Marjane's Suicide In Persepolis

Nikhil Kakarla

Driven till Death Dependent on the culture, society view suicide in a variety of ways around the world. Radical Islamists view it as virtuous and godly, while American culture views it as disturbing and disdainful. In any case, it takes many motivators, be it fundamentalist brainwashing or cyberbullying, to convince someone to willingly end their lives. These motivations are explored in Marjane Satrapi’s autobiography, Persepolis, a story about her young life in Iran as she experiences the Islamic Revolution and subsequent Islamic Regime. During this oppressive regime, Marjane’s parents decide to send her to a boarding school in Austria, where she could finish her studies away from the oppression and censorship of her government.

In Austria, Marjane becomes infatuated with finding someone who will love her truly and, when many of her boyfriends leave her, she begins to lose her dignity and confidence. For example, Marjane’s first boyfriend, Enrique, destroys her self-worth when he refuses to sleep with Marjane, claiming that he is gay. Satrapi shows the effects of this failed relationship when she declares: “It’s my fault! I’m so unbelievably ugly. I’m sure that’s why he didn’t want me.”, clearly showing Marjane beginning to question her beauty and outward appearance, thus lowering her confidence for the first time. In addition to Enrique, Marjane’s self-esteem is diminished by her failed date with Jean-Paul, a fellow student in her math class. Prior to the date, Marjane was “so excited [she] got there an hour early” (62). However, after realizing that Jean-Paul simply wanted her for math tutoring, Marjane was once again crushed, stating “What do you think, you stupid girl? You think that a guy like him could be interested in a girl like you?” (63). This once again displays Marjane devaluing herself and questioning her ability to ever be loved. This diffidence is compound by Marjane’s final partner, Marcus, who deals the most blow to Marjane’s self-assurance. During her relationship, Marjane “had no one but him. [she] wanted him to be at once

During her stay in Austria, Marjane’s personality and values were transformed as she began to take drugs and alcohol, dress like a “punk”, and sleep with multiple men. This shame is exemplified when Satrapi declares, “If only [Marjane’s parents] knew… if they knew that their daughter was made up like a punk, that she smoked joints to make a good impression, that she had seen men in their underwear while they were being bombed every day, they wouldn’t call me their dream child.” This quote clearly shows Marjane’s humiliation and shame, as she feels that she is letting her parents down and wasting the opportunity that she was given by moving to Austria. This shame from Austria is later amplified in Iran when Marjane hears the stories of the atrocities that occurred during her hiatus in Austria. She expresses this guilt when she declares, “Next to my father’s distressing report, my Viennese misadventures seemed like little anecdotes of no importance.” This statement illustrates Marjane’s guilt that her struggles in Austria were meaningless and immaterial, as they pale in comparison to the atrocities that her Iranian relatives had endured. Subsequently, Marjane feels that she wasted her opportunity in Austria and let her parents down, but she can not share this guilt with anyone because they experiences in Iran were