Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

“People say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you’d lose it – Anonymous” (Quotes). Marjane Satrapi was born to a wealthy family and had parents who adored her. She seemed to have everything, and even as the war raged on, her family still managed to have something more than the next family. In spite of their good fortune, the war was taking a toll on the family and it was decided that Marjane would be sent to Austria. Thus leaving everything Marjane loved behind, leaving her to fend in the darkness of the unknown. In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Marjane starts off as a rebel, though naïve at the same time, to an attentive but scared girl in order to show how the war has triggered Marjane's reality to crash down, clarifying the world around her.

Persepolis focuses on major themes like Feminism, Freedom, Religion, War, and Culture. Although this book is about Marjane Satrapi a young girl who lived her childhood in Iran from the 1980’s which was during the Iran revolution, where at a young age she’s already opened up to a warfare environment. This book can be interpreted differently based on the reader’s location, history background with Iran, and the differences in government. In this essay we would be comparing the readers from Iran vs. America.

The theme of repression is a never changing issue with Persepolis. The abuse of power happens because there is a leader trying to run the country in a certain way. Satrapi illustrates how Iranians were repressed in public spaces and by public figures. Satrapies mom was on the newspapers, because a German journalist took a photo of her (5). Her mom would hide most of the time, this was creating some sort of discomfort for her, and obviously she was scared. She even had to dye her hair so she wouldn’t be recognizable. Satrapies mom, makes this a

In the novel, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, there are many different themes that you could look at and decide to analyze. I decided to look at four different themes that are brought up throughout the novel. In the novel there is a lot of talk about the contrasting regions of Iran and everywhere else in the world, politics and religion, and warfare.

Satrapi uses her own relationship with her parents as a metaphor for her relationship with the world. The conflict she experiences with her parents is a necessary part of her childhood. Her relationship with her parents is caring, yet full of tension. Her parents love her and seek to provide her with the best education and hope to provide her with a life full of privileges.

Two major aspects are narrated from Marjane 's point of view in Persepolis. The overthrowing of Shah is the first phase and the second step consists of a radical Islamic establishment. It was evident from Marjane 's perspective that her family had two different reactions in regards to the two phases. Their response to the overthrowing of Shah was excitement and happiness. Marjane 's family was active in demonstrations and protests expressing their feelings towards the Shah. The day Shah left many were happy, and it even leads to one of the biggest celebrations of history. The Satrapi 's were overjoyed because the Shah made choices that personally affected their family. Marjane 's grandfather and uncle were both victims of the Shah 's wrath. Their reaction to the second phase of the revolution was rebellion. During this time of the revolution, many things the Satrapi 's enjoyed were prohibited. Even though things were banned, the Satrapi 's continued to do what they enjoyed even if it was against the rules. The second phase made Marjane 's parents realize that Iran no longer was the place for Marjane, so they arranged for her to finish school in Austria.

Persepolis is a film in 2007 which is based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel. This story is about Marjane life from young to adult. Persepolis refers to a city’s name. it is a story of Marjane growing in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Persepolis also is written based on Marjane experience because she grew up Tehran, in a family which involved in communist and socialist movements in Iran during revolution. She writes the story mostly from her opinions and values that she observe from child. This story contains political and historical value which is very useful to everyone.

The book, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, was written by Marjane Satrapi; it is the story of her life in Iran from birth to fourteen years old. The perspective of Marjane, in her novel, affects the overall presentation of revolution, religion, and social classes. Consequently, with no background knowledge, we only have her perspective which affects our own opinion about the events of the book.

Throughout Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi displays the vital role that the women around her have in developing her character and becoming the woman she is today. Women such as her mother, her grandmother, her school teachers, the maid, the neighbors, and even the guardians of the revolution influenced Marjane and caused her to develop into an independent, educated, and ambitious woman. Throughout the novel, Marjane never completely conforms or lets go of her roots, this is primarily due to the women who have influenced her.

The novel “Persepolis” shows many life changes during the Islamic Revolution told through the eyes of a young girl. “Persepolis” was based on Satrapi’s childhood experience in Iran. Throughout the span of the 1970’s to the early 1980’s, Satrapi experiences many changes in her life, not only with the government, or her education, but also with herself. Although she witnessed many violent acts right in front of her eyes, these experiences helped Marji (Satrapi) grow as a young child.

The Satrapi family were really good people who always did what they supposed to do if they knew that it was the right thing to do. They believed that you should have the liberty to make your own decisions, which is why Marjane was so independent, brave, rebellious, generous, understanding. Marjane believed that you should always do what is right because every one is considered equal. Well even though Marji was taught that by her parents she soon learned that not everyone is considered equal according to what socio-economic class that they were a part of. When Marjane's family maid fell in love with the teenage boy next door, she did not see anything wrong with them both wanting to be together and get married. It's only when Marjane's parents found out about the maid's relationship that it was soon ended because her father told the young man that she was their

(Persepolis 118). Taher and his family try to cross the border, but he does not complete his journey before dying. The Satrapi family determines to stand firm against the government, in turn remaining closely connected and physically

Prior to the interactive oral, I felt as if The Complete Persepolis was just an elongated documentation of the grievances of a young woman; however, after the discussion I grasped the purpose of Satrapi’s complaints: to emphasize the victimization Iranians, like herself.

For Satrapi, the Islamic faith was a source of comfort for her when she was a child. In fact, she was so enraptured by her faith that she told her school teacher she wanted to be a prophet when she grew up (Persepolis, 2003, pg. 8). However, this sentiment quickly changes when her uncle Anoosh is executed as a result of the Iranian revolution. She confronts God and shouts “Shut up you! Get out of my life! I never want to

As her fate “seals” itself, she matures from this child who has strong religious convictions, accepting all that she perceives as gospel, to a young adult, advocating for the her own freedom based on the experiences of herself and others. Due to her ever-increasing exposure to truth, Satrapi realizes the harsh reality that has been enforced upon her people, and decides to act upon those truths upholding a legacy of her own design. Her identity and self-worth are established throughout her years of education, encompassing her growth both morally and mentally as her experience molds the young woman she becomes at the novel’s conclusion. Persepolis serves the role of a Bildungsroman as Satrapi has shown a shift in perspective, along with the society she was living in at the time.