Reflection

Reader Response on UFW

I choose to paraphrase some of the quotes posted by the actual workers who endure the real pain of working in the fields. I went through the website throughlly and was very indecisive about choosing a topic to focus on.  What drew my attention was under the Organizing column and it read “workers voices”. I was really curious as to what they had to say. When I got to view their comments I was astonished when I read what they had to say. One in particular really touched my heart. I worker named Teodoro Gutierrez.

  “Teodoro Gutierrez noticed dirt in what was supposed to be his crew’s drinking water.  He decided to let his foreman know to change it. Instead of providing workers with clean, drinking water, the foreman threw the dirty water out and left the crew thirsty for the remainder of the hot work day”.  “The foreman, they always cheat us,” he said.

I was in real disbelief after reading this. I could not imagine the necessity of all those people that have to put up with such horrid conditions. Some other workers said that their bosses were bothered or got upset when they asked for water. I can’t imagine what kind of human being would deny another one water, especially after all their hard work and dedication. If I were in their situation I couldn’t even imagine how I would contain myself from really giving them a piece of my mind and frustration. There were other comments like one by Pedro Zapien,   “Sometimes full days would go by and they would never bring the bathrooms”, he says. I ask myself how is this going on in the U.S. where are the human rights, and if we have any who enforces them? I have so many questions as to why people still today are treated incredibly unfair at their work place. Even when most of the people working in the fields are immigrant’s gives no one the right to treat them worst them humans.

ufw.org

United Farm Workers

I visited the website and I was amazed at all the great information this website provides.  I quickly noticed that Cesar Chavez was and still is a huge icon in the Farming industry. I learned that he was one of the few people who fought for the rights of migrants workers.  I read that he helped hundreds of mistreated farmers all around the United States.

I also learned that this foundations vision is to “provide farm workers and other working people with the inspiration and the tools to share in society’s bounty”. I found this web site very heartwarming because I also read several articles on the same cite. I was shocked to see the conditions and environments the farmers have to live on and work with. It was heart breaking to see the many farming companies are profiting millions, but won’t offer their hard working employees a decent place to live in or even work at. One article in particular really got me upset it was called “Migrant woes: bed bugs, foul toilets, and illness”. This article was a real eye opener for me. I really never thought of such situations. I can’t believe that such circumstances are not illegal and even more astonished at the fact that there are millions of immigrants that are willing to work under these deadly conditions.

 The site also covers a lot of media coverage like news reports on migrant workers. Mostly everything is emphasizing on human rights but more specifically they show us how severe the conditions are. Overall the site was very informative and I enjoyed how each section was broken down. Also I was able to make more sense of the novel we read. I can see the relevance in the frustration for the farmers.                                                                                    

I choose these pictures because it shows how the workers work really hard to go home to almost nothing. It really saddens me to think of such cruel treatment.

Feedback

                                                       Feedback

I had two other students review my rough draft paper. I’m happy to say that my classmates suggested really great ideas and feedback. Initially I was a bit skeptical about peer editing however I am satisfied with my review. According to one of my classmates I need more work on my conclusion. Also Omar brought to my attention that my essay had no chronological order. He also gave me great tips on were and how to break off my paragraphs. I appreciated his positive feedback as much as his negative. Kevin added that I was missing a title and transitional language to let the reader know I am switching ideas.

I plan to come up with a conclusion because truly I didn’t have one on my rough draft. N my opinion I could probably add more personal connections with the writer. I’m going to need help with transitional language. So I plan on going to the reading and writing center. I am hoping they can be of some help. I know my grammar is not perfect, I plan to read and re read my paper to minimize grammar errors.  

week 6

Rough Draft: 1

Persepolis

 In the book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi we are introduced to a young girl who is eager to find her place in society. Initially we are introduced to a young and innocent ten year old girl growing up in Tehran. Marjane gives the reader a good sense of what life was like in Iran while the revolution was going on. As Marjane is exposed to the war in Iran, the death of family, and the constant struggle of social injustice, we see how and why she chooses to rebel against her school, religion, and government. We see how her surroundings shape her way of thinking and eventually help defy her personality. She shows us many examples of what life is like for a husband, wife, child and even lower class people. She is a rebel and loves to stand up for what she believes in and that is why I applaud her on her quest to rebel against such a repressive government.

