Marjane Satrapi 's Story Of The Complete Persepolis Essay

The book, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, was written by Marjane Satrapi; it is the story of her life in Iran from birth to fourteen years old. The perspective of Marjane, in her novel, affects the overall presentation of revolution, religion, and social classes. Consequently, with no background knowledge, we only have her perspective which affects our own opinion about the events of the book.

Throughout the Iranian Revolution, many events and changes took place that largely affected the views of Iranians by other nations. The graphic novel, The Complete Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi (Satrapi, 2003), conveys many of these events and changes through the eyes of a child growing up in the 1980s in Iran. Satrapi’s main purpose for this book is to describe how the Iranian government was corrupt, causing foreign nations to have a tainted view of all Iranian citizens. The Complete Persepolis does so by presenting major events and changes in a manner that is directed towards audiences that are willing to have an open mind about ethnicity and false stereotypes, and an audience that is young and can relate to the “coming of age” aspect of this novel. By exhibiting a credible first hand account of how Satrapi and many others were affected by the events that took place during the Iranian Revolution, The Complete Persepolis can effectively persuade a reader to eliminate the “Islamic extremist” stereotype that the corrupt Islamic Republic gave all Iranian citizens.

By allowing the reader to form their own perspective it “makes the reader reconsider the assumptions…[of the] so-called other” by giving the reader the freedom to perceive the events of the revolution as they wish and not reconsider the way that they once understood the people of the east to be (Darda 34). Satrapi is using her experience and graphic novels to show what her experience as a child was, she does not claim at any point to be telling the entire story of the revolution she is merely introducing a new perspective which up until that point had not been seen in the western countries.

Amazing, intriguing, and unimaginable are just a few words to describe how I felt about Persepolis while I read this true life story of Marjane Satrapi. This book has helped me to see all the life struggles, good times, and adversities that Marji faced between the ages of nine to thirteen. The Islamic Revolution had such a daunting effect in the Middle East, especially in the county of Iran where Marji and her family resided.

In her autobiographical comic Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, within the first five pages of the book, tells the reader that she was born with religion. She immediately explains (in regards to the Islamic practice of veiling) that “I really didn’t know what to think about the veil. Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde” (Persepolis, 2003, pg. 6). For western feminists, this ambivalence towards the veil has been a common topic of discourse. In secularized western countries, the veil is often viewed as a symbol of patriarchal oppression. In France (where Satrapi currently lives), for example, there have been numerous laws banning different forms of the veil (such as the burka and the niqab) with many critics, such as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, arguing that they are “oppressive” and “not welcome” in France (“The Islamic veil across Europe,” 2014, pg. 1). This is the western view of the veil, but what do Muslim women think of the veil and the fundamentalist values that westerners often associate with it?

In the comic novel, Persepolis, the reader read about the Islamic Revolution from the perspective of a child. The Islamic Revolution took place during 1979, which brought sudden change to the people of Iran; the bilingual schools, girls boys were separated, and girls were required to wear veils. The revolution brought various changes, but it also brought violence between the authorities and the Iranian people. The author, Marjane Satrapi grew up during the era of the Islamic Revolution. As she grew up she wanted to become a prophet, so that she could bring change to the world.

“They whipped me with thick electric cables so much that this looks like anything but a foot. Not to mention putting out their cigarettes on our backs and thighs. ”(page 50-51) That’s how life was like in Iran during the revolution if you didn’t obey the laws. The book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is mainly about culture. Culture is the social behavior and norms found in human societies.

Through graphic images, Satrapi vividly showcases her transition into adulthood using candid, honest language. In doing so, she creates a literal picture of life for women before and after the Iranian Revolution. The focus of the novel gradually transitions from a young woman trying to understand the war to a young woman trying to understand herself. In this compelling novel, Satrapi explores the roles and rights of women as she both challenges and conforms to society’s ideals.

