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Persepolis Identity Essay

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In the book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, the author explores how the sense of identity results in suffering because it forces one to isolate through her autobiographical graphic novel of the Islamic Revolution. The bulk of the text provides extensive descriptions of how the sense of identity forces one to isolate from how Marjane “Marji” struggles to be alone without her family (Satrapi 155) and is restricted by her personal choices (296), expressed through her identity. Why is it that, in order to develop a sense of identity, it forces one to suffer through isolation? This paper will argue that within Persepolis the sense of identity results in suffering because it forces one to isolate. First, it will establish a sense of identity is characterized …show more content…

Due to the restrictions made by the Iranian government, women were required to cover themselves from head to toe (98), otherwise, men get mad at them. Covering up took away any sort of belonging to their homeland as they were forced to follow rules. The restricted clothing choices took away Marji’s identity, however in her pictures, she always puts herself in a patterned shirt or has patterned bedding. Despite the restrictive rules, and not in the present, this was a way Marji expressed herself during her writing process. Even as a child, the requirement to wear the veil was something Marji questioned (3), along with many of her classmates. Conforming to a rule is not a place Marji strived in, as it took away the identity she had to express herself. Marji is also taught to be religious, through her lessons at school and home, but she does not receive what she asks for in return for talking to God (8). By not receiving the religious return Marji struggles in identifying with God, as she feels no sense of warmth from her …show more content…

Being forced to isolate can give time for changes to develop in society. The regime had all absolute power (323), making it difficult to make thoughtful, personalized choices. All personal thoughts were isolated from public knowledge, as the changes in society came before anything. Changes developing in society may result in suffering. For her safety, Marji’s parents have her move to Austria (147), a physically safer place, but a place she knows no one. Anyone would suffer, at the age of 14, leaving their parents and their home country with so many changes occurring at the moment. However, after she does return to Iran, she confronts her parents and family about the difficult time she had away from the war-filled country, despite nothing being violent (267). Suffering can be defined in many different ways, to many different people and the societies in, both, Austria and Iran are very

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Memorable Quotes “We didn't really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn't understand why we had to” (p. 3). The Iranian regime was extremely oppressive; they told people what they could wear, who they could worship, and controlled what they heard. This quote is just one example of the oppression Marjane faced as a child. Even though Marjane does not know why she has to wear the veil, the government makes her anyways as a means to showcase the power they have over everyone.

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On page (6) Marji is having deep thoughts about what she is wanting to do with her life. She is thinking on turning into a prophet or not. On this various page Marjane is stuck between wearing a veil and not wearing a veil. She was religious but their family was also modern. The juxtaposition is that the history of her family and which Marjane wants to be a prophet but it's either veil or no veil.

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Imagine if everyone had a pre-determined negative image about you? This is what life was like for Marji, the protagonist of the novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. The book is set in the year 1980, in Iran where Islam was a major religion at the time. This is also the time for the Islamic Revolution which kicked the Shau out of office and made Iran a theocracy. In Persepolis, Satrapi challenges negative stereotypes about Iranians through important characters who oppose the Islamic Regime.

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Right from the start, Marji introduces the Islamic Revolution of Iran which took place in 1979. In the opening page we have the theme of religion presented. This portrays the image that it will be a complex area of the book and this is perceived because it uses the image of several men and women protesting against something or someone which later on we will get to know will establish a cultural change as well as a religion clash because of the different beliefs to the regimen. As Marji is just a child, you do not expect her to know much about

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Internal conflict can be found throughout the book, but is especially prominent in The Croissant. For example, after Marji’s teacher asks her how she is, she responds in her head with “What do you want me to say, sir? That I’m the vegetable that I refused to become.” (226) The sacrifice that Marji made to fit in with the crowd in Vienna and with Markus has come back to cause her significant personal damage. She feels an immense amount of self-loathing, evidently from the way that she has now fully flung herself into drugs which she did not want to do and now she feels as though she has failed herself.

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After the Iranian Revolution, it became compulsory for women to wear the veil as the Islamic dress code and all women were removed from government positions, leading to increasing oppression and inequality in Iran. The use of black and white on the first page of the book creates a very clear image that a lot of people are unhappy with the new rules that are introduced by the government. The use of images shows us the oppression of freedom in a way that it would be hard to imagine with words. The first panel shows Marjane in a somber mood, crossing her arms to show her defensive thinking against the veil and the world. In the following panel, the girl’s expressions range from neutral to dislike or discomfort, which shows the general thoughts from people on how they think of the veil.

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Have you ever read a graphic novel with a variety of worldwide problems? From: racial issues, economic issues, women’s rights, political repression, social issues etcetera. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is the authors memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Marjane Satrapi tells her story through black and white comic strips of her life in Tehran from her childhood ages six to fourteen. Persepolis portrays a memorable portrait of daily life in Iran, as well the perplexing contradictions between home life and public life.

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The autobiographical memoir, Persepolis, published in the early 2000’s by Marjane Satrapi depicts the struggle of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Similarly, the semi-autobiographical novel, The Things They Carried, published in 1995 by Tim O’brien focuses on O’brien’s distressing experiences of getting drafted into the Vietnam War. Moreover, both O’Brien’s and Satrapi’s literature portray the struggle to be understood through the themes of religion and mental health. In Persepolis the struggle is more concentrated on the protagonist herself. In comparison, The Things They Carried the struggle of identity is presented through the perspective of multiple characters.

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