Marjane Satrapi has a very distinct definition of a hero. Satrapi identifies a hero as a person who has been convicted for standing up for what the people of her country believe in. Not many people see “criminals” as heroes, but in the context of Marjane Satrapi’s book, Persepolis Satrapi makes it quite clear what a hero is to her. People of the United States and of the Islamic Government tend to look at the people she views as heroes as criminals. She uses these criminals, in the face of the government of her people, to emphasize that these criminals are not what they have been portrayed to be. In order to contradict the stereotypes of outside people she uses visuals and her life story. Satrapi aims to convey the idea that there is more to …show more content…
a hero than what meets the eye. This concept is key to Satrapi’s development as a child and her view on the world as a whole. Throughout the text Satrapi struggles to find who she is as a person and the people she decides to look up to affect who Satrapi is today. The first development of the idea of what a hero is and who to consider to be a hero came to question with Satrapi’s confrontation with her mother’s friend’s daughter Laly. One specific character in Persepolis that makes a great impact on the development of her idea of heroism would be Satrapi’s uncle Anoosh who is a communist that goes against the Shah. By making a man who is against the government official who many people glorify, Shah, she emphasizes the idea that not everyone where she is from loved Shah as much as many people believed. In Persepolis Satrapi narrates that the political prisoners were liberated a few days after the Shah, the government official of Iran in 1980, was overthrown.
There were 3000 political prisoners and her family associated themselves with two of them. One of them goes by the name Siamak, who is Laly’s father. Laly was completely unaware of her father’s imprisonment. In order to keep Laly from worrying about her father and where he was while he was in prison she was told that her father was on a trip. From Satrapi’s experience “on a trip” meant that someone had died and Satrapi tells Laly that her father had died. Satrapi and Laly from that point on did not get along well. Later on in the text after Laly and Satrapi were informed about what really happened to Laly’s father “trip” the two girls come to the conclusion that Siamak is a hero. Siamak was imprisoned for simply being a communist and being a threat to the Iranian Government. She is upset at the fact that she doesn't know anyone in her family who has done what Siamak has done. Satrapi has to accept the idea that “My father is not a hero. If only he had been in prison”(Page 54 panel 1-2) This directly states what separates Siamak, a hero who is a communist and has been imprisoned , from her father, a communist who was not imprisoned. Satrapi considers Siamak as a hero but the man who most positively impacts her and she considers a hero is her uncle
Anoosh. Satrapi believes that heroism is best identified in her family by her uncle Anoosh. Anoosh had gone to prison for a few years because he was accused of a crime. Satrapi was still young and easily influenced when she was introduced to her uncle Anoosh. She came to realize that a person would be considered a hero if that person had sacrificed something for their personal belief. In this case Anoosh had sacrificed his relationship with his father, the relationship with his girlfriend, and his relationship with his wife. Marjane states: “And I had a hero in my family… naturally I loved him immediately” (Page 54, Panel 5). Satrapi adored Anoosh because of all his sacrifices for what he believed in including the the fact that he had been to jail. Him going to jail made him a criminal in society however to Satrapi he is significantly more than just a criminal. He went to great extents to voice his opinion against the Shah and one may not understand the great struggles Anoosh faced if they simply looked at him as a criminal. Surely there is a greater message that Satrapi wishes to address by portraying these criminals as heroes. While getting to know about her uncle Anoosh, he brings to her attention that she has more than one hero in her family. Anoosh tells Satrapi about his journey to becoming who he is known to be today. At the end of his story she has a dream and in that dream she is bragging to two others the following: “There are lots of heroes in my family. My Grandpa was in prison, my uncle Anoosh too: for nine years! He was even in the U.S.S.R. My Great Uncle Fereydoon proclaimed a democratic state and he was…” (page 61 panel 4) All those men in her family portrayed a form of courageous act that she felt was worthy to brag about because they went to jail, they made sacrifices, and most importantly they are related to her. Satrapi is proud to say that these “criminals” are her heroes and she sets the tone for the reader that there is more to a hero than just being strong. Shah is seen as strong by foreigners. Being strong is what a typical hero is subjected to be. Satrapi is highly fascinated with the complexity of people she consider to be her heroes. By telling all the harm Shah has brought to her people she denies common misinterpretation of people towards the Shah. Satrapi’s heroes identified in her book Persepolis are far beyond the average hero. Her heroes are criminals that she takes great pride in being associated with. She effectively, throughout the text, show how her acceptance of these heroes have come into her favor and benefitted her in the understanding of where she is as a person. By identifying these heroes and their struggles, Satrapi suspects that the reader will understand her preference of accepting her self identified heroes over Shah, and also showing why some of her people do not view Shah as a hero.