Marjane starts out the book by introducing us to the veil. She quickly states that the Islamic revolution took place in 1979. It shows that even early on she has that rebellions attitude as she states “We didn’t really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn’t understand why we had to”(3).In my opinion I think that not liking to wear the veil is reason enough not to wear it. In this case Marjane uses the excuse of not really understanding the concept of having to wear the veil. It gives the reader an idea of her defiant but also not eve attitude. In addition she adds that it becomes mandatory to wear the veil. Besides all the background Marjane gives us on Iran I appreciated her stance on the veil. It really changed my stereotypical thinking about why women choose to wear it. From personal experience I know that some Christian women wear the veil too. But I always thought that they were forced to put it on once entering a church. My sister in law wears it when she prays and when she’s at church. She tells me it’s a sign of respect. I guess out of ignorance I never really made sense of it. But Marjane brought to my attention that not too long ago (1980) they passed a law that made it obligatory for girls to wear the veil. Another example of her rebelliousness is the time when there in school and it seems that every time she gets the chance to mock the revolution she takes full advantage of it. Here she states “Every situation offered an opportunity for laughs: like when we had to knit winter hoods for the soldiers” (97).  Satrapi reminds me of your typical class clown. She goes out of her way to get attention from her peers and especially her teachers. Even though she is getting herself and her classmates into trouble in her view she was also making a point. Lastly my favorite example is when Satrapi goes to the extreme of getting physical with her principal. If that doesn’t make a statement I don’t know what does.  In this circumstance Satrapi is told several times that she cannot wear jeans or bracelets to school. But being the rebel that she is she decides to test the principal so the following day she wears the bracelet it again. After the principal demands that Satrapi hands over the bracelet she lets her know that she isn’t giving up anything. This is when the principal thinks its okay to grab her and take it from her, however Satrapi won’t have it and she fights back. I think that by her defying her principle she has done the ultimate revolt. In my opinion by defying the highest authority in this case (the principle) she has won a battle. I think it meant a lot to Satrapi to stand up for herself in front of all her peers.

Marjane also shows what her faith is and also how it changes as she grows. In the beginning she talks about becoming a prophet. She keeps these thoughts and dreams between herself, grandma and, God. She doesn’t dare tell anyone else about her aspirations. When she talks about being a prophet she comes off very innocent and it’s almost as if life hasn’t hit her yet.  A little later in the book the whole idea of her becoming a prophet becomes distant and the little by little it dies.  I think as she experiences really bad situations her faith in god slowly disappears. Moreover, I also think that Anoosh Marjanes uncle is really important character in Marjanes life. In the following chapter Marjane says “So my father was not a hero…If only he had been in prison” (54). There’s also a picture of her telling her friends lies about her father being tortured. She seems to take pride instantly as she learns that uncle Anoosh has been in prison. He later shares his life story with her. He tells her how he ran from the Shah, later to be imprisoned for 9 years, and lastly he told her about his failed marriage and kids he had. In addition, later in that same chapter uncle Anoosh says to Marjane “I tell you all this because it’s important that you know. Our family memory must not be lost. Even If it’s not easy for you, even if you don’t understand it all” (60).  This quote really intrigued me because from what I can tell he realizes that Marjane is still a child but it’s almost as he chooses to tell her all these stories so it’s not forgotten or people like him are not forgotten. I think that uncle Annosh is a very important character to the story because Marjane sees him like a hero. When uncle Anoosh is arrested and later executed Marjane feels really sad and lost. I think that Anoosh was big support and living prove of what Marjane believes in. After he is executed I think that she is angry and she shuts everyone out of her life including God. After she learns that uncle Anoosh was captured and in jail and Marjane has the honor of being his last visitor. I think this scene had a huge impact on Satrapi. I think she feels that it’s very unfair that they execute him too. This is when Marjane loses her faith in god. That night when she gets home she’s in bed and god comes to see her and ask “Marji, what seems to be the problem?” Marjane responds “shut up, you! Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again! Get out!” (70). I think that Marjane is once again very disappointed in god possibly because she thinks that her situation is unjust and god does nothing for her. I think that Satrapi is still a little young to understand why these things happen. And being young and gullible she says these horrible words. After this scene Satrapi doesn’t really talk about god or any other type of religion she becomes more involved in the demonstrations and standing up to her government. She even compares herself to Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.

