As a child, we’re presented with ample information that is all relatively new to us. The knowledge acquired in childhood is given to us by our parents and relatives. This allows us to grow, but the influence of our family is what shapes our culture and beliefs. Although our parents believe this is the best culture to follow, we often find ourselves questioning it. This creates complexity within the acceptance of being part of one’s culture. Shyam Selvadurai and Marjane Satrapi, use this theme within their respective novels, Funny Boy and Persepolis to demonstrate the transcendence from innocence to experience. Both main characters are introduced as children that go through an evolution to reach adulthood. Culture challenges the characters in similar ways and pushes them to change from a childlike identity to an adult one. The authors illustrate this through the aid of supporting characters and the portrayal of adapting to one’s culture. Furthermore, the authors use symbolism and similar settings to further develop the overall theme of innocence to experience through cultural complexities.
Supporting Characters in both novels help shape the main characters in their transcendence from innocence to experience. Moreover symbolism is used to amplify the message that the supporting characters bring. It is with the help of certain characters in both novels that both main characters can achieve maturity. In Funny Boy, Selvadurai uses many characters to demonstrate Arjie’s transcendence. In fact, the author uses individual chapters for each individual supporting character. An example of this is the chapter titled “Radha Auntie”. This chapter revolves around Radha Auntie, which is a young aunt of Arjie; Selvadurai uses her- to transform A...
... middle of paper ...
...similar in the complexities that it brings and the obstacles it creates for the main characters. On the other hand, the adaptation of one’s culture is completely contrasted when comparing the texts. Shyam Selvadurai takes another view toward adaptation to a culture and Marjane Sattrapi takes the complete opposite view. Ultimately, Shyam Selvadurai and Marjane Sattrapi in Funny Boy and Persepoli, respectively, address the theme of the main characters going through a period of transcendence from innocence to experience through supporting characters, adaptation of culture, setting and symbolism.
Works Cited:
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. Vol. 2. New York: Pantheon, 2004. Print.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. Vol. 1. New York: Pantheon, 2003. Print.
Selvadurai, Shyam. Funny Boy. New York: W. Morrow, 1996. Print.
The Persopolis is the autobiographical graphic nove l by Marjane Satrapi that describe her childhood up to her early adult in the Iran during and after Islamic Revolution. This comic is all in black and white. According to Wikipedia, the title of novel, Persepolis,is from the ancient captial of Persian Empire, Persepolis. I am analyzing the visual elements of Pride of Baghdad, race and cultural identify, racism, & stereotype play a significant in The Lady and The Tramp, and describe the Marjane archetype and personality.
Persepolis is a coming of age story written by Marjane Satrapi in 20001. Depicting a young girl growing up during the religious revolts in Iran. Throughout the story the main character loses her innocence. The author uses the appeals of genre, ethos, pathos, and logos, historical context, and illustration to depict the loss of innocence in the main character.
“Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return” by Marjane Satrapi gives one to think about their own life and how positive it is compared to the one Marjane faces in Iran and Austria. Overall, this book would be a thumbs-up as it depicts an imminent theme of growth and maturity, which relates to our ages. Marjane develops from the person who wanted to experience torture to the person who is know married and learns the suffering she has had in her life. As a result, one should certainly read the second installment of Marjane Satrapi’s memoir.
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” This quote by Helen Keller sums up the book Persepolis perfectly. Margi went through many hardships but in the end it strengthened her character and she was able to embrace the world in a better way. Margi is like a baby. The first time they try and take their first steps they topple over in a few seconds but each time they fall they learn and soon enough they are running as happily as can be. The events Margi experiences throughout the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi helps her be able to deal with life`s hardship in .
During our class discussions, the issue of identity in Marjane Satrapi’s novel, Persepolis (2004), became a contentious issue. The question was asked whether Persepolis might be understood to being in-dialogue with western ways of seeing and did the effects of modernization influence the identity of Marjane’s protagonist in Persepolis. How does the novel involve the issue of identity? I will extend the argument and, through the exploration of Marji’s changing ideologies, I will attempt to prove that Marji is caught between the traditional eastern culture and western modernization.
