Persepolis is a graphic memoir of Marjane Satrapi. The book has received multiple accolades and citations for its realistic and well-written script as well as its commitment against totalitarianism. Satrapi writes (and draws) of her life during the war between Iran and Iraq. It has both literal and symbolic meanings hidden among the drawings, as it also shows the hardships she faced in other countries and even, at times, in her home country of Iran. It helps to show the past and somewhat present views of Iranians and others about Iran, it’s leaders, the war, and the corruption of the Iranian government. Satrapi uses symbolism, anecdotes, and a strong motif of the unfair treatment and view of Iranians to help create a deep, true, emotional, and captivating story.
Satrapi uses symbolism to give deeper meaning to her stories and make them more emotional. Many drawings in the memoir have a deeper meaning that isn’t immediately apparent, but that give more meaning to the current situation. A good example of a drawing like this can be found on page 71. The words accompanying the picture are “and so I was lost, without any bearings… What could be worse than that?” In the middle of the page is Marji, floating in space, and a loud speech bubble (probably her mother or father) saying “Marji, run to the basement! We’re being bombed!” The bottom returns to Marji’s point of view, where she simply states: “It was the beginning of the war.” What can the reader draw from this? This is the point in the book at which Marji’s life begins to lose it’s goodness. When she says she’s lost, she means she doesn’t know what to believe. She’s just abandoned God (who, unsurprisingly, doesn’t show up for the rest of the book) and lost her one and only Unc...
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...erstand more about the situation, background, and the difficulties facing Iranians before, during, and after the war.
Marjane Satrapi used symbolism, anecdotes, and motif to advance the plot of her graphic memoir Persepolis. Though the book is on some banned books lists, Persepolis contains many real-world themes and morals. The many awards the book has received can be partly credited to Satrapi’s use of literary devices. It is a book taught popularly in high school english classes because, oftentimes, it is one of the students’ first confrontations with Middle Eastern literature. In addition, it can be used to show the many freedoms, rights, and priveledges we take for granted here in the United States. Through the happy drawings and the sad drawings, Persepolis is a graphic memoir deserving of its recognition that will captivate the reader all the way through.
In Marjane Satrapi’s memoir, Persepolis, the characteristics and qualities of revolution are portrayed through rhetorical devices such as visual text, similes, and pathos. Satrapi’s use of rhetorical devices enhances and supports her expression of the revolution in Iran. Persepolis was Marjane Satrapi’s way of allowing people to see how the revolution in Iran affected her family's lifestyle and her upbringing. This memoir also allows the readers to analyze how war changes the way of the people and government in a country.
Persepolis is a inspirational story written by Marjane Satrapi in the perspective of a young girl’s life during a powerful, historical moment in Iran. The Islamic Revolution was a life-changing moment that impacted her view on the world around her and her innocence shaping her into the woman she is today. Not many people understand what it feels like to feel pain, hurt and abandonment as a child from major and minor things. The author writes this story and decides for it to be a graphic novel to allow the not only young readers, but also for those who do not understand what happens everyday in the world they live in. Satrapi uses all rhetorical stances, ethos, pathos, and logos to show problems, purpose and emotions.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi captures life in Iran during the 1980’s through a child's eyes. Marjane Satrapi grew up during a time when both the Islamic Revolution and the Iran/Iraq War took place. Personal experiences are expressed through themes including revolution, imperialism, nationalism, religion and loss of innocence and affect Marjane personally as she grows up.
Persepolis is a graphic novel depicting the life of author Marjane Satrapi’s life throughout the Islamic revolution, starting from her childhood. At one point in the story, the Shah of Iran has left the country, and Marjane’s parents think that they will have new freedoms. Later, however, the country is bombed and fundamentalists occupy the United States embassy. After these events, Marjane is ultimately forced to leave the country without her parents to live in Europe. This was foreshadowed in arguably the most significant panel in Persepolis, the 7th panel on page 43. It features Marjane and her parents, sitting in the family’s living room, the news on a television in the background. They are discussing the fact that the Shah recently left Iran to live in Egypt. Around the panel’s frame is a serpent-like creature. In this panel, Marjane Satrapi uses the frame, and contrasting facial expressions and dialogue to show that the Shah is not the only problem in Iran, foreshadowing the unexpected events of unrest that fill the rest of the story.
The introduction to Persepolis gives a great deal of background information to the unrest in Iran leading up to the Islamic revolution. Iran had been in a state of unrest for “2500 years” (page11). Iran was ruled by foreign nations and exploited by the western world for its rich expanses of oil. In 1951 the prime minister of Iran tried to take back his country’s wealth by nationalizing
Persepolis is a controversial novel written by Marjane Satrapi. The novel is based on Marjane’s life and shows the struggle she went through while living in Iran. Persepolis is controversial because it has graphic scenes and is said to be unsuitable for children. Many places are banning it or debating on whether or not it should be allowed to read for those reasons. Along with controversy, there are many scenes in the novel that can be compared and contrasted. A main idea from the novel that can be easily compared and contrasted is Iran versus other countries. America is a good example. American government, religion, and lifestyle differs greatly from Iranian government, religion, and lifestyle.
