Reading the “comic book”, Persepolis, was truly a joy. It was both engaging and enlightening. Even though the book was filled with many darker subjects, I am going to focus on the more lighthearted ones.
For example, Marji’s attitude cracked me up. She was such a funny kids. Because of how her parents acted as activist, she has little respect for those higher up the hierarchy. She is not afraid to speak her mind to them and demonstrate her disapproval of them despite the dangers her actions entail. Also, her attempts to get out of trouble always made me giggle. For instance, the panels on page 134 were my favorite out of part 1. Marji attempts to lie to the women’s branch of the Guardians of the Revolution. She came up with such a ridiculous lie and popped out some tears to try and convince them to let her off with a warning. Try as she might, Marji had no effect on the woman. The Guardian’s stern face didn’t change the whole time. Honestly, I would not be surprised if the woman let her go because she assumed she would see Marji out of protocol again very soon and could just arrest her then. It also make me wonder that if that did happen, would Marji accidently make up a whole new story?
Another aspect of the story that I loved was that it really did feel like the story was being told by a little girl. There were many instances were Marji would misinterpret adult conversations or fail to sense the urgency of a situation. Although, there was one aspect that I was not a hundred percent sure about. In the story, Marji started to become aware of the struggles, pain, and hypocrisy that comes with war at the age of 12. At first, I had believed that she was too young to understand and that it was the adult Marji showing through. After some thought, I realized that it would be surprising if she did not become aware because of how it was effecting her daily life.
Another aspect is her imagination. Little Marji had full blown conversations with God. She imagined and felt Him cradling and comforting her. I also used to imagen a figure rapping me up in a comforting hug when I felt distressed and overwhelmed. Although, I believed it was the Holy Spirit. Also, for me, he was gold and shiny. Which brings me to the point of God’s image. Why did God look like a giant, marshmallowy Baymax from the movie Big Hero Six? The only main different in my mind is that Baymax did not have any hair.
Lastly, I want to talk about Marji’s parents. I have to say they were not my favorite. They were very “do as I say, not as I do”. To me it just seemed very hypocritical. Also, it took them so long to finally accept that their home was too dangerous for young Marji. They refused to leave because they did not want to lose the wealth they had. They put their social standing over the safety of their family. What good is wealth when your dead?
To your last point, I agree, but I think there’s more to it with these folks. The Satrapis were related to kings and princes, and they saw themselves in that light, though Iran had changed dramatically. So no way they would ever leave, in my mind.
I think Marjane can be true to her child’s perspective because the things she writes about are so traumatic that she remembers how she felt quite well. And, she’s a born writer–remember she had her own book when as a child she dreamt of becoming a prophet–so she has a mind for narratives. Good post!