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.