Comic Relief In Persepolis

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In Persepolis, Satrapi uses comic relief to express the underestimated effects of fear during violent times. Three examples of comic relief occur in “The Key”, “The Wine”, and “The Cigarette”, three consecutive chapters where rebellion against the regime takes place. In these chapters, the fear of authority and punishment is evident. In “The Key”, Marji and her friends make fun of fundamentalist rituals in their school. Although the teacher threatens them with suspension and expulsion, Marji, her friends, and their parents remain “completely united” (97) because in order “for a revolution to succeed, the entire population must support it” (17). Their lack of fear of the teacher proves to be successful in their classroom rebellion. The irony