Blog post #1

When reading Middlesex I see a lot of connections to different texts in different parts of the book but in book 3, specifically in the chapter, “Opa!” I saw many connections to Persepolis, a book I read last year. Persepolis is the autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi discussing her childhood to adulthood during and after the Iranian Revolution. The entire novel is a memoir so everything is seen from her point of view, even during times where she wasn’t sure what was going on. After the Iranian Revolution, girls were required to wear a veil and as Marjane comes from a religious yet modern family she struggled with remembering and wanting to wear it, especially compared to other young girls and females in Tehran during this time period. Even that reminds me of Cal in a way where they’re both so young during these times and they’re really thinking about their identity and who they really are and thats why change is so difficult for both of them despite how different their situations truly are. Both Cal and Marjane come from an important background and have grown up with supporting and loving parents. Marjane’s parents follow the revolution and protect Marjane in any way they possibly can. Both Cal and Marjane live in the middle where everything is being burned and destroyed. Marjane’s parents work hard to protect their own house as they’ve seen what has happened to their neighbor’s homes. Cal’s father sits inside the Zebra room, scared and protective over this diner that means so much to the family; he sits and watches as everything in the street burns to ashes, hoping that the diner isn’t the next target. Reading this part of Middlesex immediately made me think of Persepolis because both Marjane and Cal are at such a young age during the Detroit Riots and the Iranian Revolution so it’s very difficult for them to experience it and really understand what’s going on.