The Letter

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, 2003

• The Letter- The title of this chapter is important because one of the main focuses of this chapter are the letters sent from Mehri, Marji's maid, to her neighbor's son. Mehri cannot write her own letters, however, because she never learned how to write. Marji's father later discovers Marji has been writing the letters for her.


• Summary- After reading numerous books by Ali Ashraf Darvishian, Marji begins to understand the structure of social classes in Iran. She begins to look at her maid Mehri's life, and how it has been so different from her own. Marji then tells the story of how Mehri fell in love with her neighbor's son, Hossein. Thinking she was Marji's sister, he would write her letters. Marji would right letters back to him because Mehri did not learn how to write. Mehri told her biological sister, who worked for Marji's uncle, about Hossein and she became jealous. She told Marji's uncle and soon, Marji's father found out. He then went to clarify the situation with Hossein, telling him Mehri was only their maid. Because marriage between social classes was outlawed, Hossein abandoned Mehri. The next day, out of grief, both Mehri and Marji decide to demonstrate, even though they were not allowed. Though both girls were unharmed, that day would become known as "Black Friday" because of the number of deaths of demonstrators.


• New Characters and Historic Events

-Ali Ashraf Darvishian: Marji's favorite Kurdish writer

-Mehri: Marji's maid
-Hossein: Marji's neighbor's son
-Black Friday: A day when hundreds of demonstrators were killed, September 8, 1978

• Humorous Segments: There is a section that shows Marji's mother trying to teach Marhi to read. Marji's mother:"So let's repeat. M as in..." Mahri:"Carrot!" It displays Mehri as being stupid in a humorous manor.


• Picture: The picture above is significant because it explains why sometimes parents give their children up to be maids. It shows Mehri crying and not wanting to leave her parents, but her parents thinking it would still be the best thing for her.