I love Persepolis. Perhaps not as much as I love the Bardo, but definitely as much as I love Atonement. I think turning a topic as complex as the Islamic Revolution into an easily digestible, visual novel is extremely effective at promoting Satrapi’s themes and reflects herself as a character quiet well. Persepolis is, in a way, our version of Marji’s Dialectic Materialism comic book, isn’t it? The simplification of intricate and elaborate ideas made to educate those just beginning this educational journey.
Let’s talk about God. Specifically, let’s talk about how his consistent presence in the novel stops and when. The last three times we see Marji interact with God are in times of distress: God talks to her when she is in the bath trying to understand what torture is like, God hugs her when she doesn’t understand justice and how it is served, and she yells at God to go away and never come back after her Uncle Anoosh dies. After Marji talks to God in the bath, the pages between interactions with him increase drastically, like he’s transitioning from the deuteragonist to a background character. This seems quite representative of Marji’s childhood naïveté. She believe that God can and will fix everything in her life, as I would argue most children do. As more things in her life start to go haywire, she begins to question her relationship with God; Maybe not outwardly, but his slow removal from the novel suggests that she formed some distrust or altogether disbelief in him. A lack of religious conviction wouldn’t be a big deal in the Satrapi family, but it would for young Marji. Today, Satrapi’s religious stance mirrors that of her parents in Persepolis. I wonder how much of her childhood has effected that as opposed to it being a purely philosophical stance?
Hypocrites or products of their society? Ebi and Taji have been part of some of my favorite moments in this novel, but have also made me question their credibility as activists and socialists. When reading their parts, I kept thinking about the story of Frederick Douglass criticizing the behavior of recently emancipated men. It feels reminiscent of Marji’s parents and their behavior, how they advocate for extreme change in their country yet, at the end of the day, so often fall victim to the status quo. I don’t think we can hate them for this, or say they are hypocrites, or that their protests are futile. I think in the context of the time, Ebi and Taji are what Iran needed, but in the context of today, they have work to do.
You know those moments growing up when you look at your parents and go “holy crap right now I am definitely thinking about this a lot harder and wiser than y’all are”? I think Marji’s moments of that are my favorite in the novel (I have a lot of favorite moments but those are my favorite favorites). I’m glad she kept those because they are definitely pivotal points in childhood, and I’m sure ten times more so for Marji.
In conclusion, I <3 Persepolis and Marjane Satrapi. I think this is a highly underrated novel and chose to hear no criticism for it. I am also attaching my fav Marjane Satrapi interview because sis does not hold back and it is wonderful. It’s like over 15 years old but it still slays. BRB gonna go sleep with Persepolis under my pillow 🙂
https://asiasociety.org/marjane-satrapi-i-will-always-be-iranian
I personally relate to the parents. Even though I think it is right to judge them, it may be difficult for kids or non-parental adults to do. They are like so many of us in that they believe in what’s right and are not afraid to speak out against what is wrong, even to the point of risk, but their instinct is to protect the interests of their children at all costs. I think of the Obamas, who I admire, who sent their kids to private schools while they were advocating for public education from the white house, much like their predecessors did. But what I like about the Satrapis is that they did teach Marji the right things, and when they modeled something different, she understood why. She can paint them as they are in Persepolis without shame, because they always had her best interests at heart and she always understood that they loved her, despite her many moods and changes and idealist challenges. Great post; I’m glad the book impressed you!