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James has known his cousin Jimmy since they were both kids. They were the same age. At 18 years old, James wanted to go to college but his father had other plans for him. He wanted his son to be a British soldier, like his father and like his grandfather before him. During the time James trained to become a British soldier, his cousin Jimmy prepared to become an American colonist. James was happy for his cousin. He wanted to go with Jimmy but had to go where the military needed him. James told Jimmy he would see him as soon as possible. James was notified he would be going to war. He was not told where he would go but he would know when he got there. His first battle was in India.
His next battle, also a surprise, was in America. Soon after his arrival, James found himself in the battle for Bunker Hill. As the British went up the hill, the Americans fired upon them. One of the first people that James saw on that hill was his cousin Jimmy. In the blink of an eye, Jimmy shot James in the leg. James was down right angry. How could his own blood shoot at him? The pain was agonizing. As if in answer, he saw Jimmy get shot by one of the British soldiers. James did not shoot back at his cousin. James was dragged to the rear of the battle for medical attention.
There he found out that the British had won the battle of Bunker Hill. James had hoped that his cousin was ok. James had to stay in a hospital until his leg got better. At one point the doctors wanted to amputate his leg. James refused to have his leg cut off. He knew his leg would get better without cutting it off. His leg healed quickly. James had to know if his cousin was still alive. He could not go back to the battlefield because for one thing, the war was over and for another thing he was being sent to Canada.
James found out that the British had lost the war to the Americans. He had to know if his cousin was still alive. He prepared to go to America in search of Jimmy. He found his cousin in a Boston pub. He approached his cousin and asked, “How could you fire upon your own blood?” Jimmy explained that he did not recognize James. He was sorry for the shot in the leg. Jimmy invited his cousin to stay in America for a while. He invited James to stay at his home. James accepted his cousin’s offer. He stayed with Jimmy until duty demanded that he return to Britain. On the day of his departure for Britain, Jimmy presented his gun to James as a gift.

Characters

William Singiser
Stephanie Vargas

James Witiki

James was born on July 10, 1745 in Brittan and is 17 years old. His mothers name is Elizabeth and works as a seamstress. His fathers name is Charlie and he works as a British soldier. James has thick blonde hair and is 5’ 11”; James often wears a long sleeved collared shirt with overalls. James is very quiet and hardly stands up for what he believes in. He is very much controlled by his father and grandfather. He has always enjoyed playing piano and wanted to make it his career. James had plans to go to college but his father wanted him to be in the military like his grandfather and him. James joins the British army at the same time Jimmy becomes a colonist. James said to Jimmy that he would come to see Jimmy as soon as possible. But James would have to wait a while because he has to protect the homeland from any invasions from the French or the Spanish. James gets a call to go to war he does not find out who he is going to be fighting until he gets there when he finds out he is stun. He could not believe whom he is fighting as soon as the battle begins he finds him self-looking at his cousin. As soon as he sees his cousin his cousin opens fire on him. After getting shot in the leg he could not believe what his own family just did to him. He gets dragged out of the battle and gets put in a hospital and almost gets his leg cut off. His next mission is to go back to America and ask why did you shoot me in the leg. He makes it to America asks the question his cousin did not recognize him.

Jimmy Witiki

Jimmy Witiki was born on February 26, 1744 and is now 18 years old. His mother died when he was an infant and lived with his father, Jack Witiki. Jimmy has brown thick hair and is very tall, he often wears slacks and a t shirt. Jimmy is also left handed and has horrible handwriting. Jimmy is very outspoken guy, sometimes people interpret that as rudeness. Jimmy can also be very quiet when around certain people.
He is one year older than his cousin James. He and his cousin James used to play all the time when they were kids, Jimmy always wanted to play “Around the World”, where they would pretend to be explorers. Jimmy was always much more outgoing and adventurous than James. Jimmy always dreamed to get out and see the world. This dream started when Jimmy received a gift from his grandfather, Jason Witiki. His grandfather gave Jimmy a compass on his tenth birthday. Jimmy and his grandfather have always had a close relationship but that soon changes.
Jimmy attended school but did not go to college, right after high school he became a colonist. At the same time as James joins the Jimmy becomes a colonist. While Jimmy was in America he gets drunk in a bar and joins the American army. But when he becomes sober he finds out that he is in the American army. He does not know that he will soon be fighting his own cousin in the battle for Bunker Hill. The next thing that he knows his is in the middle of combat. As soon as he sees the British he opens fire on them. Not knowing that he just shot his own cousin. He finds out that he shot his cousin in a bar in Boston he says that he was sorry for shooting his cousin in the leg. Then he gives his gun as a gift.

