©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
Persepolis Study Guide Exam Questions
With Correct And Revised Answers
1. According to the introduction, what stereotypical image is Satrapi trying to dispel? -
answer✔✔She is trying to dispel that image of all Iranians are fundamentalists, fanatics, or
terrorists.
2. The author indicates two motives for writing Persepolis. What are they? - answer✔✔1) She
believes that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists.
2) She also does not want the Iranians who died in prisons defending freedom, those who died in
the war against Iraq, those suffering under repressive regimes, or those who were forced to leave
their families and flee their homeland to be forgotten.
3. When does the novel begin? - answer✔✔1980 - the year that we are introduced to Marjane
1979 - the year that the Islamic Revolution took place
4. What were the two outcomes of the Islamic Revolution? - answer✔✔1980 - The veil became
mandatory at school
All bilingual schools were closed down
5. In what ways does the children's response to the veil reflect a universal truth about society? -
answer✔✔The children don't understand why they have to wear the veil. They just follow the
orders from their teachers. This may be an indicator that many people do not truly understand the
significance or importance of wearing the veil.
6. How has education affected by the new regime? Why? - answer✔✔All the girls had to wear
the veil. All bilingual schools were closed down. Girls and boys no longer could attend the same
school. Bilingual schools were considered symbols of capitalism and decadence by the new
regime.
7. What did the veil symbolize? - answer✔✔The veil symbolizes oppression of women. It was a
representation of Middle Eastern women as passive, oppressed and monolithic.
8. What did bilingual schools symbolize to the new regime? - answer✔✔Decadence and
capitalism
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
9. Did women have a universal response to the veil? Why? - answer✔✔No, "Everywhere in the
streets there were demonstrations for and against the veil." (pg. 5). Not all women wanted to
wear the veil because it symbolized oppression and removed identity.
10. Why was a picture of Marjane's mother published in the newspaper? How did her mother
respond? Why? - answer✔✔The picture of her mother was published because she was protesting
against the veil with her hair down in a very protestful stance (fist up). She was very scared and
dyed her hair because the picture was published in a newspaper in Iran and she didn't want to get
in trouble with the authorities or the fundamentalist vigilantes. She did not want to end up in
prison or be killed.
11. Describe the symbolism and conflict represented in the picture on the top of page 6. -
answer✔✔The left side represents Marji's family's ideals--they value education and knowledge
above traditional religious ideologies; she is torn between the two. One offers her academic
intelligence and freedom as a woman, but the other is soothing and comforting, though it
requires her to give in to a more suppressive facet of Islam by wearing the veil. She is conflicted
because one represents her family, while the other represents who she wants to be (at the time),
but neither one is the obvious answer.
This may seem a little simplistic, and there are many other examples..., but the first storyline
that comes to mind of a situation similar to Marjane is the story of MOANA. Moana is torn
between following her call to be a loyal islander and the next chief, but also to return the heart of
Te Fiti. This is similar to the way in which Marjane is torn between the western views and the
loyal Islamic calling.
12. When Marji was six, what did she decide? - answer✔✔"At the age of six I was already sure I
was the last prophet. This was a few years before the revolution." (pg. 6)
13. What are three reasons Marji wants to be a prophet? What were her underlying motives? -
answer✔✔3 Stated Reasons:
1: "because our maid did not eat with us"
2: "because my father had a cadillac"
3: "and, above all, because my grandmother's knees always ached"
Underlying:
1: She wants to ease the suffering of others, especially those who are not as well off as her. She
feels some guilt for her wealth
14. Who is Zarathustrian and what are his three rules for living? - answer✔✔Zarathustra was the
first Iranian prophet - "the first three rules came from Zarathustra. he was the first prophet in my
country before the Arab invasion."
