Combatting Stereotypes: How Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis Challenges Stereotypes and Why it Belongs in Our Pubilc School Systems

Dale A. Bagley
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor

After 9/11, perspectives in the West towards middle eastern countries changed dramatically, and the fear of terrorism at the hands of Islamic extremists ran rampant in the United States. As such, when a literary work from a Muslim writer brings the hardships of the Islamic community to light, it is an excellent opportunity to offer the younger generations that grew up post-9/11 an alternative view to the stereotypes they grew up with. Persepolis, stylized as a graphic novel, provides this opportunity to young readers by presenting the personal hardships of a young Muslim girl in an easy-to-digest format, but is frequently challenged by school districts as being unfit for students. This essay details the ways in which Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis challenges the popular stereotypes of Muslims and the Islamic faith, and why this novel belongs in western public school systems.

Keywords: Muslim, Challenge, Persepolis , Stereotype, School, Generations, Islam, Terrorism

Topic(s):English

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA