Persepolis Rhetorical Analysis

Ironic Devices

Satrapi employs multiple different techniques of ironic devices in Persepolis; in many cases, she uses situational irony and hyperboles. Being a graphic novel, some of these ironic devices are conveyed through either imagery, language, or both. For example, there is a quote that Marjane hears from another revolutionary, “To die a martyr is to inject blood into the veins of society” (p. 115). While the quote is an exaggeration and an action not meant to be taken literally, Marjane literally imagines this quote through imagery. Later on, she analyses the figurative meaning of this hyperbole and applies it to one of her relatives who was executed by the regime. “Niloufar was a real martyr, and her blood certainly did not feed our

society’s veins” (p. 146). She realizes the hypocrisy of the regime and how the opponents of the regime’s strict rules have often represented the opinion of the vast majority of the populace. Additionally, Satrapi also uses some situational irony in Persepolis. One example of this is when her family goes on vacation to Spain to try to escape the chaos going on in Iran, only to find out that Iran has gone to war with Iraq and they must return to Iran immediately. “The TV showed a map of Iran and a black cloud covering the country little by little” (p. 78). Instead of being able to relax, Marjane’s family must endure more chaos than what they would have otherwise had to deal with if they stayed in Iran. Most of the ironic devices that Satrapi employs, however, are not examples of situational irony. More often than not, they are hyperboles. Satrapi uses hyperboles most often because she is writing from the viewpoint of herself as a child; she exaggerates what she sees because her viewpoint is more creative and innocent than an adult. Due to this, she does not make any understatements in the novel. Instead, she is prone to exaggerating certain events, thus relying more on hyperboles.
Tone
Although Satrapi uses a variety of tones in Persepolis, the most prominent tones utilized are humorous and distressing.

Because the topic of this novel is life in Iran after the Iranian Revolution, it naturally covers difficult and somber issues. There are points in the novel where Marjane is angry, sad, and frustrated about having witnessed the impact war and the oppressive Iranian regime has had on her family and country. “The key to paradise was for poor people. Thousands of young kids, promised a better life, exploded on the minefields with their keys around their necks” (p. 102). The Iranian regime recruited children from poor families to fight for the government. They were told that they would receive a better life after death if they died for their country, so thousands of boys lost their lives for no good reason. Tackling topic such as this one leads to a naturally distressing and somber tone. However, to lighten the overall tone of the novel, Satrapi also employs humor, which serves to make the novel more approachable. For instance, when describing her favorite comic book, Dialectic Materialism, Marjane paints a picture of Marx and Descartes challenging each others ideas. During this, Marx throws a stone at

Descartes.
“You mean that even though you see this stone in my hand it doesn’t exist since it’s only in your imagination?”
“Exactly. Ouch! What are you doing, Karl, you broke my skull!” (p. 13)
This is just one example of humor in Persepolis. It serves to provide the reader a brief escape from the sadness. Which tone Marjane uses frequently changes and depends on the situation she is in. Because Marjane is a child, sometimes the tone does not fully match the situation. For example, Marjane goes from thinking about all the young boys who a being killed (somber) to admiring how cool she looks with her new sweater with holes in it (humorous) within half a page (p. 102).