1: Behave well
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
2: Speak well
3: Act well
15. Marji shares spiritual intimacy with whom? - answer✔✔God and her grandmother
16. What seems to be an underlying theme of Marji's rules? - answer✔✔Social equality
17. What fallacy does Marji's answer to her grandmother reveal? - answer✔✔Marji is so used to
listening to orders or any spoken word by authority figures becoming law. So as the prophet,
whatever she says will become an order, and it has to be followed. By saying this, Marji is rather
naive. She also doesn't really understand that suffering is a part of growing up and/or growing
old. She believes that by becoming the/a prophet she can eliminate social and political problems
that she sees around her.
18. How do others respond to Marji's religious calling? - answer✔✔Grandmother: support -
"...I'll be your first disciple." "Except for my grandmother I was obviously the only one who
believed in myself."
Peers: "haha!" "she's crazy."
Teacher: "your child is disturbed. she wants to become a prophet."
Parents: supportive, but confused - (in response to the teacher asking if it bothered them) "no!
Not at all!" "nonetheless, my parents were puzzled."
19. What does Marji tell her parents that she wants to be when she grows up? Why? -
answer✔✔Doctor; she doesn't want her parents to know, also probably because she is afraid of
how they might respond given the teacher's reaction or she wants them on her side in cases
similar that that with the teacher - "no, no, I will be a prophet but they mustn't know." This
shows that she is not really afraid to lie to them about who she will be when she grows up. And
she may think that if she can't be a prophet, being a doctor is the next best thing.
20. Comment on the symbolism in the picture at the bottom of page 9. What three attributes of
God does Marji wish to embody as a prophet? - answer✔✔Justice - only right hand is visible and
holding the scales of justice, face is stoic with eyes directed at the reader and a line for a mouth
Love - both hands are visible, not holding anything, right hand is holding up middle finger, index
finger, and thumb, face is happy and eyes are looking up
Wrath of God - sword and shield with concentric designs and lots of circles, her left hand is
hidden while the right is raised, face is angry with frown and eyes looking down (downward-
looking eyes indicate authority)
21. Who are Che Guevara? Fidel? Trotsky? Why are they important? - answer✔✔Che Guevara
was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and
Persepolis Study Guide Exam Questions
With Correct And Revised Answers
1. According to the introduction, what stereotypical image is Satrapi trying to dispel? -
answer✔✔She is trying to dispel that image of all Iranians are fundamentalists, fanatics, or
terrorists.
2. The author indicates two motives for writing Persepolis. What are they? - answer✔✔1) She
believes that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists.
2) She also does not want the Iranians who died in prisons defending freedom, those who died in
the war against Iraq, those suffering under repressive regimes, or those who were forced to leave
their families and flee their homeland to be forgotten.
3. When does the novel begin? - answer✔✔1980 - the year that we are introduced to Marjane
1979 - the year that the Islamic Revolution took place
4. What were the two outcomes of the Islamic Revolution? - answer✔✔1980 - The veil became
mandatory at school
All bilingual schools were closed down
5. In what ways does the children's response to the veil reflect a universal truth about society? -
answer✔✔The children don't understand why they have to wear the veil. They just follow the
orders from their teachers. This may be an indicator that many people do not truly understand the
significance or importance of wearing the veil.
6. How has education affected by the new regime? Why? - answer✔✔All the girls had to wear
the veil. All bilingual schools were closed down. Girls and boys no longer could attend the same
school. Bilingual schools were considered symbols of capitalism and decadence by the new
regime.
7. What did the veil symbolize? - answer✔✔The veil symbolizes oppression of women. It was a
representation of Middle Eastern women as passive, oppressed and monolithic.
8. What did bilingual schools symbolize to the new regime? - answer✔✔Decadence and
capitalism
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
9. Did women have a universal response to the veil? Why? - answer✔✔No, "Everywhere in the
streets there were demonstrations for and against the veil." (pg. 5). Not all women wanted to
wear the veil because it symbolized oppression and removed identity.
