Persepolis is a very unique graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi. The book mainly depicts her childhood growing up and the struggles she went through. She was originally born in Iran and growing up, there was a lot of war and hardships. She experienced a lot of death in her family, learning different things from them all. Once her parents decide to send her to Vienne, France; her life completely changes. She envelops herself in an alcohol and drug addiction. Now in the two different cultures drinking is done for two completely different things. That is a large question in her development, what is the difference in drinking and drug use in the two different cultures/countries? She starts developing the lifestyle of other western teens, not …show more content…
In the book it shows multiple times where they would be forced to run and hide from the law enforcement whilst doing these actions. But these actions were done to escape the harsh rule of the government on them. It allowed them to freely express themselves and give the party everything they could, in the small allotted time they could find. It was much more of a social event to bond with friends and share the fun times, as in Vienna, the parties Marjane went to, were all about relaxing and smoking. At those parties people would just smoke and go off on their own, or go off in pairs to have sex. One quote that really resonates this is when Marjane herself said, “In Iran, at parties, everyone would dance and eat. In Vienna, people preferred to lie around and smoke.” (23.42) Those parties showing the true colors of Vienna, even when she got back home to Iran, one of the last parties the book talks about, she completely intoxicates herself. But the reason behind the intoxication was purely the fact that the government didn’t want her to. “That same night, Ali had a big party at his house. I never drank so much in my life.” (35.85) Not only was it that the government didn’t want her to, it was also because her friend just died as well. While in Vienna the focus of parties were just to mellow out, and usually were much more drug focused that actual …show more content…
Even though her parents taught her to never do drugs because she would become like a vegetable, before she gets into hardcore drugs she does remember her parent’s teachings, “Becoming a vegetable was out of the question.” (24.25). Even with those teachings she still got involved. She would get on many different things just to try them out. Her friend Markus was the one who started getting her into them. First it was cigarettes, then followed by weed, then countless other pills/drugs that she could get her hand on, eventually getting too far for even Marcus, “I had started taking more and more [drugs]. At first, Markus was very impressed, then, he started to lecture me, and finally, he distanced himself.” (27.4-27.26) .From smoking a cigarette to tripping on hallucinogens, the drive to fit in convinced her to try any and all of the new drugs. The problem got so bad that eventually she turned into a drug dealer, just purely to fit in. Drugs in Iran however were much less popular. The only drugs mainly used in Iran were cigarettes, and those were really only allowed to be smoked in public by elders, they had a very strong control on those drugs. But the ones she did start to get on in Iran themselves were when she was diagnosed with depression. In that state she was then reduced to being almost completely numb, she even see’s god in her drugged out state. He is the one who convinces her to get her life back on track,
People grow up in different way, affected by many different things as they grow and mature, during the process people change perspectives and ideals. In the book "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, a middle eastern girl who is coming of age, finds that her environment changes her as the country that she is in goes through an unstable violent state. With the rise of multiple changes, Marji’s family must learn how to adjust to the changing times. While Marji becomes a bystander to the persecution, violence ,and revolution, the main theme of the book is stay true to one’s self and forming one’s true identity through their own will. Marjane Satrapi shows how the quirky, but simple and straightforward communist child in a changing world to a grown young adult who is confused about herself and 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.
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.
The conflict in Persepolis is shown through the changes that are caused between families, women and children when fundamentalist Islamic state takes over Iran. The story progresses though the main character, Marjane’s point of view and experience.
