Persepolis Analysis

Adolescence is an age where children began to find themselves or, in some cases, lose themselves, an idea clearly developed by Satrapi in her graphic novel “Persepolis”. Satrapi explores the challenges and difficulties experienced by a sheltered and naive girl during the tumultuous and uncertain years of the Iranian revolution and attempts to solve the oppression she witnesses by the Islamicist government. This is important to the whole text as it identifies the religious conservatism and Islamisation of the state causes distress and confusion in Marjane who consequently had to redefine herself, given that her freedom and personal liberties were denied them in schools, public places, and even her own home.

Marjane Satrapi sacrificed many things for education, and her parents made sure she had access to it, no matter what the cost. As a girl in Iran Satrapi faced many disadvantages even beyond a lack of education which was prevalent because of the many restrictions on their clothing, the hijab they were forced to wear, and that they were unable to wear makeup (Satrapi 3-341). These restrictions attempted to control women in every aspect by denying them certain rights and regulating their actions, and because the restrictions are not imposed on men as well, they lead to an inequality that is unfavorable for women. In order to overcome these restrictions, Satrapis’ parents sent her to school in Vienna where she could pursue an education without the restrictions imposed upon her in Iran (Satrapi 145-153). There Satrapi could learn without the distraction of the restrictions she faced in Iran. It also allowed her to freely study and receive the most beneficial education possible for her. Upon her return to Iran, and

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.

A understanding of Marjane Satrapi came from the influence of pop culture in her everyday life. In Vienna she found a group that had the satisfaction of rock music as herself. The friends in Vienna introduced her to other things like drugs and sex. Drugs influenced her adult identity because she still uses cigarettes today. Iran’s belief on sex was that your suppose to wait till your married, but in western society it's not as strictly enforced. Satrapi adapted to it and got numerous of lovers. The western society changed the way she views things, she was abandoning her Iranian society. She dressed differently for western society compared to her homeland, once she got back home and had to start wearing the veil again she was more against it then before. She even tried to incorporate both societies together by wearing the veil and a punk is not ded jacket. Also relationships helped Satrapi to realized that she doesn't need a man to feel love. She went against Iranian culture and got a divorce, which made her stronger than ever.

The historical background of Iran is the most important idea that influences Marjane 's novel. Mohammad Reza Shah was the leader of Iran from 1941 to 1979. During his reign, Iran was living a westernized life. He initiated a revolution called the White Revolution, which included permitting women to vote, the abolition of illiteracy, land rehabilitation and distribution of oil. Basically, everyone in Iran, including Marjane’s family, was living a westernized live during Shah’s regime. As Satrapi’s mentioned, she used to go to a non-religious French school, in which boys and girls were mixed. On the other side, there was a

During her childhood, Marjane was influenced by many different sources telling her many different things, including how she should act, how she should dress, and what was right and wrong. Her Uncle Anoosh, for one, was a hero in Ms. Satrapi’s eyes and she listened to the stories of his past with great interest. While Marjane greatly admired her Uncle Anoosh, her mother held a more important role in Marjane’s life, the role of parent and teacher. Marjane’s mother was an icon of independence and idealistic freedom for her daughter, as well as a voice of forgiveness towards the ignorant. This was important for Marjane while she was growing up because she was being heavily influenced by the world around her to believe things that were not true and to give up freedoms that most people today take for granted. While Mrs. Satrapi was very protective of her daughter, as seen on page 145 of Persepolis, she also allowed her daughter to venture out on her own at a rather young age, as seen on page 131. Marjane’s parents raised her to formulate her own ideas and to be obedient to her elders. This became an issue when the government of Iran changed to a fundamentalist government and strict religious ideals were imposed. When this happened, Marjane’s mother told her to wear the veil and to

Have you ever taken a look at any other lifestyle besides yours? Well Marjane Satrapi has always lived in Iran, and she is pretty used to her lifestyle. If anything, Marjane is now trying to understand the changes in her lifestyle and why it’s happening. Marjane Satrapi’s understanding of the lifestyle in Iran is affected by three things: imperialism, social classes, and religion.

