Persepolis

Out of all the stories in part one of “Persepolis” I found “They Key” to be one of the most moving stories. The first things that I found to be moving was the fact that two times a day at school the students had to beat their chests to honor those who had fallen during war, these were called torture sessions. Some of the men during these sessions would hit each other with chains or even cut them selves with knifes. I couldn’t believe that this was a ritual of a modern day country. I also found it absurd that they would make children hit themselves, most places try to steer children away from violence but they are basically telling these kids that violence is alright. Also I don’t think that hurting yourself is the proper way to honor people have been killed at war. I also found the fact that young boys were given plastic gold keys and were told that when they went to war if they were lucky enough to die that the key was their key to heaven. First, little boys shouldn’t even be concered with the fact that they might have to go war, they should be spending their time being kids. Second, no one to die is ever lucky, when some dies it is sad and upsetting, when you die you leave your family behind, you leave your friends behind, all the people that loved you and that you loved no longer have you in their lives, that is sad not lucky. And third, how could you give a child a key and tell them its their key to heaven? That is just wrong. I could not imagine being a kid and being handed a key and being told that if I am lucky enough to die in war then I have a key to heaven. This story was just so moving to me, it made me realize how lucky I am to leave in a country where I don’t have to worry about being sent off to war as a child, I am very thankful for that.

Emily Suchyta