Peace in Pieces

In this section of the reading we find Marji experience the horrors of war. We get a very intimate and enlightening view of the machinery of war - not only the planes and the bombs but the nuts and bolts of the war machine itself- how, why and with what wars are fought and the price it enacts on the public.

As we see from the text soon after the Islamic Revolution Saddam Hussein, taking advantage of the state of internal turmoil the country was in, decided to attack Iran is a cowardly fashion. Clearly, Saddam Hussein wanted to be the power player in the region. Before the Islamic revolution the Shah, who was essentially the United States puppet and had its significant military backing, was the key player in the region next to Israel. However, this new Islamic Regime in Iran was a quickly becoming a real problem for the US. As we learn from the text the US embassy was attacked at the employees taken hostage, the US had to counter this threat in any way possible. And they found their solution in Saddam Hussein. During the Iraq- Iran wars the US actively supported the Iraqi war effort by supplying the Iraqis with billions of dollars of of credits, by providing US military intelligence and by closely monitoring third country arms sales to Iraq. Marji does not go into great details about why the war starts - she simply chooses to begin by saying that Saddam Hussein attacked Iran and this starts the war. She does not go into great details about the history and geopolitical reasons behind this war. This is understandable since this is a graphic novel not a history book. But she does not fail to give us the bigger picture - that wars are fought not on the basis of truth but usually on the basis of lies and deceit. And that the public is woefully unaware of the truth.

I get the feeling that the new regime in Iran saw this war as a blessing in disguise. As soon as the war started they started playing the national anthem, which was repressed for more than a year, in the hopes of unifying the masses under the banner of jingoistic patriotism. The war also put the brakes on any leftist movement as the regime cracked down hard on anything deemed counter to their ideology. As often the case, in times of great upheavals the state usurps powers and exercises it mercilessly on its oppositions. Similar situation happened in the US soon after the September 11th attacks. The government using fear as the motivating factor cracked down on any individual or group criticizing its policy.

We also see that wars are fought mostly by the poor. The poor class are usually not very educated and hence they are easily swayed. Add to that the fact that they have no economic means of supporting themselves and joining the army is an easy way - at least in theory-to get ahead in life. And to make this transition easy their is always the bribe factor. In some cases those rewards are to be had after you have fulfilled your duties in the afterlife- that way you can have anything you want! In some cases however, the reward is given before that fact - hence the signing bonus!

Girls will be veiled girls

The story opens with Marjane being caught smack in the middle of the "glorious" Islamic Revolution on 1979. We see that all the boys and girls are separated and all bilingual/liberal teachings were outlawed. In the drawings we see all the girls wearing the burkah and their homogeneity represents their loss of liberty and personal identity. They were no longer Marji or Mina or Golnaz they were just women. That was the only identity that mattered now.
To me the stigma of wearing the veil or burkah runs both ways. On the one end there are people like Marji who are forced to wear the burkah in a screwed up religious attempt at modesty and subjected to utter anguish by their subjugators. But on the other hand there are those that whole-heartedly and with great enthusiasm take up the burkah but who are subjected to ridicule and sometimes much worse for exercising that choice. I think the key word here is choice. Marji's power to choose has been taken away. And i think she is saying that you cannot force traits like modesty on human beings -that is something that has to be learned by example and taught from an early age.
Marjane wants to be a prophet as well. This seems very contradictory to the progressive image that we seem to get of her from an early age. In a way Marji reminds me of William Blake. Like Blake she is deeply religious but in a very unique Blake-ish way. Like Blake she can cut through the hypocrisy and double standard of the religious institutions and see their hunger for power and wealth. Like Blake she prefers a more direct and personal connection to the higher beings. Just like Blake uses irony and satire in his works to bring into view the spurious nature of the whole system so too does Marjane.Their similarity does not end there. Blake used a very original form of expression where he blended visual art and poetry to give the maximum amount of information possible. To read Blake without the background is losing half the essence. So too in the case of Presepolis. The images are cartoonish but they are in commensuration with the satirical nature of the novel and the age of the narrator.

Ron is a master of Wizard Chess. He has inherited his grandfathers old wizarding chess set. Unlike other hand me downs we get a sense that Ron is actually fond of this particular possession. We can imagine that he has some fond memories of him and his grandfather playing with these very same pieces. He feels connected to his grandfather through the love of this game and particularly this set.
We see that he beats Harry on a regular basis with this set and even the omniscient Hermione Granger. This begs the question why is Ron so good at chess which is a game of strategy and deep reflection, and yet kinda bad at everything else?
It can be argued that Harry and Hermione are not from the wizarding world and so they do not have a firm grasp of the game and so Ron is able to soundly beat them. However, that argument is refuted by Ron's brilliant and self-sacrificing game while they were trying to prevent Voldemort from getting theSorcerer's Stone. In my opinion Ron can be good at anything that he puts his mind to but he lacks self confidence.
As noted previously, Ron is always overshadowed by his brothers. There is nothing that Ron can do that will be spectacular since it has already been done by his brothers. This knowledge alone can put a damper on the ego. If Ron represents one end of the spectrum, there is no way to do something original since it had already been done before so just be your goofy self and hope for the best, Percy represents the other end, do whatever it takes to be the best and in the process become an ego maniac. Ron does not want to be like Percy. So he seeks out something that the other brothers and sister is not keen at. Something that is frivolous enough that wont catch their attention and he, Ron can for once be the only one good at it! And that something in Wizarding Chess. Unfortunately for him, his secret was outed when Dumbledore awards Griffyndor points for his amazing and spectacular game. Poor Ron!