...e panels that depict her actions, and the results of said actions, magnifies the reassurance imparted with Satrapi’s words. She was in no true danger and yet her hasty decision to cast the Guardians attention onto another could very well have proved deadly to her chosen scapegoat. In fact, the Guardian she calls out to for protection from the supposedly “indecent” man immediately responds to the situation with, “Where’s the bastard, I’ll shut him up once and for all!” This blunt, aggressive statement is written on of the very few panels in this chapter that have a black background. It brings a temporary sense of fear and anxiety as to whether or not the poor confused man will fight the Guardians to try and keep his freedom from completely false accusations. The white backgrounds return as the reader learns the man thankfully did not fight the armed group of men.
Through her devotion to the art and music of the United States, she was able to rebel. The encouragement of the pursuit by her parents created further inspiration for her to use it as a way to protest. Already having a deep devotion to American culture, the ability of Satrapi to use her passion to disobey the regime only strengthen her love. The affection she felt for American culture gave her the courage she needed to stand up to the harsh government of Iran. Despite the risks associated with possessing items from America, Satrapi did so anyway. She was willing to risk serious punishment to pursue happiness through the means of her favorite hobbies. The influence of said entertainments helped shaped Satrapi’s views. By providing her with experiences that were foreign to the majority of her peers, the culture that Satrapi enjoyed influence her open-minded opinions. Listening to the music of artists such as Kim Wilde and Iron Maiden and following the clothing trends like denim jackets and Nikes exposed Satrapi to ideals she normally would not have been growing up in post-revolution Iran. They provided a door into a different, more accepting world and a glimpse into the possibilities of what could
After Marjane learns that her great grandpa was an emperor of Iran, she pictures him living an extraordinary life as royalty. Her image includes her great grandpa riding an elephant with a crown and the sun shining with a castle in the background (Satrapi 22). This illustration of her imagination is comedic because it shows Iran’s past being perfect through Marjane’s eyes when, in fact, it was nothing like she envisioned. Her limited knowledge causes her to perceive things almost opposite of how they really are, while distracting the reader from the conflicts occuring in the country. Futhermore, Satrapi uses comedy to demonstrate that Marjane’s personality is similar to an average child her age, despite the environment she is living in . When Marjane’s father goes out to take photos of the revolution, her mother and grandma become worried about him, and they start to discuss the matter. They are clearly not talking to her, but
The words written in the text of the novel is in capital letters that portrayed that someone is yelling and frustrated. This was due to the fact that Satrapi became angry about the Iranian Revolution and seeing death happen every day. She did not want to live in a society that killed people if they had different opinions than the government. The novel was written in black and white and this showed no self-identity because people were not allowed to be different. The graphic novel was shown for people to not judge whether the race of their skin.
Marji is depicted internally when she says refers to herself by saying “this is me.” Readers are able to use their imagination and the context of the scene to completely fulfill the face of the character in the panels. Satrapis illustrations do not incorporate much detail so this allows readers to fill in the story with their imagination. The cartooning in Persepolis 2 is simplistic and to the point. There is little distraction on the page and her layout of the panels is neat and read left to right. When looking at her work it is made clear that it is the reader’s job to fill in the illustration. Why would Satrapi do this? She presents her illustrations like this because doing so allows the reader to believe the characters more and get encompassed by the story. Moving forward, looking closely at the veils in the panel above, one can see that it is so much more than just an accessory appearing on the page. The veil attracts the audience to her features and expression allowing one to access her internal traits. The power of illustration and what you allow to show or keep to yourself is
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.
Marjane Satrapi wrote the graphic novel, Persepolis, in a way that indicates that there is a wide gap between the realities of Marjane Satrapi’s childhood and the reality of the reader. She achieves this in many ways. Firstly, Satrapi writes Persepolis in a graphic novel and illustrates its pictures in a simple and childlike way. Secondly, the black and white images represent zero uncertainties which disconnects the reader because that is far from the reader’s reality. Another important point is that this novel was written as a memoir and autobiography of Satrapi’s harsh childhood. Lastly, the graphic novel is constructed with minimal detail which creates an unclear image in the reader’s brain. Many people nowadays say that they need lots of detail in order to feel like they are truly part of the story. Persepolis lacks the clarity that is needed for a person to truly identify with the story.
Young Marjane Satrapi displays the characteristics that any child might have. She is simple, innocent, and easily influenced. For example, when her parents are demonstrating against the king, Marjane Satrapi says, “As for me, I love the king, he was chosen by God” (Satrapi 19). Her teacher tells her this, and she believes her teacher because Marjane Satrapi is a child and, in all innocence, will believe anything because her teacher, in her eyes, knows everything. Situations such as this show the influence of authority on her as a child because the teacher is an authority who tells Satrapi a misleading fact and Satrapi believes her, or is influenced by her.... ...