When authors refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Philosophical References
- Karl Marx (2.14; 9.2)
- René Descartes (2.14)
- Ashraf Darvishian (5.2)
- Charles Dickens (5.2)
- Johanna Spyri, Heidi (20.6)
- Mikhail Bakunin (22.1; 22.10; 26.14)
- Jean-Paul Sartre (22.12)
- Simone de Beauvoir (22.20)
Historical References
- Ché Guevara (2.2)
- Fidel Castro (2.2; 2.10; 2.31)
- Leon Trotsky (2.2)
- Iran revolutionaries F. Rezai, Dr. Taemi, and H. Ashraf (2.12)
- Mahatma Gandhi (3.13)
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (3.14)
- Jimmy Carter (6.10)
- Anwar Al-Sadat (6.12)
- Vladimir Lenin (9.3)
- Marie Curie (10.13)
- Saddam Hussein (10.5)
- Michelangelo's "La Pieta" (32.43)
Pop Culture References
- Bruce Lee (9.12)
- James Bond (10.4)
- Star Wars (12.32)
- Darth Vader (12.32)
- Princess Leia (12.32)
- Kim Wilde (referenced throughout Chapter 17)
- Abba (17.9)
- AC/DC (17.9)
- The Rolling Stones (17.9)
- Iron Maiden (17.9)
- Pink Floyd (23.40)
- Janis Joplin (26.23)
- Survivor, "Eye of the Tiger" (31.64) (Hey, Shmoopers: Did you notice this band's name is Survivor? This is the song Marjane listens to after her failed suicide attempt. She's a survivor too.