
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: What It’s About? Click HERE for the full lesson on Teachers Pay Teachers
Teach Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi opens right after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which results in the downfall of the American-backed dictator known as the Shah of Iran and leads to the rise of the religious hardliners who establish the oppressive Islamic Republic. Marjane Satrapi describes how she used to attend a French co-educational and non-religious school, but how this is outlawed because the Islamic Republic distrusts and rallies against all Western influences. Further, the regime forces all women and girls to wear veils. Marjane’s parents, however, are modern and secular in outlook; though they supported the Revolution again the Shah, who was a despotic ruler, they are alarmed and dismayed at the fundamentalist turn of the new Islamic Republic. Forced to grow up quickly, Marjane begins to learn about the history of Iran and the many invaders and rulers it has had over its centuries’ long history. Her own grandfather was a Persian Prince who was often imprisoned and tortured under the rules of the Shah. She also begins to understand that different social classes exist, and that this is one root of much tension and suffering in the country.
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: 5 Characteristics of Graphic Novels
5 characteristics of graphic novels are essential to teach students prior to reading the graphic novel. What is a graphic novel? A graphic novel is a compilation of graphics and text structured on pages at the length of a novel. How long are graphic novels? Anywhere from 100-500 plus pages. The difference between a graphic novel and a novel is that the graphic novel has graphics (images). The difference between a graphic novel vs comic book is the length. Graphic novels text features are different than a novel just like nonfiction text features. The 5 characteristics of a graphic novel are: shapes, perspective of frame, angles, structure, and layout.
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: Arguments Against GN
There are arguments against graphic novels. However, I have found that I can refute those arguments. The main argument is that students are not able to use their imagination to picture characters and setting. However, there are activities that can be supplemented to fulfill this standard. For example, providing text for a scene in a graphic novel and having students create an image of the scene based on text description. Another argument is that the length of words is to short in the graphic novel. However, Students can read more graphic novels, which beats the alternative of not reading at all.
Graphic Novel Basics
How do graphic novels work? When teaching a graphic novel, it is essential to teach students the basics. I pass out a graphic organizer and use a PowerPoint to go over the 5 characteristics of graphic novels
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: Characteristics of Graphic Novels
The first out of the 5 Characteristics of Graphic Novels is:

Basic Shapes
1. Basic Shapes
Vertical=signals strength
Horizontal=a calm and stable atmosphere
Circles=signal unity
Movement Triangle=a stable and unified atmosphere
Whole Diagonals=signal action
The second of the 5 characteristics of graphic novels is:
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: Perspectives of Frame
2. Perspectives of Frame
Close ups=establish an emotional relationship between the viewer (you) and represented subjects or characters
Medium Shot=establishes objective (without judgment) relationship between viewer (you) and represented characters or subjects.
Long shot=a long shot establishes a relationship between represented figures or characters and surrounding environment
The 3rd of the 5 characteristics of graphic novels is angles:
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: Angles
3. Angles
Vertical Angle=situates the reader (you) and the subject/character on an equal level.
Low angle=situates represented subjects or characters in position of power. Imagine being down low, looking up high.
High angle=situates the reader in a position of power, omniscient view-point. Imagine being up high looking down as we are in the image above. We are situated as the “all-knowing” figure to what is happening on campus.
The 4th out of 5 characteristics of graphic novels is:
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: Structure
4. Structure
Left-Right Structure
Given=information that is known to the reader, and taken for granted or not given much thought. An example would be the main character in “Smile” having braces in her mouth. This is not a surprise because we/the audience accompanied her to the dentist.
New=information that is previously unknown to the reader and therefore catches the readers attention. For example, when George Takei’s family is picked up by the American police and placed in a concentration camp in, “They Called US Enemy”. This would be new information in the book.
The 5th out of 5 characteristics of graphic novels is
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: Layout
5. Layout
Layout Panel:
A distinct segment of the comic, containing a combination of image and text in variety. Most graphic novels have consistent panels with mixed-in-single panels.
Teach Persepolis Marjane Satrapi: Panels
Panels: offer a different experience than simply reading text:
-The spatial arrangement allows an immediate juxtaposition of the present and the past. On one page we can see a character thinking about the past while being in the present, and looking forward to the future.
-Unlike other- visual media, transitions are instant and direct, but the exact timing of the reader’s experience is determined by focus and reading speed. In the traditional novel we have foreshadowing and hints of what is to come in the future, whereas in a graphic novel, at times we can see what is coming right around the corner, even when a character cannot. This is really helpful for struggling or young readers.
Frames
Frame:
The lines and borders that contain the panels; akin to a picture frame that lines around a picture.
Gutter
Gutter:
The space between framed panels. The thin space that separates the frame or metal from the actual picture. In the case of an actual picture, this would be the cardboard space.
Bleed
Bleed:
An image that extends to and/or beyond the edge of the page, this can include a single image on one page.
Foreground
Foreground:
The panel closest to the viewer. The author may structure the foreground in relation to importance of what he wants the audience to focus on. The background may contain the small details, less important to the plot.
Below: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Note: the clever way the author separates the main character from the panel on the right to the panel on the left. The author also notes that we won’t be able to recognize her although all characters look the same. At-this-time in the novel everything is orderly, at peace-hence the straight lines and perfect panels, gutters, frames, etc. Also note that the panel on the left would be considered the foreground-it is closest to the reader because it is slightly larger than the other images.

