In the graphic novel, Persepolis, the author, Marjane Satrapi, uses the literary element of symbolism and the graphic element of captions to illustrate the transformation of Marji. Marji transforms from an innocent by-standers to a head strong activist. Satrapi’s use of the graphic element of caption is done relatively well. The captions sets the tone of how Marji idolizes her uncle Anoosh; him being the one that she connects with most. “Luckily, one day they told me about me uncle Anoosh” (54). The caption on panel three of page 54 shows how highly Marji think of her uncle. When the reader reads that caption it basically lets them know that Marji was very happy, if not fortunate, that she has met her missing uncle. The word “luckily” hints …show more content…
at the fact that Marji would have been different in any way had she not met her uncle. It is as if her uncle had something to do with the way the Marji turned. As if he played a major influence to her. If it weren’t for Anoosh Marji’s would not have an appropriate definition of what a hero is. Anoosh was also the one the one who helped her open her eyes and obtain some understanding of what was taking place around. At this time Anoosh helped somewhat understand things about the revolution. The reader later found out that Anoosh was just someone that Marji could relate to most, the who fascinated her most, and he was basically her idol. Another thing that stood out was in fact the picture itself. There is a halo like silhouette behind Anoosh’s head. The reader may see the halo as a justifier to the fact that Anoosh was indeed Marji’s idol. The halo could also be seen as a tool of foreshadow. The halo could be foreshadowing of the death of Anoosh that is yet to come. In essence he himself gave her an idea of what she wanted to be like when she grew up. Satrapi’s use of the literary element of symbolism is done well.
The symbolism foreshadows Margi’s grand transformation into being this head strong activist. “Here take this swan I made in prison out of bread” (61). The swan is a symbol that can represent numerous things. One meaning that fit for this specific situation is the meaning of transformation. On page sixty-one panel two, Anoosh gives Marji one of the two swans as a gift of love. Before that he lets Marji know that she was the daughter that he never got to have. So, the swan could have been a thank you present for letting him experience a love that he never had the chance to experience. Then. when Anoosh was living his final moments he was spending it with Marji. He gave her the second swan. He then told her that that swan was the uncle of the first. The reader can infer that this moment hit home for Marji. This gift was one that basically told Marji to not lose hope. After Marji received the swan she reached her turning point. The meaning of the swan being transformation was very fitting in this case. The reason being after she was given the swan the next day everything changed for Marji. This was when she transformed. For a visual sense, Marji, after this experience, had long hair which was an obvious change from her short hair. Marji even got taller. Although those are fancy there is one transformation that is the most significant. She went from being an innocent bystander to an activist who is head strong. She
yearning to fight against the Arabs who kept attacking her people. She was reading to fight, thanks to her uncle’s influence, and the little push he gave into transforming into what she was destined to be. Satrapi’s use of captions and symbolism was done well. Both element showed how Marji’s transformed in the novel. They also illustrate how her uncle Anoosh played a big role in Marji’s life. Some readers may say that they illustrated what Marji found joy in. In essence Marji would have probably not have been the same had she never met her uncle Anoosh.
The image shows Marji behind a glass wall staring at her mother and father walking away. Her mother has either fainted or died and her husband, Marji’s father, is carrying her away from Marji. Marji is being sent to Austria because her parents believe that Iran is not the best place for their young daughter right now. the other two panels on page 153 show Marji saying goodbye to her parents, she appears to be very scared and her parents seem worried. In the background
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.
“Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return” is a graphic-novel as well as a memoir, which molds the life of Marjane Satrapi with the use of illustrations and words. In Marjane’s second book about herself, she is living in Austria and speaks about her education there as well as a social life. Marjane lives in Austria for a span of four years where she experiences a lot of hardships and calamities. In this span of four year, Marjane has trouble housing herself when the fam...
Throughout Satrapi’s memoir visual text is used to give the readers a visual or image to perceive the effects of the war. On page 3, Marji explains how the veil became an obligation for young girls to wear on their heads, and in the visual shown, these youngs girls are revolting against the government by using their veils as toys. Another effective visual in Persepolis, is the image on page 15 of the citizens running and their bodies burning because the government had set the cinema on fire; it creates a visual that pulls at the reader’s heart strings. This visual represents the suffering of citizens during the war because of their own government. Satrapi’s visuals create pathos within the memoir.