A new addition to the Weasley family.

In chapter twelve, we finally see Harry's transition from a friend to a sibling. Though we do get the feeling that Ron and Harry are really good friends the deal is symbolically sealed with Mrs. Wesley's hand woven sweater that Harry receives over Christmas.

All the Weasley's get one for Christmas, and although Ron does not seem to be particularly keen about his, it is nonetheless part and parcel of being a Weasley. Harry by donning the sweater become more than just a friend he becomes the newest addition to the Weasley family. By wearing the sweater Harry is transformed from being superhero to a regular kid. Its interesting that Hermione does not get a Weasley sweater. This can be explained by the fact that she already has a family of her own or may be she is just not Weasley material!

The Weasley adoption of Harry is also clearly reflected by the Mirror of Erised. Harry looks into the mirror and sees his missing family- his deepest desire to be with his family and his parents. This desire is fulfilled to some extent by Ron and his family. It is not the same thing as being with his true family but it sure beats being part of the Dursleys!

Quidditch- A reflection.

Chapter Eleven is action packed! We are finally introduced to the exciting world of Quidditch. Though Ron Weasley is not a part of the Quidditch team for Gryffindor he is nonetheless a true fan of the sport. And just as a true Gryffindor he is loyal to his team and is out there in the field to support his friend Harry. Here again we see his magnanimity, instead of being jelous of Harry for being the only seeker from the First years he is in awe of Harry and his abilities.
Quidditch, in my opinion, is also used as a symbol or metaphor for teamwork that we see in Ron, Harry and Hermione. From the very beginning of the books we get a feeling that the Wizarding world is highly individualistic - we see that wizards are celebrated for their personal achievements. For example, just like baseball cards they have their own wizarding cards that celebrate famous wizrds. However, unlike the baseball players they are not part of any team. It servers as a reminder to us that while you can achive greatness alone, to bring about great change you need teamwork.
Also, Quidditch serves to a degree the battle between good and evil. This is done with subtelty in the book. We learn that the Slythernis have been unbeatable for the last seven years which coincide nicely with the slow rise of Voldemort from his apparent death by baby Potter. But as soon as Harry Potter joins the Gryffindor team things change, the good guys start beating the bad guys yet again!
And yet again we see the growing mistrust of Severus Snape by Ron, Harry and Hermione. I think this really shows how naive our three investigators are still about the world. They belive the world to be still black and white. Just because they dislike Snape and thinks that he hates them then he must be up to no good! Nevermind that Dumbledore, on of the most intelligent wizards of all times, has faith in Snape enough to let him teach at Hogwarts.

True Colors

In this section of our readings from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Ron Weasley shows his true colors. And they are truly of the Gryffindor House! As the sorting hat pointed out

" You might belong to Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindor apart;"