Midground
Midground:
Allows centering of image by using a natural resting place for the reader’s vision. The artist deliberately decides to place the image where a viewer would be most likely to look first. Placing an image off-center or near the top or bottom can be used to create visual tension but using the midground permits the artist to create a more readily accepted image.
Background
Background:
Provides additional, sub-textual information for the reader. For example the way characters may be described by how they look in the background. A class-clown wearing a hat sideways, a unique character holding a dummy, etc.
Graphic Weight
Graphic weight:
A term that describes the way some images draw the eye more than others, creating a definite focus using color and shading in various ways including: The use of light and dark shades; dark-toned images or high-contrast images draw the eye more than light or low-contrast images do. Colors that are more brilliant or deeper than others on the page.
Figures Faces
Figures Faces:
Faces can be portrayed in different ways. Some depict an actual person, like a portrait; others are iconic, which means they are representative of an idea or a group of people. Other points to observe about faces include: They can be dramatic when placed against a detailed backdrop; a bright white face stands out. They can be drawn without much expression or detail; this is called an “open blank” and it invites the audience to imagine what the character is feeling without telling them.
Hands/Feet
Hands/Feet:
The positioning of hands and feet can be used to express what is happening in the story.
Examples:
–Hands that are raised with palms out suggest surprise or confusion.
–The wringing of hands suggests obsequiousness or discomfort, or confusion.
-Hands over the mouth depict fear, shame, shyness or surprise.
–Turned in feet may denote embarrassment-think Goofy in most pictures.
–Feet with motion strokes can create the sense of panic, urgency, or speed, example, Speedy Gonzalez.
Text Captions
Text Captions:
These are boxes containing a variety of text elements, including scene setting, description, etc.
Speech Balloons
Speech balloons:
These enclose dialogue and come from a specific speaker’s mouth; they vary in size, shape, and layout and can alternate to depict a conversation.
Types of speech balloons: External dialogue, which is speech between characters Internal dialogue, which is a thought enclosed by a balloon that has a series of dots or bubbles going up to it
Special-effects Lettering
Special-effects lettering:
This is a method of drawing attention to text; it often highlights onomatopoeia and reinforces the impact of words such as bang or wow.
After Filling Out Notes on Graphic Novels
Upon completion of the graphic organizer to fill in the graphic novel information above, we use this organizer to analyze various scenes in the graphic novel. In addition I create reading comprehension questions to keep students on their toes. You can practice inference, you make copies of a scene and block out the dialogue asking students to fill it in. You can give a scene cut out and mixed up and have students put it in chronological order. There are so many things you can do with a graphic novel! And it’s so much fun! Click HERE for the full lesson for “Persepolis” on Teachers Pay Teachers. In addition I have chapter by chapter questions with an answer key.
In Conclusion
By teaching some basics: basics of shapes, perspectives of frames, angles, hands and faces, structure, layout panels, and text captions, students and teachers alike can effectively complete a graphic novel unit. If you teach students and teachers the basics the graphic novel experience can be a great one!
I would love to hear about your favorite graphic novels! I’m always looking for the next graphic novel read. Please share in the comments below! To learn more specifics about the popular graphic novels mentioned above check out my blog on the top 15 teen reads.

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