10. Why was a picture of Marjane's mother published in the newspaper? How did her mother
respond? Why? - answer✔✔The picture of her mother was published because she was protesting
against the veil with her hair down in a very protestful stance (fist up). She was very scared and
dyed her hair because the picture was published in a newspaper in Iran and she didn't want to get
in trouble with the authorities or the fundamentalist vigilantes. She did not want to end up in
prison or be killed.
11. Describe the symbolism and conflict represented in the picture on the top of page 6. -
answer✔✔The left side represents Marji's family's ideals--they value education and knowledge
above traditional religious ideologies; she is torn between the two. One offers her academic
intelligence and freedom as a woman, but the other is soothing and comforting, though it
requires her to give in to a more suppressive facet of Islam by wearing the veil. She is conflicted
because one represents her family, while the other represents who she wants to be (at the time),
but neither one is the obvious answer.
This may seem a little simplistic, and there are many other examples..., but the first storyline
that comes to mind of a situation similar to Marjane is the story of MOANA. Moana is torn
between following her call to be a loyal islander and the next chief, but also to return the heart of
Te Fiti. This is similar to the way in which Marjane is torn between the western views and the
loyal Islamic calling.
12. When Marji was six, what did she decide? - answer✔✔"At the age of six I was already sure I
was the last prophet. This was a few years before the revolution." (pg. 6)
13. What are three reasons Marji wants to be a prophet? What were her underlying motives? -
answer✔✔3 Stated Reasons:
1: "because our maid did not eat with us"
2: "because my father had a cadillac"
3: "and, above all, because my grandmother's knees always ached"
Underlying:
1: She wants to ease the suffering of others, especially those who are not as well off as her. She
feels some guilt for her wealth
14. Who is Zarathustrian and what are his three rules for living? - answer✔✔Zarathustra was the
first Iranian prophet - "the first three rules came from Zarathustra. he was the first prophet in my
country before the Arab invasion."
1: Behave well
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
2: Speak well
3: Act well
15. Marji shares spiritual intimacy with whom? - answer✔✔God and her grandmother
16. What seems to be an underlying theme of Marji's rules? - answer✔✔Social equality
17. What fallacy does Marji's answer to her grandmother reveal? - answer✔✔Marji is so used to
listening to orders or any spoken word by authority figures becoming law. So as the prophet,
whatever she says will become an order, and it has to be followed. By saying this, Marji is rather
naive. She also doesn't really understand that suffering is a part of growing up and/or growing
old. She believes that by becoming the/a prophet she can eliminate social and political problems
that she sees around her.
18. How do others respond to Marji's religious calling? - answer✔✔Grandmother: support -
"...I'll be your first disciple." "Except for my grandmother I was obviously the only one who
believed in myself."
Peers: "haha!" "she's crazy."
Teacher: "your child is disturbed. she wants to become a prophet."
Parents: supportive, but confused - (in response to the teacher asking if it bothered them) "no!
Not at all!" "nonetheless, my parents were puzzled."
19. What does Marji tell her parents that she wants to be when she grows up? Why? -
answer✔✔Doctor; she doesn't want her parents to know, also probably because she is afraid of
how they might respond given the teacher's reaction or she wants them on her side in cases
similar that that with the teacher - "no, no, I will be a prophet but they mustn't know." This
shows that she is not really afraid to lie to them about who she will be when she grows up. And
she may think that if she can't be a prophet, being a doctor is the next best thing.
20. Comment on the symbolism in the picture at the bottom of page 9. What three attributes of
God does Marji wish to embody as a prophet? - answer✔✔Justice - only right hand is visible and
holding the scales of justice, face is stoic with eyes directed at the reader and a line for a mouth
Love - both hands are visible, not holding anything, right hand is holding up middle finger, index
finger, and thumb, face is happy and eyes are looking up
Wrath of God - sword and shield with concentric designs and lots of circles, her left hand is
hidden while the right is raised, face is angry with frown and eyes looking down (downward-
looking eyes indicate authority)
21. Who are Che Guevara? Fidel? Trotsky? Why are they important? - answer✔✔Che Guevara
was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and
