Shattered Gems Slides
Shattered Gems
PERSEPOLIS: CHAPTER 12
Forced Change
The Arrival
Context
In The Jewels (pp. 87-93), the war hits home. Abadan is bombed, forcing Mali’s wealthy family to flee to Tehran with nothing but their jewels.
"To have a house, and then suddenly... nothing." (p. 90)
Today's Objectives:
- Analyze Sacrifice vs. Survival
- Evaluate conflicting character perspectives (8.RL.6)
- Write a formal evidence-based claim (8.W.2)
Echoes of Myth
CCSS 8.RL.9
"Mali's husband mourns a million-dollar house and marble (p. 90). They have lost their 'Paradise.'"
The Question
How is Mali’s arrival in Tehran like the myth of the Expulsion from Eden? What did they sacrifice?
Think-Pair-Share
Does losing your past make your present less real?
Divided Perspectives
8.RL.6 8.RL.7
Small Group Task:
Compare the supermarket scene on page 87 with the encounter on pages 92-93. How do character perspectives create suspense or shame?
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Mali & Taji (p. 93)
How do they react to being "spat upon by their own kind"?
Look-For: Their eyes in the final panels.
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The Neighbors (p. 92)
Why do they blame the refugees for the lack of food?
Look-For: Note their specific insults.
Constructing the Claim
8.W.2
Writing Prompt:
Using evidence from page 90 (the jewels) and page 93 (the insults), explain how Satrapi reveals the theme that survival often comes at the cost of dignity.
Step 1
Clear Claim
Step 2
Evidence (p. 90/93)
Step 3
Context
Step 4
Analysis
The Jewelry Box
"Look at this! That's all I could save." (p. 90)
If you had to flee your home in 5 minutes, what three items would you pack?
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Shattered Gems Worksheet
Shattered Gems
Persepolis: Chapter 12 Analysis (pp. 87-93)
Name:
Date:
Activity 1
The Fall from Grace
CCSS 8.RL.9
On page 90, Mali’s husband mourns his million-dollar house and 100,000-dollar marble. Contrast this with the myth of the "Expulsion from Eden." How does their arrival in Tehran (p. 91) represent a "fall" from their previous life?
Activity 2
Divided Perspectives
CCSS 8.RL.6 | 8.RL.7
Compare the supermarket scene on page 87 with the encounter on pages 92-93. How do character perspectives create suspense or shame?
Mali & Taji (p. 93)
How do they react to being "spat upon by their own kind"? Look at their eyes in the final panels.
The Neighbors (p. 92-93)
Why do they blame the refugees for the lack of food? Note their specific insults.
Activity 3
The Price of Survival
CCSS 8.W.2
Prompt:
Using evidence from page 90 (the jewels) and page 93 (the insults), explain how Satrapi reveals the theme that survival often comes at the cost of dignity.
Cool Down
The Jewelry Box
On page 90, Mali’s husband holds the jewels and says, "That's all I could save." If you had to flee in 5 minutes, what three items would you pack in your "suitcase"?
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Shattered Gems Teacher Guide
Shattered Gems
Teacher Facilitation Guide • Persepolis Ch. 12
Duration: 45 Minutes
Aligned to PDF Pages 87-93
Activity Clarification: Divided Perspectives (8.RL.6 & 8.RL.7)
This activity explores the "Divide" between how the refugees see themselves and how the people of Tehran see them. The goal is for students to see that war doesn't just take your home; it takes your status and dignity.
The Refugees (Mali & Taji)
The Perspective: Internal Shame & Total Loss. They are wealthy people forced to live like "parasites" in their own country.
Visual Evidence: Notice their eyes on page 93—they are drawn large, white, and watery (vulnerable). They look downward or at each other.
The Neighbors (Tehran Residents)
The Perspective: External Resentment & Fear. They see refugees as "takers" who have "descended" on the city and are stealing food (p. 92).
Visual Evidence: Sharp, angry eyebrows and jagged, spiked speech bubbles. They look at the refugees with contempt or "sideways" glances.
Instructional Pacing
00-05m
Warm Up: The Fall (8.RL.9)
Contrast the "Million Dollar House" (p. 90) with the "Star Wars" mattress scene (p. 91). They have fallen from a life of luxury to sleeping on the floor.
05-15m
Scarcity & Supermarkets
Look at p. 87. The woman yells, "If stores were closed for a single day, you'd probably eat each other!" This foreshadows the "cannibalism" of their own kind (insulting refugees) on p. 93.
15-30m
The Divide (Small Group)
Guided Analysis of p. 92-93. Have students circle the insults ("Whores", "Sluts") and then look at Mali's facial expression. Use the "Divided Perspectives" worksheet section.
30-45m
Claim-Evidence Paragraph (8.W.2)
Focus: "To be spat upon by your own kind, it is intolerable." How do the "Jewels" (wealth) make the insults (loss of status) hurt more?
Discussion Key
Standard 8.RL.6 (Perspective)
The "effect" of these different viewpoints is profound sadness and irony. The audience knows Mali is a dignified woman, but the neighbors treat her as a prostitute.
Standard 8.RL.7 (Visual Choices)
Satrapi draws the neighbors in dark, solid black silhouettes with no eyes (p. 92), making them seem like a faceless, angry mob vs. the refugees' detailed, crying faces.