Iran during the Iranian Revolution and the Iran—Iraq war was shrouded in darkness; it represents a time of major oppression by the Islamic-based government and a huge shift in culture for the Iranian people. The coming-of-age film, Persepolis, reveals the plight of a young girl trying to find herself whilst simultaneously living in fear and being prosecuted for her seemingly normal (at least to western culture) behavior. The major geographic theme of gender in Persepolis is paramount; although both genders see some form of repression of rights, women are far more effected by the ideology of Islamic fundamentalist government. Furthermore, the geographic theme of culture and ethnicity is also pertinent in Persepolis. Notions of religion,
One way the Iranian people rebelled against the Iran government was by allowing western influences into their lives or acting more modern than the traditional Islamic government. In the chapter Kim Wilde, she shows her love for music, specifically western music. This is meaningful because the government has outlawed most western or modern ideas or influences. Marjane’s love for western music has even nearly gotten her arrested by the guardians of the revolution when she was walking around town after getting a few tapes of music by western musicians. As she was walking home she was stopped and asked about her clothing and Michael Jackson pin, one of her favorite musicians. This leads to the next act of rebellion Marjane does, her clothes and shoes. During the same time when she was stopped by the Guardians of the Revolution, Marjane was asked about her shoes. Marjane claimed,”I wear these because I play basketball,” (Satrapi 134) but the Guardians refused to believe her and questioned everything she says. Marjane tries to make an excuse so she is not taken away by the Guardians of the revolution. This shows that even through a small act of rebellion such as wearing western clothing, you can be punished for it. This makes everything that does not conform with the government a massive problem. In a final attempt at getting home safely she says, “Ma’am, my mother’s dead. My stepmother is really cruel and if I don’t go home right away, she’ll kill me… she’ll burn me with the clothes iron! SHE’LL MAKE MY FATHER PUT ME IN AN ORPHANAGE” (Satrapi 134). She finally convinces the guardians to let her go and is able to get home safely.This shows the risks Marjane takes to rebel against the Iranian government and
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.
In the novel they discuss many events that occurred during the revolution. The government shut down the U.S. embassy and the universities, all women were forced to wear the veil and Iraqi fighter jets bombed Tehran.iii When her parents travel to Turkey they break the law by smuggling posters in her father’s jacket. If the government knew what her family did, her parents would have been arrested. Marji's family also drinks and throws parties, which is illegal and continues with their dangerous conduct because they enjoy it. Just because the Shah has made it illegal does not stop her parent’s actions. Eventually, Marji’s mother’s pessimism won out over her father’s optimism. The Iraqis had missiles and the Tehran became the target.
Enjoying life during the Islamic Republic included nothing inferred by the word ‘enjoy’. Anything that was ‘enjoyed’ such as drinking alcohol, dancing at concerts, or commiserating in a party setting was forbidden and punishable by law. As a result, Iranians ran the risk of getting caught and did these things conspicuously. In Persepolis, the author describes an instance where she and her family are stopped on their way home by a street gang enforcing the
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
Persepolis is an autobiography by the author Marjane Satrapi that tells us and teaches us all about her childhood up to her early adult years. This autobiography all takes place in Iran before and during the Islamic Revolution. Marjane Satrapi writes about her own coming of age experience throughout her novel. Satrapi shares about her experiences living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution that took place during 1979 as a young girl. Satrapi also talks about living her life a certain way and having to live life by certain rules, and if you break these rules they put your life in danger. In the novels, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White follows the theme coming of age, this shows how the main characters in the novel learn from life experiences and traumatizing events that help one become stronger.
Persepolis is a coming of age story for Marji living in the middle of the Iranian war and adapting to the changes to both her culture and her personal life. Inequality between genders is heavily discussed within the story, as well as the struggles between the fundamentalist ideas and customs compared to the less extreme morals of some families: it is shown through the simplistic, but effective images by Satrapi.
Seen many times throughout the film, Marjane can't help acting immature even reckless. Marjane’s surroundings are consistently influencing her, but luckily she never seems to fully drop her personal beliefs. Marjane certainly has her flaws and her strong-will makes it difficult to adapt to the world that surrounds her. But throughout the film it is clear that her heart in Iran. Marjane eventually moves back to Iran after her life falls apart in Europe. She soon finds out that Iran’s conditions are still as brutal, if not more, has before she left. Marjane realizes that home isn't the safest place for her to be and she is better off flourishing in another place, patiently waiting for her home to become the paradise she has always felt it was.
It is apparent how much Marjane is discriminated against during her time of living in Vienna. There were many instances that she faced some sort of discrimination or judgment from others. For example, when she first arrived in Vienna, she lived in a un boarding house and one
As Marjane experiences new ideas and culture once she moves to Austria as a teenager, she finds that there are many things she doesn’t agree with or understand. Fitting in as a teenager is hard enough without having to deal with being stranded all alone, which is exactly what Satrapi had to endure for years on end. During those years of growth, Marjane ran into many obstacles including her relationship with boys and smoking. One of Marjane’s first friends that she made while living in Austria was the influence for much of her confusion when it came to social activities. Marjane was surprised when she attended a party and it was the opposite of what parties were like in Iran where there was dancing and food, instead “people preferred to lie around and smoke” (Satrapi 185). Almost everything Marjane experienced in Austria was against how she was raised in Iran. Marjane thought to herself, "And then,