Nationalism And Perspective In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

What is something that every single human on Earth has in common? Very few things can be put into this rare category, but perspective can. A person’s perspective influences how they view almost everything. For example, it influences their religion, their political opinions, the way they raise their children, and many more areas of life. A specific instance of this is shown in Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical book Persepolis. Marjane Satrapi’s unique perspective plays a strong role in her views of nationalism, religion, and social classes throughout her life. Marjane Satrapi’s unyielding sense of nationalism plays a huge role in developing her perspective. The photograph at left (Erdbrink Online) exhibits Iranian women waving their nation’s flag in a surge of pride and nationalism. As can be seen, these women are concerted, patriotic, and proud of

In Persepolis, the Satrapi family has immense pride in their magnificent country of Iran. Even the simplest thing as hearing their country’s national anthem brings tears to their eyes and leaves them “overwhelmed” (Satrapi 83). Mr. and Mrs. Satrapi, in the beginning of the book, ventured out to demonstrate in the streets hoping to bring an impact and help the revolution. Later on in the book, they began to include Marjane in their spirited demonstrations of nationalism. As Marjane is enlightened about the history of her family, she discovers that her grandfather was once the Prime Minister of Iran. Marjane’s views of nationalism are influenced by her unique perspective that is brought forth by the high political ties within her family.Another important aspect and key theme in Persepolis is how her religion, Islam, influences her perspective. The photograph at left (Shutterstock Online) depicts several Muslim women bowing and reading in a