Persepolis is a inspirational story written by Marjane Satrapi in the perspective of a young girl’s life during a powerful, historical moment in Iran. The Islamic Revolution was a life-changing moment that impacted her view on the world around her and her innocence shaping her into the woman she is today. Not many people understand what it feels like to feel pain, hurt and abandonment as a child from major and minor things. The author writes this story and decides for it to be a graphic novel to allow the not only young readers, but also for those who do not understand what happens everyday in the world they live in. Satrapi uses all rhetorical stances, ethos, pathos, and logos to show problems, purpose and emotions.
In the beginning of story Marji introduces the war and how it affects her country, “‘The revolution is like a bicycle. When the wheels don’t turn, it falls”’ (10). The revolution being compared to a bicycle explains, that when the government begins to make changes in a country that restrict people from their rights, it leads to revolt and outrage from the citizens. Satrapi also uses a simile when describing her uncle’s arrival, “‘We waited for him for hours. There was the same silence as before a storm”’ (30), this created imagery. Similes added imagery, description, and characterization to Satrapi’s
In the graphic novel, Persepolis, the main character, Marjane, faces many coming of age moments. Each one of these change her in a way that impacts her view on the world around her as her and her family strive for a better life amongst a war that hinders their ability to follow their beliefs. Marjane learns to forgive, experiences pain and suffering, and changes her opinions on God and her own views on religion forever. Marjane’s life has been filled with hard times, but also glorious moments as well.
Through her devotion to the art and music of the United States, she was able to rebel. The encouragement of the pursuit by her parents created further inspiration for her to use it as a way to protest. Already having a deep devotion to American culture, the ability of Satrapi to use her passion to disobey the regime only strengthen her love. The affection she felt for American culture gave her the courage she needed to stand up to the harsh government of Iran. Despite the risks associated with possessing items from America, Satrapi did so anyway. She was willing to risk serious punishment to pursue happiness through the means of her favorite hobbies. The influence of said entertainments helped shaped Satrapi’s views. By providing her with experiences that were foreign to the majority of her peers, the culture that Satrapi enjoyed influence her open-minded opinions. Listening to the music of artists such as Kim Wilde and Iron Maiden and following the clothing trends like denim jackets and Nikes exposed Satrapi to ideals she normally would not have been growing up in post-revolution Iran. They provided a door into a different, more accepting world and a glimpse into the possibilities of what could
Persepolis is a coming of age story written by Marjane Satrapi in 20001. Depicting a young girl growing up during the religious revolts in Iran. Throughout the story the main character loses her innocence. The author uses the appeals of genre, ethos, pathos, and logos, historical context, and illustration to depict the loss of innocence in the main character.
In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi’s childhood experiences allow her to demonstrate the cultural changes that occurred in post-revolutionary Iran, as well as those perpetrated by western culture. In Persepolis, western culture plays a major role in the author’s attempt to dispel the
Nowadays, there are many religions that one can choose from. Religion, to some, is a guide line, but to others it’s more like falling in love. In 1979, Iran was in the midst of the Islamic Revolution. During this time, some people held tight to religion while others let it go. Marjane Satrapi wrote Persepolis about her life at that time. At the beginning, Satrapi grasps religion tightly; however, by the end of the book, she seems to let it go. Throughout Persepolis, religion acts like a security blanket and enhances the understanding of the graphic novel’s theme, which is “stay true to yourself.”
When it comes to culture, different views can cause major conflicts, and these said conflicts occur in the novel Persepolis. The book is a memoir about Marjane Satrapi, also known as Marji, growing up in Iran under the Shah’s rule and the Islamic rule. Even with the many different cultures in Iran, she stuck up for what she believed in and rebelled against the things she thought were wrong. In Persepolis, Marjane’s growth is affected by various aspects of culture including religion, government, and social organization.