Persepolis.

The history in Iran was taught in Persepolis in a great way. It starts out in 1980 when Marji was ten years old. Marji comes from a very liberal family, yet they have a decadent lifestyle (Marji's dad owns a Cadillac). Marji explains a year before, a revolution took place called “The Islamic Revolution", and a year later (1980) it became mandatory to wear The Veil. Also in 1980 all bilingual schools were shut down and Marji found herself separated from her friends. Before The Revolution she dreamed of becoming the last prophet and talked to god every night before bed. Marji’s reasons for wanting to be the last prophet were very veritable, she wanted to be a prophet because her maid did not eat with them and she did not understand why, because her father drove a Cadillac and others didn’t drive at all, and her grandmothers’ knees always ached. Marji was surrounded by news of her country and demonstrations her parents went to protesting The Shah. Marji found herself reading books to learn more about her country and the world, she learned about the kids in Palestine, Fidel Castro, and The Vietnamese being killed by Americans. Marji thought she was very educated on what was going on and aspired to demonstrate on the streets like her parents. Her mother and father did not want Marji to demonstrate on the streets because it was too dangerous, often they would come home hurt and tired and did not want the same happening to Marji. Marji did not understand so she became very upset. Soon God stopped visiting her, and Marji learns from her father that God did not choose The King, but 50 years ago Reza wanted to create a Republic but was discouraged by the British and traded oil to become Emperor and later his son succeeded him. Marji then realizes that she didn't understand anything as much about her country as she thought, so she read even more. Her favorite author was Ali Ashraf, he wrote very sad stories that made Marji realized why she was ashamed of her decadent lifestyle. He wrote stories of kids who worked at the age of nine and had no parents. Marji had never worked a day in her life and realized why she was so ashamed.
We then learn about Mehri, her families maid. In the beginning of The Revolution, in 1978, Mehri fell in love with the neighbors son, they had a very clandestine love affair that only Marji knew about. Mehri, the maid did not know how to read or write so Marji wrote letters for her every week for six months until Marji’s father found out. Marji’s father spoke to Hoessin, their neighbor and informed him that Mehri was not his daughter but his maid. Hoessin quickly gave him all of her letters and said he did not want to continue seeing Mehri. Marji becomes very upset because she realizes that Hoessin did not like Mehri anymore because they were not from the same social class. The next day Mehri and Marji go and protest on the streets against her parents wishes. Marji went to demonstrate on the worst day, "Black Friday" (1979). After Black Friday massacre after massacre occurred and The Shah was no longer in reign. We then learn about two political prisoners who were freed after The Shah's exile. Martyrs named Siamak Jari, and Mohsen Shakiba. Just as Marji starts to feel like her family has no heroes like Siamak, and Mohsen her secular uncle Anoosh comes to town from Moscow. After learning about her uncles past a dew days later he was accused of being a Russian spy and was put into prison for nine years. Soon after Mohsen, the martyr was found murdered in his bathtub and Siamak's sister was murdered in place of Siamak. After this the Iran-Iraq war started, (Iraq invaded Iraq). Young boys were being drafted into the army and dying, Iran had a very large reservoir of young proletariat soldiers waiting to go to war. During this time Marji gets older and even more rebellious. Her parents then decide that it would be best if Marji goes to school in Vienna. The book ends as she is leaving the country.

When Marji goes to Vienna I think that she will be very educated, of course there will be a bit of a culture shock. But more importantly I don't think that her mother and father will come and visit her in six months as promised. Marji will also record her experiences I think time will pass and she will become even more educated and "free". I think her experiences in Vienna will eventually lead her back to her home. She will then reunite with her family.