food to eat and fending off predators, they wouldn't kill and torture each other! There was no time for it! Everyone was needed to do their part in the community just to get by. But then humans just had to "advance" and develop new technology to make life "easier". Really, it's just making people lazier. Now that the internet lets them look up anything instantly, all the hard work and effort that went in to figuring out that information is not acknowledged. Sure we can know a lot more now, but half of it isn't even true! In addition, since it's so easy to get the information, that it becomes quickly forgotten.
Right, back to torture. Well, I can see why it might seem necessary at times. If you can save more people by torturing a few, it seems more humane. Of course, torturing in itself is not humane at all. I guess it's all too easy for people to not think of torture and what the people might be going through, though. They might think that the person deserves the pain anyway, since he or she is keeping information and hurting others. However, everyone's image of justice is different. In Iran, what they might think deserves punishment is very different from what we think deserves punishment in the U.S.
So it is very difficult to find a middle ground.
Well, perhaps that wasn't the most satisfying end to this post, but situations rarely end satisfyingly.

Deb.