Perspective is very important when one is describing an event or a time period. Perspective is based on many different things such as one’s religious views, background, and personal experiences. The graphic novel, Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, is a story told from Marjane's perspective about what is was like growing up in Iran during the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime, and the Iran-Iraq War. Perspective in Persepolis can be shown through five different themes; revolution, imperialism, nationalism, religion, and social classes. Revolution can be defined as “an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed,” (Dictionary).

From the very beginning of Persepolis we the readers know that Marjane Satrapi was no ordinary child growing up in 1980 Iran. While she did have the same confusion as to why she was veiled and separated from her male counterparts she did know what she want to be at the age of six. She wanted to be a prophet for childish reasons. She knew she was destined for greatness before the Islamic Revolution. The veil and separated classes marked the beginning of Iran’s political and religious unrest. Protest began to spread like a cold across the land that was more deadly than Occupy Wall Street. Some of these protest were had several appearances by Marjane’s mother, father, and several of her relative. One of her relatives had to retreat to U.S.S.R as a result of being suspected a spy by the Iranian regime. That was her Uncle Anoosh. Uncle Anoosh and Marjane had grown close which made it harder to accept the execution of her uncle.

Persepolis was written by Marjane Satrapi and was published in 2004. Marjane wrote this book to tell the life that she was living and the difficulties she faced. Persepolis takes place at the same time as the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Revolution is seen to be one of the most important events to take place in Iranian history. This is significant to know while reading the book because it shows how the revolution affected the people of Iran. The girls were forced to wear veils to school; boys and girls were separated from their schools, which caused the people of Iran to begin protesting against the Shah. They wanted a democracy and to overthrow the king. The protest became more dangerous everyday; people were being killed for standing up for what they believed in. One day while Marjane’s mother was protesting, her picture was taken and published in the newspaper. She was terrified, so she dyed her hair and wore dark sunglasses. She felt as if someone recognized her then they would try to kill her for being a demonstrator. The story is told from the eyes of a young, determined Satrapi. At first she believed that the Shah was a great leader because her teacher told her that he was chosen by God. However, her father informs her that he wasn’t chosen by God. She also learns that her grandfather was a prince and a prime minister who was imprisoned for behaving as a communist. At

We do not know how or who started to propagate the idea of religion for certain, but one thing we know for sure is that it was with some clear objectives which are the typical ‘cliché’ questions that no one has been able to answer yet for example: ‘What are we doing in this planet?’ and ‘What is the meaning of life?’. Religion has been the cause of different outbreaks such as ‘The Crusades’ and several terrorist attacks which date not very far away from today, but how can this “collection of beliefs” be the reason for someone to change their way of thinking, especially in such a religious country like Iran. The story of Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi tells us the story of her life in Iran before and after the revolution showing us the different ‘personalities’ she goes through, from innocent girl to a disaffected teenager. In this story Satrapi exploits different themes such as the heterogeneity in regions with Iran and the rest of the world, warfare and politics but one that stands out and is presented through the whole book is religion. Religion is portrayed as an excuse to start a conflict and it shows the personal development of characters, in this case the protagonist Marji.

As her fate “seals” itself, she matures from this child who has strong religious convictions, accepting all that she perceives as gospel, to a young adult, advocating for the her own freedom based on the experiences of herself and others. Due to her ever-increasing exposure to truth, Satrapi realizes the harsh reality that has been enforced upon her people, and decides to act upon those truths upholding a legacy of her own design. Her identity and self-worth are established throughout her years of education, encompassing her growth both morally and mentally as her experience molds the young woman she becomes at the novel’s conclusion. Persepolis serves the role of a Bildungsroman as Satrapi has shown a shift in perspective, along with the society she was living in at the time.

Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian-born French citizen is considered a marvelous writer and producer noted for showing aspects of the Iranian society through her novel she wrote. Aspects of the Islamic revolution and its society at that time can be observed in Satrapi novel Persepolis, which was published in the early 2000s. As the title suggests, the plot of the novel revolves around Marjane Satrapi and her family life, including the consequences of the Islamic revolution and what it felt like being an Iranian during the war. Through these characters, and their interactions, Satrapi investigates the important features of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, and the changes that occurred as the people were attempting to adjust from their old way

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.