Overall, Persepolis was one of the most interesting works we have had in IB English. It not only challenged thought but also provided historical context. My favorite aspect of the graphic novel was how each chapter title tied into the context of the coming pages. In a sense, the titles reflected Marji’s feelings. Starting off strong with “The Viel,” the introduction chapter of Persepolis showcased the start of oppression in Iran pre-the Islamic Revolution. Right off the bat, the readers get an insight into Marji’s rebellion against the rules. The Bicycle reflects Marji’s feelings about the revolution. As the story progresses, the readers see this connection between Marji and the panel titles. My favorite connection is The Cigratte. Marji, being older than she was at the start of the novel, feels this need to find power in her life. Lighting the cigarette at the end of the chapter shows her rebellion against her mother and the regime. In her mind, her mother is paralleling the actions of the regime by punishing her for cutting class. In the United States, smoking a cigarette is traditionally seen as an act of rebellion against society and health. So, Marji smoking the cigarette brings in another aspect of Western culture and ideologies to the novel. To add to that, the entirety of Persepolis is one big puzzle pieced together carefully. I often found myself having to reread sections to fully comprehend what was being said, which is what makes the graphic novel so interesting. I think it should not be easily comprehended because then the reader is not fully grasping the nature of the work. It was a hard novel full of deep topics. It is not just a story about a “rebellious” little girl. It is a story full of hurt, first-hand war accounts, nationalism, religious beliefs, conformity, and forced patriotism. It is Persepolis. The only thing I still wonder about after reading is the choice of a graphic novel to tell this story. Honestly, it is what confused me about the book. Being able to see the physicalities of the situations described certainly helped me to visualize the story. However, having a more left-side brain, I was more focused on analyzing the pictures and choices made by Satrapi rather than the actual text. Like what was her deciding factor in coloring the backgrounds versus not coloring the backgrounds for some scenes? Or, what determined that the graphic novel was not going to be in color? After reviewing the novel in the first question’s context, I think that the emotions of the characters depicted are reflected in the background and foreground coloring. When the character was experiencing something harsh or heavy, the background was completely filled with black. Whereas, if the character was not experiencing these harsh emotions, the background was white. Her choice not to use color probably reflects the time period of Persepolis, but I still do not have a definite answer to that question. Maybe, Marji can answer that!

Persepolis is definitely a book that I will reread to gain a deeper understanding because I am not sure I grasped it in its full glory. I do not have a history brain, so I feel like if I do some more research on the Islamic Revolution, Persepolis will be ten times more intriguing the second time around. I do think this is a book that should stay in the IB English curriculum! Now on to Germany 🙂