Sarah in the opening of "Translations"

Sarah's speech impediment and inability to speak directly relate to this tale of miscommunication and turbulence between the Irish and the English. This play hinges on the Irish and English characters' acceptance and/or rejection of the opposite culture's language. Sarah, an Irish woman, cannot speak. She is barred from doing so because of her speech impediment. In the opening scene, she says little and other characters often assume her opinion or move her one way or the other. Other than Manus, who assists her in overcoming this speech impediment, the opening scene does not focus on her.
In a sense, she seems caught in the middle between this disagreement of language. Sarah remains dependent on the teachers to show her and coach her into speaking. Thus, amidst the argument over whether or not to learn English, Sarah must depend on the others.

Film Response to Persepolis

As I watched the film version of Persepolis, the masterful use of color struck me and impacted my understanding of the theme. The very first scene of the film Marjane, now a young adult, waits in the airport. This scene is shown in color. Soon, the narration begins and Marjane tells the audience of her past as a young girl growing up in Iran during the revolution. This portion of the story is told with black and white images. Later on in the tale, when she reaches the moment of her sitting in the airport, the black and white becomes color images once again.

This transition from black and white to color images not only operates as an effective time marker, but also, I believe, has a distancing effect, wherein Marjane, as well as the audience, seems to present a disconnect between the tumultuous and violent environment in Iran during her childhood and what Iran has become once she has returned as a young adult. Like Marjane, we see this Iran as a new place. We, like the narrator, do not know what to expect.  

In the moments characterized in black and white, the artist's ability to visually tell this story using various shades of gray, black, and white and, while doing so, capture the power and gravity of the situation of Iran during the revolution. It seemed that perhaps the author's meaning came across more pointedly using black and white images here. The audience was not distracted by the colorful terrors of revolution (i.e. blood, guts, etc.) and could really focus in on the events and their significance.

Censorship of "Persepolis": A Discussion

Marjane Satrapi's collection of graphic novels recounts her experiences as a young girl growing up in Iran during the 1980's. During this time, the Iranian Revolution and war with Iraq both occurred. It seems to me to be the story of a girl discovering her identity, as an Iranian, but also as a woman and human being. Why then did the CPS ban this book from 7th grade classrooms? Perhaps this decision came from the perspective that the novel and its subject matter is much more heavy  than it appears. In many ways, though this is a graphic novel, "The Complete Collection of Persepolis," contains several adult themes. It tells the story of war and various tragic events that happen to Marjane, the protagonist. Perhaps those who made this decision are also concerned that the teaching of this novel might be taken as a truth, rather than as one person's experience.

I have not decided whether or not I agree with CPS's decision. However, I can say that this novel did not scream "uplifting" to me. Yes, by the end of the novel, Marjane has come to understand herself and maintains her Iranian pride- both good conclusions. Nonetheless, the scenes in the novel are certainly heavy and I am not sure that the ending sentiment outweighs the sentiment throughout.