so does Ron embody those principles in his actions throughout this section.
In the first week of class Ron, even being of a wizarding family, is overwhelmed by the the sheer amount of work that goes into the making of a wizard. The why and how behind the everyday things that he has taken for granted all his life baffles him. He, like Harry Potter, who has become a good friend by this point, is flabbergasted.
On the bright side of things, it seems that he is being noticed and recognized more just by being friends with the famous Harry Potter. He certainly did not plan it this way, but he does not and cannot avoid it.
In the very beginning of Chapter Eight we find proof of this phenomenon as some of the first years point out that Harry Potter is standing "Next to the tall kid with the red hair." The whole school is whispering about Harry and trying to get a glimpse of him and Ron just by being next to him also becomes part of this celebrity gossip. But unlike other celebrities neither Ron nor Harry let fame get to their head.
Ron and Harry both develop a strong dislike for Draco Malfoy from the very beginning. Ron hates Malfoy not only because he makes fun of his family's social status but more importantly Draco's family has been complicit with the workings of Voldemort- the dark Lord. As a consequence Ron and Harry get into quite a few altercations with Draco Malfoy in this section. Its in these situations that Ron proves his true identity as a Gryffidnor. For example, when Draco Malfoy challenges Harry Potter to a Wizard's Duel, Ron immediately jumps up and volunteers himself as Harry's second. Harry who has no idea of what this entails does not even flinch, trusting Ron to know what is best. And Ron does not disappoint - he's got Harry's back! Knowing full well that he will have to break Hogwarts rules and regulations and in doing so might bring shame upon his family and even get kicked out, Ron does not waiver in his friendship. Unlike Harry, Ron has a lot to live up to and a lot to lose but he puts it all on the line for Harry.
This penchant of Ron to get in trouble in order to support Harry is Miss Hermione Granger's bane of existence. She is the know-it-all muggle-born who is in the same year and house as Ron. She is always on Ron's case for losing the house precious points. She takes this very seriously much like every aspect of her academic life.
Ron does not like her very much and she actually tries to stop Ron and Harry from going to the Wizard's Duel. She is unable to do that; however, instead she was forced to go with them to the duel only to find out that they have been set up by Malfoy. Hermione is in essence the opposite of Ron. Where Ron is goofy, care free and almost funny, Hermione is serious, fastidious and cerebral. She is the top student in her house and possibly the whole first year. She is the restorative force to the chaos that is Harry and Ron.
After the duel incident Hermione stops talking to Ron (and Harry) which was fine with him. She was still furious from the earlier incidents. Ron was tired of her bossy and holier than thou attitude. He gets enough of that from his older brother Percy already. But unfortunately for him he was paired with her in class the next day to practice Charm spells. As expected, Hermine was able to do the spell easily where as Ron was not even close! When Hermione told Ron how he should pronounce the spell Ron just about lost it! After class as he was unloading his feelings on the matter to Harry (such as "this is why she does not have any friends") Hermione overheard him and took off crying, which is where she is when the troll finds her.
I think Hermione was just trying to help Ron with the exercise. But Ron being already on edge with all that has happened and may be to some extent being insecure about his talents lashed out against her.
The spell he was trying to learn was "Wingardium Leviosa" which was used to levitate things. He could not get it in class but when it came to a life and death situation it was Ron that saved the day and Hermione with the same spell! Hermione on the other hand was not able to keep her wits about her when she came face to face with the troll. This must have put Hermione is Ron's shoes if only momentarily and gave her a whole new perspective on things. That's why she lied through her teeth to save Ron and Harry from detention. This mutual understanding of each other pulls them closer together and we see that Harry, Ron and Hermione become inseparable. Sometimes opposites do attract.

The boy in the mirror

In this section of our readings from the novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we get introduced to many of the main characters of the book. For example, we get a first glimpse of Draco Malfoy and his partners in crime Crabble and Goyle. But more pertinent to the discussion of this blog,we get a a very close look at the legend that is Ron Weasley.

Ron Weasley, the sixth and the youngest red headed brother in a long line of red heads(five brothers before him), has a lot to live up to- or at least that what he keeps thinking to himself as he sets off for his First year at Hogwarts. He has a younger sister as well but thankfully he does not have to compete with her for the time being in the "living up to" game that is constantly going on in his head, for she is still not of age( and possibly wisdom).

To be fair to Ron his feelings of insecurity are not entirely a figment and or creation of his fertile mind. His older brother Percy, whose Prefect Badge is always competing to replace his heart for the perfect location, is rewarded by his parents with new robes and other accessories (such as an owl) while he Ron gets hand me downs and used items. For someone in Ron's position it is quite natural to be nervous about his performance at Hogwarts- after all it will quite literally show itself to the observer.To be fair to the parents they have to reward the achievements of their son and that is also equally expected but for a family with seven children that means someone else has to go without some other necessity. Ron being the youngest naturally gets the short end of the wand more than he wants to admit.

Ron knows that because of this he is starting off at a disadvantage at Hogwarts. For example earlier in the book we find out that it is very important for a wizard to have the perfect wand. The wand chooses the wizard and the connection between them is essential for magic to happen. Unfortunately for Ron, he is stuck with an old weathered wand -possibly a hand me down from a brother( actually its Charlie's) that performs no magic for him. He tries to change Scabber's coat color to yellow "to make it more current ( as the Amerian Idol judges would say)" and fails.

To add insult to injury, some muggle born comes in and informs him that she tried some spells earlier and all of them worked for her. Hermionie Granger, the muggle born in question, is also going to Hogwarts for the first time and Ron develops a slight distaste for her. She has a bossy attitude that is quite unflattering and just like Percy she had her Hogwarts robes on as soon as the train started. To Ron he has enough overachievers in the family he does not need one as a friend. But one should never count their friends before they are matched(by fate).

When Ron meets Harry for the first time- he tries to play it cool and tries not to stare at Harry and make him uncomfortable as instructed by his mother. However, he is all to aware of the story and legend of Harry Potter, the one who put he-who-must-not-be-named out of commission, and starts to prod him with questions of what he can remember of that fateful night. From the very beginning they become close, attracted by that what each perceives in lacking in their respective lives. Harry is pulled towards Ron not only for Ron's obvious with and charm(irony), but also becoz Ron has something that Harry does not have and longs for - a loving family. Ron is interested in Harry obviously for his fame and instant recognition something that he feels that he needs in order to live up to his parents expectations. In short they complete each other.This fledgling friendship is solidified when they join their forces against a common foe , Draco Malfoy.