“Persepolis” is a memoir written by Marjane Satrapi in the form of a graphic novel. The book is about her childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution which took place during the 1980’s. These were particularly turbulent times in the history of the country and had a major impact on the day to day life of its citizens. During this time period in Iran, a theocratic form of government came into power after the Shah was overthrown. At first, Marjane like her compatriots rejoiced over the new government, as they felt that it represented the real representatives of the people of Iran instead of a royal ruler propped up by western powers. Through the novel, Marjane comes across as a curious and independent child, who is confused by the political upheaval and the mixed messages a child would get from what she saw around her. She describes the horrific incidents in the day to day life of her family, neighbors, and friends with childlike innocence but
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” This quote by Helen Keller sums up the book Persepolis perfectly. Margi went through many hardships but in the end it strengthened her character and she was able to embrace the world in a better way. Margi is like a baby. The first time they try and take their first steps they topple over in a few seconds but each time they fall they learn and soon enough they are running as happily as can be. The events Margi experiences throughout the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi helps her be able to deal with life`s hardship in .
Persepolis is a graphic novel depicting the life of author Marjane Satrapi’s life throughout the Islamic revolution, starting from her childhood. At one point in the story, the Shah of Iran has left the country, and Marjane’s parents think that they will have new freedoms. Later, however, the country is bombed and fundamentalists occupy the United States embassy. After these events, Marjane is ultimately forced to leave the country without her parents to live in Europe. This was foreshadowed in arguably the most significant panel in Persepolis, the 7th panel on page 43. It features Marjane and her parents, sitting in the family’s living room, the news on a television in the background. They are discussing the fact that the Shah recently left Iran to live in Egypt. Around the panel’s frame is a serpent-like creature. In this panel, Marjane Satrapi uses the frame, and contrasting facial expressions and dialogue to show that the Shah is not the only problem in Iran, foreshadowing the unexpected events of unrest that fill the rest of the story.
The story Persepolis uses the medium of graphic novel and the perspective of a child to convey her message. The events of Persepolis are very dark and in some
During our class discussions, the issue of identity in Marjane Satrapi’s novel, Persepolis (2004), became a contentious issue. The question was asked whether Persepolis might be understood to being in-dialogue with western ways of seeing and did the effects of modernization influence the identity of Marjane’s protagonist in Persepolis. How does the novel involve the issue of identity? I will extend the argument and, through the exploration of Marji’s changing ideologies, I will attempt to prove that Marji is caught between the traditional eastern culture and western modernization.
...e panels that depict her actions, and the results of said actions, magnifies the reassurance imparted with Satrapi’s words. She was in no true danger and yet her hasty decision to cast the Guardians attention onto another could very well have proved deadly to her chosen scapegoat. In fact, the Guardian she calls out to for protection from the supposedly “indecent” man immediately responds to the situation with, “Where’s the bastard, I’ll shut him up once and for all!” This blunt, aggressive statement is written on of the very few panels in this chapter that have a black background. It brings a temporary sense of fear and anxiety as to whether or not the poor confused man will fight the Guardians to try and keep his freedom from completely false accusations. The white backgrounds return as the reader learns the man thankfully did not fight the armed group of men.
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.
Reading words off an image requires extra work of visualizing the events when one can simply glance at pictures and automatically acknowledge what the story is about. Marjane emotionally describes the war, “When I think we could have avoided it all… it just makes me sick that a million people would still be alive” (Satrapi 116). If one could decipher what these words meant, they would not be able to comprehend the concept because people would not know what represent “it” in the statement. Images of warfare are easily comprehended than described in words. With the topics of warfare, a visual aid of a thousand words is likely to have a much stronger impact to those reading the
Persepolis, a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, is not a run-of-the-mill comic book. It is written with purpose. Satrapi wrote and illustrated this book to show Americans that their perspective of her home country, Iran, is askew. She believes Americans are too focused on the “fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism” (Satrapi ii), of the nation and that they forget to notice the normality and humanness of it. Since these two perspectives have vast differences, Satrapi wants to change their minds. Thus, it is crucial that she effectively communicate this humanness of Iran to the literary audience in America. Since the literary devices in a work are needed to correctly convey a message, she found it necessary to include these and manipulate them in her favor. Satrapi uses the innocence of a child along with morals in her pictures and a relation of cultures to effectively communicate her message. It is necessary to examine how she manipulates such literary devices in order to gain a full understanding of the text.
Because her parents were lenient enough to let her own the illegal American items, Satrapi was exposed to a culture that most Iranians were not. Objects such as those mentioned above not only presented her with an opportunity to rebel, they were responsible for demonstrating an alternative way of life; A way of life with more leniency and freedom to be who she
Satrapi is able to illustrate the characteristics of the characters as well as reflect on the past. Having the ability to incorporate past and present is a vital element in fully understanding and following her story. The past events in Marjis life reflect how she makes her descions in the present. It is imperative that one must always build from the bottom and work your way up. Having a strong foundation is the vital element in creating something successful. Marji often refers back to her past to make reference of why she believes this or why she is trying that. She learns by her mistakes of the past and it is noted through the illustrations. This visual image below from Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis series allows the readers to see Marji both internally and