After reading Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi I reflected on the unfairness and misfortune of children who are born into violent circumstances. They are just as innocent and pure as other children but are forced to grow up much quicker. Little Marji grows up before and during the Iranian Revolution. She is a carefree girl with a loving family, but must face a sobering reality at the start of the revolution. To her, the changes she must make do not make sense as they do not seem particularly important to her. She must start wearing a veil. The entire country has become more conservative in its quest to disassociate from all things Western and American. Marji, however, is still the same little girl she was before. She still likes Kim Wilde and Iron Maiden and western clothing. I chose to do a charcoal drawing of Marji smiling wearing her veil with her denim jacket and a Michael Jackson pin (I used the book as my artistic skills are limited) because it struck me as innocent and beautiful. She takes simple pleasures out of things such as wearing a denim jacket, but also complies while wearing the veil. Most people at this time would not dare wear anything western, but Marji, not knowing any better, wears what she knows and loves. This clash of civilizations seen in the clothing of one girl seems like a wonderful display of cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence. I want to applaud Marji for her stylish and culturally respectful choices, which is why it is so sad that she is chastised by teachers and others for her dress. It is a sad reminder of the fear held by many Muslim countries of the West overtaking them. Instead of putting all focus on areas that are actually of concern, such as the oil industry, many lives had to be ruined because of petty cultural things like a denim jacket.