Satrapi’s first chapter in “The Complete Persepolis,” The Veil, guides us through her country’s revolution against the
The novel Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi, portrays a diverse amount of symbolism throughout the novel which contributes to the protagonist developing into a young women. The main character, Marji Satrapi flourishes at an early age in her life due to the setting of the novel. Satrapi acquires knowledge about different insights of the Iranian government which constitutes her self judgement. Satrapi reckons that the individuals that make up the population of Iran should all support the idea of the government before the ministry of Iran can commence a war. “For a revolution to succeed the entire population must support it" (Satrapi 17). Marji expresses that the revolution will vanish due to many individuals not supporting
Persepolis 2: The Story of Return is anchored around how Marji is affected by the social injustice that occurred during the Islamic Revolution. Growing up as “a westerner in Iran and an Iranian in the West,” (Satrapi 274) changes and molds her into the young woman she is at the end of her journey. In this second chapter of Satrapis life she moves away from the comfort of Iran and finds a life in Vienna. Marji desires to find her purpose and identity during her brief time here and faces many battles with language barriers, people and herself. Marjis past from Iran haunts her and instills the idea that she needs to make something of herself while in Austria. Finding that Austria took her down a darker path where the light was scarcer and the
When it comes to culture, different views can cause major conflicts, and these said conflicts occur in the novel Persepolis. The book is a memoir about Marjane Satrapi, also known as Marji, growing up in Iran under the Shah’s rule and the Islamic rule. Even with the many different cultures in Iran, she stuck up for what she believed in and rebelled against the things she thought were wrong. In Persepolis, Marjane’s growth is affected by various aspects of culture including religion, government, and social organization.
Persepolis is a book that centers on the author’s family during the Iran-Iraq war that lasted for eight years. Marjane’s experience of the war is quite innocent since she saw it from the eyes of a well protected child. She grew up with need to help and make things better for everyone without really understanding what it takes to make the world a better place. In her mind the only possible way to make a change is by becoming a prophet and using supernatural powers to make the world a better place. Marjane’s childhood is proving that children form defense mechanisms to deal with difficulties. These defense mechanisms take children to “happy” places where things are better and everyone is happy unlike in the real world.
There are many times when problems in a country affect one's life. Persepolis by Majarne Satrapi recounts the coming-of-age of a girl during a period of war. Utilizing a graphic novel to illustrate, Marjane recalls the struggles of her family and herself living in warfare. For instance, in Persepolis, Marjane's external conflict result in her internal conflict.
Robinson, Charles Alexander. Athens in the age of Pericles. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1959.
Miller, Ann. “Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis: Eluding the Frames.” Johns Hopkins University Press: L’Espirit Createur, Vol. 51, No. 1, Spring 2011: 38-52.
Thus, it is crucial that she effectively communicate this humanness of Iran to the literary audience in America. Since the literary devices in a work are needed to correctly convey a message, she found it necessary to include these and manipulate them in her favor. Satrapi uses the innocence of a child along with morals in her pictures and a relation of cultures to effectively communicate her message. It is necessary to examine how she manipulates such literary devices in order to gain a full understanding of the text. To begin with, Satrapi writes Persepolis from a child’s point of view.
Directly and indirectly, the family and friends of Arjie all impress upon the boy their views on race and gender. The familial love of Arjie’s extended family is at times hurtful and confusing, but it nevertheless serves to guide Arjie through the growing up process. The lives of family friends merge with Arjie’s for only short periods of time, yet the values that these friends cherish linger on in Arjie’s conscience. Arjie’s peers grow up with him seeing the world through eyes that are near in age, thus their views on race and gender truly open Arjie’s eyes during his journey into maturation in Selvadurai’s Funny Boy.