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Persepolis Humour Essay

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In Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, humor often presents itself in some of the darkest moments in the book. Amongst the crisis of war and revolution, the main character Marji is able to poke fun at martyrdom and oppressive authority. Satrapi also shows rather serious events through the lense of childhood, giving a comical and innocent view that helps expose some of the dark aspects of Iranian society at the time. While various instances of humor may have been used to shield Marji from “hard emotions,” others reflect the rebellious teenage attitude of the character. Moments in the book that are often humorous in the book can also reveal more pressing issues within Iranian society. On page 3 we see all the school girls playing with their headdresses as if the new article of clothing doesn’t hold much meaning. We can even see that one of the girls are reenacting the revolution, pretending to execute a fellow classmate. While at first glance this is very comical, a closer look shows the effect of the revolution and the new changes on these kids. Many don’t recognize the seriousness of wearing a headdress or what it means to execute someone, dangers of which are emphasized later in the book. …show more content…

While the threat of being harmed is very real in the mind of the young man taking cover, the rest of the teens are so desensitized to the war that they hardly react to the warning at all. By showing us this moment, Satrapi both entertains her audience and reveals how the war is affecting

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