How Does Satrapi Use Of Symbolism In Persepolis

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In the graphic novel, Persepolis, the author, Marjane Satrapi, uses the literary element of symbolism and the graphic element of captions to illustrate the transformation of Marji. Marji transforms from an innocent by-standers to a head strong activist. Satrapi’s use of the graphic element of caption is done relatively well. The captions sets the tone of how Marji idolizes her uncle Anoosh; him being the one that she connects with most. “Luckily, one day they told me about me uncle Anoosh” (54). The caption on panel three of page 54 shows how highly Marji think of her uncle. When the reader reads that caption it basically lets them know that Marji was very happy, if not fortunate, that she has met her missing uncle. The word “luckily” hints …show more content…

The symbolism foreshadows Margi’s grand transformation into being this head strong activist. “Here take this swan I made in prison out of bread” (61). The swan is a symbol that can represent numerous things. One meaning that fit for this specific situation is the meaning of transformation. On page sixty-one panel two, Anoosh gives Marji one of the two swans as a gift of love. Before that he lets Marji know that she was the daughter that he never got to have. So, the swan could have been a thank you present for letting him experience a love that he never had the chance to experience. Then. when Anoosh was living his final moments he was spending it with Marji. He gave her the second swan. He then told her that that swan was the uncle of the first. The reader can infer that this moment hit home for Marji. This gift was one that basically told Marji to not lose hope. After Marji received the swan she reached her turning point. The meaning of the swan being transformation was very fitting in this case. The reason being after she was given the swan the next day everything changed for Marji. This was when she transformed. For a visual sense, Marji, after this experience, had long hair which was an obvious change from her short hair. Marji even got taller. Although those are fancy there is one transformation that is the most significant. She went from being an innocent bystander to an activist who is head strong. She

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