In The Complete Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi recounts her life growing up in Iran during the Iranian Revolution. Through her personal experiences and observations, Satrapi conveys how the revolution had a profound impact on her perception of family and friends. Indeed, during this period, Satrapi felt fearful and confused; as a result, she desired stability and sought meaningful connections. Ultimately, the book’s portrayal of someone experiencing these emotions helped explain what is like to live through political upheaval and how it tests one’s relationships with loved ones.
In The Complete Persepolis, Satrapi emphasizes how she feels about her family and describes their shared experiences. At the beginning of the book, Marjane is a young
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Initially, Marjane loves Anoosh. He is a source of comfort and support who helps Marjane make sense of the world around her. However, as the revolution progresses, Anoosh is arrested and executed — leaving Marjane confused and grieving. This relationship helps the reader envision how the Iranian Revolution’s political upheaval could destroy families and leave people feeling isolated. In The Complete Persepolis, its simple illustrations assist in conveying the emotions its characters experience. After her uncle’s death, Marjane no longer feels like a child, but she also does not feel like an adult either. Living in a restrictive society, Satrapi struggles to process her emotions. To Satrapi’s credit, it is easy for readers who have also experienced trauma in their lives to identify with Marjane. "I realized that I was living in a world where everything was changing, and where nothing was predictable." This quote reflects how the Revolution impacted Marjane's life — namely, by shattering any sense of stability or predictability. Moreover, Marjane demonstrates that stressful circumstances can improve one’s problem-solving skills.
In addition to her feelings of fear and loss, Marjane also craves stability and connection. Throughout the book, she struggles to find a sense of belonging. For examples, she moves from Iran to Austria and back again. At the same time, her relationships with her family and friends are increasingly uncertain. This desire for stability and connection is perhaps best exemplified by Marjane's relationship with her grandmother. Marjane’s grandmother provides a sense of continuity and comfort even as the world around her is in flux. "My grandmother had always been a source of comfort and