Persepolis: List 1

by Marjane Satrapi
In this memoir, presented in graphic form, Marjane Satrapi describes growing up during the Iranian revolution.

This list covers "The Veil"–"Moscow."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3
35 words 8541 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. obligatory
    required by compulsion or convention
    Then came 1980: the year it became obligatory to wear the veil at school.
  2. decadence
    the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
    All Bilingual Schools must be closed down. They are symbols of capitalism. Of decadence.
  3. avant-garde
    radically new or original
    Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde.
  4. prophet
    someone who speaks by divine inspiration
    At the age of six I was already sure I was the last prophet.
  5. predecessor
    one who goes before you in time
    Like all my predecessors I had my holy book.
  6. disciple
    one who believes and helps spread the doctrine of another
    In that case, I'll be your first disciple.
  7. celestial
    of heaven or the spirit
    Yes you are, celestial light, you are my choice, my last and my best choice.
  8. tyranny
    government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator
    "2500 years of tyranny and submission" as my father said.
  9. invasion
    the act of marching aggressively into another's territory
    Then the Arab invasion from the west. Followed by the Mongolian invasion from the east.
  10. imperialism
    a policy of extending your rule over foreign countries
    And finally modern imperialism.
  11. dialectic
    of reasoning that arrives at truth by exchanging arguments
    But my favorite was a comic book entitled "Dialectic Materialism."
  12. perpetrate
    perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
    The Shah said that a group of religious fanatics perpetrated the massacre.
  13. degenerate
    grow worse
    Things started to degenerate.
  14. putsch
    a sudden attempt to overthrow the government
    The truth is that 50 years ago the father of the Shah, who was a soldier, organized a putsch to overthrow the Emperor and install a republic.
  15. republic
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
    The truth is that 50 years ago the father of the Shah, who was a soldier, organized a putsch to overthrow the Emperor and install a republic.
  16. secular
    not concerned with or devoted to religion
    We, the Turks, are secular westerners.
  17. confiscate
    take temporary possession of a security by legal authority
    At the time, your grandpa was a young man and the father of the Shah confiscated everything he owned .
  18. cultivated
    marked by refinement in taste and manners
    He had studied in Europe. He was a very cultivated man.
  19. rabble
    the common people or lower classes
    The workers! How can he believe that the rabble can rule?
  20. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    It disgusts me that people are condemned to a bleak future by their social class.
  21. rheumatism
    any painful disorder of the joints or muscles
    Prison destroyed his health. He had rheumatism.
  22. dynasty
    a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family
    You know, my child, since the dawn of time, dynasties have succeeded each other but the Kings always kept their promises.
  23. frivolity
    something of little value or significance
    All the country's money went into ridiculous celebrations of the 2500 years of dynasty and other frivolities.
  24. martyr
    one who voluntarily suffers death
    People came out carrying the body of a young man killed by the Army. He was honored like a martyr.
  25. cadaver
    the dead body of a human being
    There was another cadaver, an old man carried out on a stretcher.
  26. porter
    a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
    Reza became a porter at the age of ten.
  27. democracy
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
    The more he tried democracy, the more his statues were torn down
  28. effigy
    a representation of a person
    Then his effigy was burned.
  29. euphoria
    a feeling of great elation
    But my mother arrived in the middle of our euphoria...
  30. subversive
    in opposition to an established system or government
    Crime: Wrote subversive articles in the Keyhan.
  31. diabolical
    showing cunning or ingenuity or wickedness
    Back at home that evening, I had a diabolical feeling of power...but it didn't last.
  32. overwhelm
    overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
    I was overwhelmed.
  33. refuge
    a shelter from danger or hardship
    I crossed the Alborz mountains to find refuge at my parents' house in Astara.
  34. exile
    the act of expelling a person from their native land
    I was not safe with my parents. So I decided to go into exile.
  35. shun
    expel from a community or group
    You know what it is like to be an unmarried mother in this country. You will be shunned. Life will be hell.
Created on Sat Aug 08 15:52:20 EDT 2015 (updated Wed May 11 15:54:59 EDT 2022)

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