The Trip Slides
The Trip
Persepolis • Chapter 10
Dreams
Smoke
Up in Smoke
pp. 72-73
U.S. Embassy
Occupied by students. Visas are cancelled. Marji can't see her friend Kaveh. Her dream goes "up in smoke" (p. 72).
Universities
Closed for a "Cultural Revolution" to revise "decadent" school books. Marji's dream of being Marie Curie is crushed (p. 73).
"At the age that Marie Curie first went to France to study, I'll probably have ten children..."
— Marji, p. 73
Warm-up
05:00
Dreams in Smoke
Marji's dream of seeing her friend Kaveh in the USA "went up in smoke" when the embassy closed.
Describe a big dream you have. How would you react if a law suddenly made that dream physically impossible?
Quick Jot
Quick-write
07:00
Standard 8.W.2: Informative Analysis
"Rays" and Restrictions
Examine how the new social laws redefine what it means to be a "modern" citizen in Iran.
On p. 74, the government claims hair "emanates rays that excite men" to justify the veil. How do these new dress codes and the closing of universities (73) restrict Marji's vision of becoming an "educated, liberated woman"?
Reference specific page details Analyze Marji's changing identity
Interactive
15:00
Standard 8.RL.7: Film vs. Text Analysis
The Absent Vacation
In the text, the vacation scenes (p. 77) show a brief moment of happiness for the family. In the film, the entire vacation is removed.
Why do you think the director chose to eliminate this part of the story, and how does this decision affect the overall message about joy during this time period?
First, write your answer, then share it with your table and write one thing you learned about how your teammates think:
Cool-down
Standard 8.RL.9
08:00
The "Black Cloud" (p. 78)
"The TV showed a map of Iran and a black cloud covering the country little by little..."
How does this image signal the shift from their vacation back to the reality of war?
The war has begun
Hand in Exit Ticket
The Trip Log Worksheet
The Trip: Student Log
Persepolis — Chapter 10 (pp. 72-79)
Name:
Date:
Activity 1
Warm-up: Dreams in Smoke (p. 72)
Describe a big dream you have. How would you react if a law suddenly made that dream physically impossible?
Activity 2
Quick-write: "Rays" and Restriction (pp. 73-75)
Prompt: On p. 74, the government claims hair "emanates rays that excite men" to justify the veil. How do these new dress codes and the closing of universities (73) restrict Marji's vision of becoming an "educated, liberated woman"?
Activity 3
Discussion: The Absent Vacation
Part A: Individual Response
In the text, the vacation scenes show happiness. In the film, they are removed. Why do you think the director made this choice, and how does it affect the message about joy during this time period?
Part B: Table Share
Write one thing you learned about how your teammates think based on their answers:
Exit Ticket
The "Black Cloud" (p. 78)
How does this image signal the shift from their vacation back to the reality of war? [RL.9]
Persepolis • Chapter 10 Log • "The Trip"
The Trip Teacher Guide
The Trip
Teacher Facilitation Guide
35 Minutes
Persepolis: Ch. 10 (pp. 72-79)
Objectives
- Analyze how the closing of institutions (Embassy, Universities) alters Marji's identity (8.W.2).
- Evaluate the director's decision to omit the vacation scene from the film (8.RL.7).
- Identify the "Black Cloud" (p. 78) as a mythic herald of war (8.RL.9).
Key Page references
- P. 72: Embassy closure / "Nest of spies" ha ha!
- P. 73: "Marie Curie vs. Ten Children" quote.
- P. 74: Mother's harassment / "Rays" explanation.
- P. 77: Magic Carpet panel (Vacation happiness).
- P. 78-79: Black Cloud / War announcement.
Facilitation Breakdown
0-5
Mins
Warm-up: Dreams in Smoke
Focus on p. 72. Discuss how political events become personal tragedies. How does a law transform a "dream" into an "impossibility"?
5-12
Mins
Quick-write (8.W.2): "Rays" and Restriction
Focus on p. 74. The "rays" explanation is a pseudo-scientific justification for control. Contrast this with Marji's p. 73 dream of real science (Marie Curie).
12-27
Mins
Interactive: The Absent Vacation (8.RL.7)
Students compare the joy of p. 77 to its complete absence in the film. Discussion point: By removing the vacation, does the film director make the time period feel even more oppressive? Does it change the message about the possibility of joy during war?
27-35
Mins
Cool-down: The Black Cloud (8.RL.9)
Examine the map on p. 78. This visual metaphor heralds the reality of war. Connect this to Marji's final decision on p. 79 to "fight."
Discussion Anchor points
-
"Nest of spies" / James Bond references (p. 72).
-
"Decadent" school books vs. Marie Curie (p. 73).
-
"Women's hair emanates rays..." (p. 74).
-
Fundamentalist vs. Modern clothing (p. 75).
-
"The scarf or a beating!" (p. 76).
-
"The war has begun" map metaphor (p. 78).