 One of the quotes that got my attention was “For a revolution to succeed, the entire population must support it” (17).  This is said when Marjane is trying to convince her parents to allow her to attend a demonstration. Her parents won’t allow it because it is too dangerous. But Marjane won’t have it she is tired of demonstrating in her garden and wishes her parents would understand. I felt that this is a very direct and strong statement, almost like it was being said by an adult. I think that this situation shows her maturity and how she as a young individual wants to support her country. However, I much understand why her parents won’t allow her to attend. I think that Marjane is really mad at this stage of her life. This quote helped me better understand Marjane because her statement is very strong and confirms her position as a revolutionary. These are strong words used by Satrapi when she is trying to persuade her parents to allow her to join them in the demonstrations. However as hard as she tries her parents agree that she is too young and the demonstrations are far too dangerous.  Despite her parents warnings Satrapi later on decides she understands the reasons for the revolution. She makes the decision of disobeying her parents and goes out to demonstrate with her maid Mehri. Here Satrapi shows us that despite her parent’s rules she must stand up for what she feels is right, even if it means getting slapped in the face by her mother for disobeying.  Later on she tells about the time her mom actually allowed her to come to the demonstration. As she was passing out flyers a fight broke out and she says, “For the first time in my life, I saw violence with my own eyes” (76). I think this scene is also life changing for Marjane. She gets to see firsthand what it’s like to be out demonstrating and how bad a situation can get. That was the last demonstration they attended. I think that it had to have a huge impact on her as a child but also was good because in a way it helped her mature and after this she is no longer the innocent 10 year old girl we were introduced to. Another way Satrapi rebels against her repressive government is by listening to punk music, wearing sneakers, jewelry, and tight jeans. She evens puts herself in dangerous situations when she has to go to the black market to buy herself two Kim Wilde and Camel tapes.  In this situation we see how she goes out of her way to get the stuff that is banned. To me it’s like she’s doing these things because it goes against what the government allows. Her parents are also very supportive of her westernized ways. More so the mom than her dad Marjane states “for an Iranian mother, my mom was very permissive, I only knew two or three other girls who could go out alone at thirteen.”(131). I think her liberty also gives her some sense of pride because like she said she didn’t know that many other girls that were allowed to do the things she did. I think this was a positive thing and it also added to her rebellion because she it gave her a sense of maturity and capacity.  Her parents too put themselves at risk when Marjane asked them to bring her back items like, denim jacket, two rock posters.  She goes through the trouble of sowing in the posters to her husband’s jacket and they somehow smuggle them back into Iran. That is very risky business if you ask me. I think that Marjanes opinion on her government has to do a lot with how she is raised by her parents. They lead by example and they have created a very smart and opinioned young girl. Her parents realize what a rebel she has become and how she is in danger in Iran.

Week 4

Persepolis Prompt 1

Reading “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi was a new experience for me. At first I did not comprehend what I was reading. I found myself reading and re-reading the first few chapters. I guess what threw me off was that I had very little prior knowledge of the history of Iran. After reading the beginning of the book and really understanding the author, I thought the book was really fun.  I enjoyed her detailed pictures, often found myself trying to read deeper through her descriptive pictures. I don’t think that I’ve ever read any book that between fiction and nonfiction. Reading this book I learned many valuable things about the Iranian culture. I enjoyed how in the beginning the main character is only a 10 year little girl. I appreciate how through the story we see her grow and mature as an independent intellectual young lady. Marjane gives the reader a good sense of what life was like in Iran while the revolution was going on. She shows us many examples of what life was like as a husband, wife, child, and even lower class people.

Besides all the background satrapi gives us on Iran I appreciated her stance on the veil. It really changed my stereotypical thinking about why women choose to wear it. From personal experience I know that some Christian women wear the veil too. But I always thought that they were forced to put it on once entering a church. My sister in law wears it when she prays and when she’s at church. She tells me it’s a sign of respect. I guess out of ignorance I never really made sense of it. But satrapi brought to my attention that not too long ago (1980) they passed a law that made it obligatory for girls to wear the veil.  I support and applaud Satrapi in her quest to rebel against such a submissive government.  

Another topic in the book that really changed my perspective was wealth. Eventhough Marjane is telling her life as upper class girl. She shows us many examples of how having money changes certain situations for her family. On Page 110 “their faith has nothing to do with ideology! A few bills were all he needed to forget the whole thing” says Marjanes father. Here the family was at close risk at getting caught with alcohol in their house. However money comes to the rescue when the father offers the officer a couple of bills to forget the whole ordeal. That is all it takes for the officer to leave the family alone. Another example is on page 99 “They gave this to my son at school. They told the boys that if they went to war and were lucky enough to die, this key would get them into heaven” says Mrs. Nasrine. This part of the story really shocks me. First of all I could not believe that they would do such a thing at a school. Bu t what topped it off was what they were telling the young boys in order to get them ready for what was ahead of them.  In that same chapter as their maid is going through disaster of possibly losing her son, Marjane is on the phone getting invited to a party. It’s almost as if Marjane doesn’t completely understand the severity of the situation.

