Read the excerpts from Does My Head Look Big in This? and Persepolis.

Question

Excerpt from Does My Head Look Big in This?:

At Hidaya the hijab was part of the uniform. But I used to take it off as soon as I stepped outside the school gates because man oh man do you need guts to get on public transportation with it on. At the end of the school day the trains would be absolutely packed with schoolkids. I could keep wearing it if I hopped on with a group of Hidaya students because I wouldn't feel so exposed. But the problem was that I had to change trains to get home and there was no way I had the courage to go the distance alone with it on.

Excerpt from Persepolis:

A page from the graphic novel Persepolis. In 1980, children who had been going to co-ed, bilingual, nonreligious schools were sent to religious schools. The girls were separated from their friends and had to wear the hijab.

What do the tone and perspective of these excerpts reveal about the narrators’ attitudes toward being different? Select three options.

Being different from everyone around you can be hard.
Being different from everyone around you is a fact of life.
Being different from everyone around you is fun and exciting.
Being different from everyone around you is everyone's goal.
Being different from everyone around you can cause separation.

Answer 1

The tone and perspective of the excerpts suggest the following attitudes toward being different:

1. Being different from everyone around you can be hard. - The narrator in "Does My Head Look Big in This?" expresses the challenge of wearing the hijab in public, indicating the difficulty of embracing her identity in a crowd.

2. Being different from everyone around you can cause separation. - The excerpt from "Persepolis" highlights the separation of girls from their friends and the enforced change to religious schooling, emphasizing the isolating effects of being different due to cultural or religious mandates.

3. Being different from everyone around you is a fact of life. - Both excerpts convey a sense of acceptance of the differences imposed upon them, suggesting that while they may struggle with it, being different is a reality they have to navigate.

These options reflect the complexities of navigating difference in social settings, particularly relating to cultural and religious identities.