Another historical event that we see is the rise and effects of the Islamic regime in Marjane’s life. This event is arguably the central issue that affects Marjane during her upbringing in Iran. Marjane shows how the regime begins to control schools, and how this affects her life by separating her from her friends (4, 3-4). We also see how the regime decides to close universities as they “educate future imperialists.” (73, 1-3) This demonstrates the negative effects that the regime has on society, as they prioritize Islamic values over education. The Islamic leaders portrayal shows them as upset and bored, and are given much different facial expressions than those that Marjane sees as intellectual (such as Uncle Anoosh (54/3) or Marjane’s grandfather (23/8)). This imagery communicates the backwards-thinking of these leaders, and as such, also effectively communicate Marjane’s opinion of the leaders without needing to discuss it with text. Additionally, we see both of Marjane’s views: Marjane not understanding the veiling and separation (3/5) as well as Marjane’s depression over the closing of the universities (73/7). The text here illustrates her opinions on the situations that she experiences, and the imagery allows us to see a visual representation of her basic thoughts and emotions, which are well communicated. A final example of the regime’s changes is the difference between the fundamentalist and modern women

Informalities and Comfortness in Persepolis Persepolis is a difficult concept to grasp: a war story in the form of graphic novel. The author of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, adds a twist to the classic war story. Her story is written casually, as if she is having a conversation with the reader, while also incorporating cartoons and illustrations. At first glance, the novel may seem childish and immature, however Satrapi covers the many horrors of living in the Iranian Revolution and her own depression due to her lack of belongingness and hidden identity. In her graphic novel, Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi writes in an informal and conversational tone, utilizes first person narrative to build a connection between the reader and the main character, while maintaining simplistic graphic illustrations throughout the novel to alter the depth of a cliché war story and create a relatable environment for the readers.

Persepolis The Story of A Childhood is about a girl that has a hard live. Reasons such as challenges, restrictions and the system. This book took place in in Iran during the Revolution and it showed the hardships people had to live with. By reading this graphic novel Persepolis, readers gain an understanding of what life was like in Iran during the Revolution through the perspective of a young girl.

After the revolution that was sparked by a group of islamic fundamentalists, the people’s support for western ways of life had to be abandoned. That made Iran a more islamic country with a government that reinforces the word and doctrine of Allah. This affected Marjane because she is a westernized woman and grew up in a westernized environment. The context proves that Marjane felt alienated from her culture and society because it’s not where she belongs. This is proven in the chapter ‘’The Socks’’, where Marjane organizes private parties in which she has fun with other women without respecting the society and its restrictions. It also shows a juxtaposition between her behaviour in public and and her behaviour in private. This shows that even if the society obligates her to act less westernized, she continues to do whatever she likes but privately. This proves again the theme of rebellion, she is a rebellious person since her

Marji revealed the essential role that the women around her had in expanding her character and building her into the strong women she is today. Marji Satrapi was impacted by all the women in her life that were courageous and those who supported the regime's oppressive measures. Marjane's mother, Taji, was perceived as a victim of the gender inequality present in Iran. She represents the progressive Iranian woman who wanted their opinions to be heard. Her mother taught her how to be strong, independent, and also portrayed as brave and rebellious.

The story of Marjane opens during a fundamental time period of Iranian history, a period that consisted of the Islamic Revolution. As stated earlier on in the novel, this revolution was the force that caused the Shah to flee from Iran in the year of 1979. Like many others in Iran during this time, Marjane and her family found no interest in the Shah. During his reign, the Shah showed signs of diluting Iran's value of a constitutional monarch, and instead moved the country towards an absolute monarchy. Additionally, with the U.S peddling the Iranian oil supply, many Iranians felt betrayed by the Shah, as he became a so-called puppet for the U.S. Because of this, his popularity slowly plummeted, and an uprise began within the country. This uprise, is then shown through Marjane's perspective. Therefore, through

This wasn’t the only time that Marjane was discriminated against while living in Vienna. It wasn’t until she faced these discriminatory actions that she truly felt like distancing herself from her Iranian culture. Because of this she felt the need to assimilate herself into a completely different person, such as wearing punk style clothing and cutting her hair. Not only was MArjane discriminated against because of her ethnicity, but also because she was woman. Once she returned to her home of Iran, she faced the sexist and misogynistic laws that are prevalent in Iran. It is stated in the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia that “The major obstacle to

In the graphic novel Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi, the author tells her personal life story of growing up in Iran during the breakout of the Iraq and Iran War. Her use of black and white comic strips makes her story come to life in an entertaining and attention-grabbing way. Marjane growing up can be examined by using Erik Erikson’s theory of the eight stages of life. Persepolis shows how a young girl can overcome and turn into a woman that has self-love and finds who she is meant to be in life.