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Critical Response To Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

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Critical Response A reader’s background has tremendous influence on how a work is understood, as information such as the main message and especially details are taken differently. Marjane Satrapi created the piece Persepolis showing her life during the Iranian Revolution from her own first hand approach. Hence, lots of personal perspectives can be found in the characters’ positions towards events. These can be read and interpreted significantly different from an outsider and a leader of the Iranian revolution. The differences in reading occur due to varying background knowledge and personal involvement. Additionally, lifestyle choices, intentions and ideas of freedom and the future lead to different interpretations.
Persepolis’ parts of …show more content…

Contrary, the leaders of the revolution may argue that the Westernisation goes against the Islamic traditions, which they and especially Khomeini are currently working on re-implementing, as they oppose Shah’s numerous interactions with westernized parties. Marjane aims to show her opposition to the current situation. Outsiders of the revolution may favour this point, while the leaders will try everything in their control to penalize her.

More revolts than Marjane’s violation of clothing take place within the work. As seen on page 18, her parents are also involved in the revolts on the streets, “My parents demonstrated every day” (p. 18). An outsider may see this resistance as good, as they people stand up for themselves and their beliefs. Instead of being silenced these strong citizens aim to go against the new governing system. Nevertheless, one cannot forget nor diminish the risk these people take: “My father had gone to take some photos of the demonstration (…). It was strictly forbidden. He had even been arrested once but escaped at last minute.” (p.29). The danger is further emphasized when Marjane’s mother is frightened because a picture of her protesting appears in the news (p.??). On the contrary, a leader of the Islamic revolution may not comprehend why citizens intensively work against the order they are trying to create. They will further fight against all revolts using severe

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People are like cameras and their personal experiences can be their lenses that change and modify the actual picture. This evident in Marjane Satrapi’s book Persepolis because the whole book is about a girl growing up, and forming her own opinions. Furthermore, Marjane has to mature in the turmoil of an Iranian-Iraqi war, she also has to survive the brutal Islamic regime governing her. This creates a very particular point of view considering that the parents raising Marjane are against the new form of government, and actively protest, risking their lives. As a result, this rubs off on her creating a very rebellious and dauntless little girl, who isn’t afraid of the new oppressors.

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In this chapter Marjane’s parent had just gotten back from their trip with all their smuggled goodies for Marjane. The fourth panel on page 132 depicts Marjane walking down the street in her denim jacket singing about kids in America. Not only does her jacket and neck scarf oppose the Islamic regime but her singing cheerfully about kids in America does as well. In the background you can see angry adults yelling and pointing at her most likely because of the casual clothes she is wearing. This demonstrates opposition to the regime because it shows her going against laws in her own free will to show what she loves.

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To what extent is literary devices used as an instrument to show social, racial, and class differences in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi? The novelist, Marjane Satrapi, wrote, Persepolis, as a graphic novel to display other countries the progression of the Iranian Revolution through a bildungsroman perspective. The author uses literary devices several times as it narrates the sentiment of Marjane Satrapi as well as civilization in Iran. Marjane Satrapi segregates the western culture to the eastern culture by restating the Iranian Revolution into a graphic novel. The author’s panache affects how the audience interprets the scenario tremendously; Marjane Satrapi ensures this by using imagery.

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The theme of repression is an ever-present issue in Persepolis. The picture on the right shows a bearded Islamist explaining to children why the veil needs to be imposed to counter Westernization. However, Satrapi’s home was a place of liberal values and free expression. This is shown in the scene where Marji is split between

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This photograph depicts a housewife serving her working husband’s meal. This is a representation of gender roles because it is traditional, as well as expected, for the woman to stay home and work in the house or cook while the man will go to work and come home to his dinner. Similar gender roles are observed by Marjane throughout Persepolis. The first suggestion of gender roles shown in Persepolis is when Marjane’s school separates the boys from the girls. “We found ourselves veiled and separated from our friends” (Satrapi 4).

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The story begins with the life of marjane and ends with her life. But in the background, the novel involves the war in Iran. Iran is always at war which includes the Iranian revolution and the struggle of people after the revolution. Though these are not implied does not affect their significance. They have a very important function of shaping the actions of the characters of novel which have long lasting effects.

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