When Mrs. Nasrine is telling her dilemma of the key (99.3.1), Marji frowns and looks concerned but out of place, as if she doesn’t know what to make of it. She tries to show sympathy, suggesting that her privilege makes her unable to truly relate. She continues to look uncomfortable and bug-eyed when Mrs. Nasrine says, “Now they want to trade this key for my oldest son”. “Trade” connotes simplicity, an object, suggesting the government thinks of the lower class citizens as valueless objects. When arriving home from school, Satrapi draws Marji as a small figure in the distance (100.2.1), symbolizing the distance in economic status between her and the maid. This proves the separation of classes and the reason why Marji, not offered a key by the government, will not go to war in hopes of using a key to paradise. When her son says “I’ll marry her” while pointing a finger at Marji (100.2.2), it grants him a “whap” from his mother (100.2.3). Her reaction to his statement shows his ignorance and naïve behavior towards the social hierarchy; a maid’s son would never be allowed to marry a girl of Marji’s status because only rich people marry rich people and only poor people marry poor people. This shows the economic difference between Marji and the maid’s son, and the wall between them through government orders. When she asks her cousin Peyman whether or not the government offers his school the keys to paradise, he replies, “Keys to what?” (100.3.3) implying his equally high economic status. This suggests the government values upper class citizens more than lower class citizens. Satrapi also contrasts Marji and the poor boys in between the bombing panel (102.1.1) and the party panel (102.2.1) where Marji dances with her friends at Peyman’s birthday party. She jumps from discussing dying boys to having fun at a party to imply a difference between the poor and
Marjane Satrapi in her memoir, “The Complete Persepolis” enlightens readers with the reality of living in Iran, as she tells her journey through her life of becoming a woman during the Islamic Revolution. Iran similar to other countries has made different prescribed roles for their women and men based on their cultures religious and traditional set of laws. Society to them was a depiction of what their people were expected to look, and act like when in public. When trying to understand the importance of gender along with their roles in society, it’s crucial to acknowledge outside factors, for instance things like culture and social class. The characters throughout her memoir illustrate how their
There are many times when problems in a country affect one's life. Persepolis by Majarne Satrapi recounts the coming-of-age of a girl during a period of war. Utilizing a graphic novel to illustrate, Marjane recalls the struggles of her family and herself living in warfare. For instance, in Persepolis, Marjane's external conflict result in her internal conflict.
Young Marjane Satrapi displays the characteristics that any child might have. She is simple, innocent, and easily influenced. For example, when her parents are demonstrating against the king, Marjane Satrapi says, “As for me, I love the king, he was chosen by God” (Satrapi 19). Her teacher tells her this, and she believes her teacher because Marjane Satrapi is a child and, in all innocence, will believe anything because her teacher, in her eyes, knows everything. Situations such as this show the influence of authority on her as a child because the teacher is an authority who tells Satrapi a misleading fact and Satrapi believes her, or is influenced by her.... ...
The idea of a true hero is varied from person to person, because each viewpoint has a different idea of the personality that makes one a hero. There have been many fiction and non-fiction heroes that show different character traits, which influence people’s definitions of a hero. However, each person’s unique thought about a hero still focuses about one central idea: a hero must prove himself in order to earn his heroic status. This is the cornerstone of all the opinions about heroes because heroes have to show their heroism in order to become who they are in the end. At the beginning they are inexperienced, ordinary people who go on their adventures, and face their fears and weaknesses, but they develop greatly throughout these journeys. After comprehending what true heroism is and following it only then will they become heroes even though each of them has different traits. In the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus gains the title of hero during his journey back to Ithaka, from Troy, by proving to be one. It is through his characteristics and experiences that he becomes the well developed man at the end of the book. In truth, because of his confidence, loyalty, and difficult struggles, Odysseus becomes a genuine hero to the people he defended.
Persepolis 2: The Story of Return is anchored around how Marji is affected by the social injustice that occurred during the Islamic Revolution. Growing up as “a westerner in Iran and an Iranian in the West,” (Satrapi 274) changes and molds her into the young woman she is at the end of her journey. In this second chapter of Satrapis life she moves away from the comfort of Iran and finds a life in Vienna. Marji desires to find her purpose and identity during her brief time here and faces many battles with language barriers, people and herself. Marjis past from Iran haunts her and instills the idea that she needs to make something of herself while in Austria. Finding that Austria took her down a darker path where the light was scarcer and the
The novel Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi, portrays a diverse amount of symbolism throughout the novel which contributes to the protagonist developing into a young women. The main character, Marji Satrapi flourishes at an early age in her life due to the setting of the novel. Satrapi acquires knowledge about different insights of the Iranian government which constitutes her self judgement. Satrapi reckons that the individuals that make up the population of Iran should all support the idea of the government before the ministry of Iran can commence a war. “For a revolution to succeed the entire population must support it" (Satrapi 17).