What is a comic? My way of interpreting it as a graphic novel with amusing effect is totally changed after I read Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis, which perfectly communicates the potentials of comics to construct and present a rich inner world and a complete self. When self-recognition towards interiority and identity is distorted in the trend of the political and religious revolution, how should Iranian people balance the relationship between public life and individual life and build a strong internal defense in the midst of violent social upheavals? The journey of constructing the self of the protagonist, Marji, under such a complex historical background is vividly presented through this memoir.
YOUQI CHEN is a rising sophomore in Questrom School of Business who was born and raised in China. As a new member in Questrom who just transferred from School of Hospitality Administration, she doesn’t have a clear career goal right now which would help her determine her major, but she would like to take on more academic challenges and explore more different courses before she steps on her path of starting her own business in the future. Youqi appreciates all the help offered by her WR 120 instructor Lesley Yoder who led her into the world of a new genre – comics, helped her effectively improve her overall writing skills, and inspired her further interest in reading and writing. Professor Yoder shows her enthusiasm for teaching all the objects related to writing, and she is devoted to building an open environment all the way along for students to express their thoughts.