Where was my mother to stroke my hair? Where was my grandmother to tell me that lovers, I would have them by the dozen? Where was my father to punish… - Marjane Satrapi

You are putting yourself in serious danger...'

I think that I preferred to put myself in serious danger rather than confront my shame. My shame at not having become someone, the shame of not having made my parents proud after all the sacrifices they had made for me. The shame of having become a mediocre nihilist.

Dans ta vie tu rencontreras beaucoup de cons. S'ils te blessent, dis-toi que c'est la bêtise qui les pousse à te faire du mal. Ça t'évitera de répondre à leur méchanceté. Car il n'y a rien de pire au monde que l'amertume et la vengeance. .. Reste toujours digne et intègre à toi même.

Si certains lieux publics avaient survécu aux répressions du régime, soit c'était pour nous laisser un espace de liberté, soit c'était de l'ignorance.