How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Panel)
Quote #4
I saw a turquoise bracelet. It was Neda's. Her aunt had given it to her for her fourteenth birthday. The bracelet was still attached to… I don't know what… (18.45-18.46)
Talk about close to home—Marji is talking about the death of her next door neighbor here. The building literally next door to the one Marji lives in is flattened by a bomb… with her neighbors inside. This is the closest young Marji has ever come to death, and she doesn't know how to deal with it. This chapter even ends with a black panel, showing us that there are no words, or even images, to express the fear, anger, and grief.
Quote #5
After the death of Neda Baba-Levy, my life took a new turn. In 1984, I was fourteen and a rebel. Nothing scared me anymore. (19.1)
Now that Marji has practically looked death in the face, she's realized that she has to live her life to its fullest. She harnesses her grief into energy used to speak her mind and stand up for what she believes in. After all, she's kind of survived being killed in a way. That's a liberating feeling, because what else could be scarier than that?
Quote #6
Many [streets] had changed names. They were now called Martyr What's-His-Name Avenue or Martyr Something-or-Other Street. It was very unsettling. I felt as though I were walking through a cemetery. (29.38-29.40)
Iran seems to relish its death, or maybe they've just been desensitized to it. Everyone knows someone who has died in some war or conflict. Coming back from the world outside Iran though, Marjane has difficulty re-acclimating herself to death's prevalence.