Passage Summary:
This article describes life in North Korea under totalitarian government rule. In North Korea, the government has total control over the economy, the military, education, and people's access to information—and it punishes those who try to change the status quo.
When and How to Pair:
Introduce this text after reading “The Key,” when the people of Iran beat their chests in the ritual mandated by the Iranian government. Additionally, Marjane and her classmates are threatened with expulsion from school because they do not wear their veil correctly and find humor in Iran’s new laws. Pair Persepolis with “Total Control in North Korea,” and ask students to compare the North Korean and Iranian governments. How do these governments maintain control over their country and their people? How does totalitarianism affect the people in North Korea and Iran? Identify the ways in which rebels in both nations oppose their governments.