……..

week #3

Week #3

I think that what happens in the chapter The Heroes has a huge impact on Marjanes life. After Marjane hears all the violent stories that Siamak and Mohsen share of how they were tortured. I also think that this experience has made her mature in a way. To be more specific I think when Marjane hears how Ahmadi was tortured, whipped, burned, and finally cut into pieces it really disturbs her. Moreover, I also sense some envy by Marjane towards Laly because her father was considered a hero. For example on page 52 on the bottom left Laly is standing big and tall in front of tiny Marjane. I think this picture says a lot more than “Maybe, but my father is a hero” says Laly. I think that this is how Laly is making her feel (tiny). To get back to the theme, I think that the stories that she heard had a negative impact on her. For example on page 53, where she is playing with her friends after the torture stories she talks about playing games like mustache on fire,the twisted arm, and mouth filled with garbage. She even goes as far as saying “Back home that evening, I had the diabolical feeling of power.” I believe that after she hears the cruel stories she thinks of the torture games to play on her friends.

 Moreover, I also think that Anoosh Marjanes uncle is really important character in Marjanes life. In the following chapter Marjane says “So my father was not a hero…If only he had been in prison.” There’s also a picture of her telling her friends lies about her father being tortured. She seems to take pride instantly as she learns that uncle Anoosh has been in prison. He later shares his life story with her. He tells her how ran from the Shah, later to be imprisoned for 9 years, and lastly he told her about his failed marriage and kids he had. In addition, later in that same chapter uncle Anoosh says to Marjane “I tell you all this because it’s important that you know. Our family memory must not be lost. Even If it’s not easy for you, even if you don’t understand it all.”  This quote really intrigued me because from what I can tell he realizes that Marjane is still a child but it’s almost as he chooses to tell her all this stories so it’s not forgotten or people like him are not forgotten. I think that uncle Annosh is a very important character to the story because Marjane sees him like a hero. When uncle Anoosh is arrested and later executed Marajne feels really sad and lost. I think that Anoosh was big support and living prove of what Marjane believes in. after he is executed I think that she is angry and she shuts everyone out of her life including God. Lastly I’ve been trying to make sense of the meaning of the swan made out of bread. He gives her one when they meet and the last one in the prison visit. Is the swan supposed to represent some kind of symbolism? If so what? 

Character Description

Character Description

   One of the quotes that got my attention was on page 17 where Marji says “For a revolution to succeed, the entire population must support it.” This is said when Marjane is trying to convince her parents to allow her to attend a demonstration. Her parents won’t allow it because it is too dangerous. But Marjane won’t have it she is tired of demonstrating in her garden and wishes her parents would understand. I felt that this is a very direct and strong statement, almost like it was being said by an adult. I think that this situation shows her maturity and how she as a young individual wants to support her country. However I much understand why her parents won’t allow her to attend. I think that Marjane is really mad at this stage of her life. This quote helped me better understand Marjane because her statement is very strong and confirms her position as a revolutionary.

Page 33. The reason for my shame and for the revolution is the same: the difference between social classes.” Her e Marjane realizes how important social classes are. It really takes her by surprise. She is upset that her maid Mahri and some boy can’t be friends because she is only a maid and the boy is of higher class. I thought this quote was important because she explains her excuses for a revolution, Or at least one of the reasons. I also think that Marjanes likes to practice her rights as an individualist. And deep down she doesn’t want to live a life that is forced upon her.  

Page 39. “But in fact it was really our own that had attacked us.” This quote I liked because I think its ironic how she and Mahri lied to her mom and go to a demonstration. However, when they get home her mother greets them both with a slap in the face. I believe that Marjane is referring to not being hurt at the demonstration by her enemies; but by her own mother because she was upset because marjane went out to protest and stand up for what she believes in.

Page 86 “I wish he were alive and in jail rather than dead and a hero,’ says Pardisse her classmate. This quote is not directly from Marjane but I think it was important. I think it makes Marjane think of her father and how she would feel if her dad did go out and fight and actually be the hero she wishes he was. It really makes me think what I would prefer if I was in her shoes.

Page 75. “But let’s be fair. If women faced prison when they refused to wear the veil, it was also forbidden to wear neckties (that dreaded symbol of the west).And if women’s hair got men excited, the same could be said of men’s bare arms. And so, wearing short-sleeved shirts was also forbidden. There was a kind of justice, after all.” This passage I thought was really important because here not only is she standing up for her right as a revolutionary but as a woman too. I think this quote shows her maturity and I think she is very young however she knows what she is fighting for when it comes to justice. And at the end when she says “there was a kind of justice, after all” I think that it shows a little bit of hope and victory at the same time. This quote helped me confirm that Marjane is persistent and she will stand up for her rights regardless the situation.

Page 87 “If the stores were closed for a single day, you’d probably eat each other! And you call yourselves civilized people! If everyone took only what they needed there would be enough to go around. “says Marjanes momPage87”Hmm.Well go to the store across the street and try to get more. You never Know”