Reflection Of Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi wrote the graphic novel, Persepolis, in a way that indicates that there is a wide gap between the realities of Marjane Satrapi’s childhood and the reality of the reader. She achieves this in many ways. Firstly, Satrapi writes Persepolis in a graphic novel and illustrates its pictures in a simple and childlike way. Secondly, the black and white images represent zero uncertainties which disconnects the reader because that is far from the reader’s reality. Another important point is that this novel was written as a memoir and autobiography of Satrapi’s harsh childhood. Lastly, the graphic novel is constructed with minimal detail which creates an unclear image in the reader’s brain. Many people nowadays say that they need lots of detail in order to feel like they are truly part of the story. Persepolis lacks the clarity that is needed for a person to truly identify with the story.

The events that occur in Persepolis are very grotesque and tragic. Marjane Satrapi deals with more pain and hardship in her childhood then many people do in a lifetime. But while the content is very heavy and deep, the images in the graphic novel are simple and childlike. The pictures create a lighter and less emotional mood for the reader. Instead of experiencing deep emotional distress caused by the story, they ultimately remain detached. This also is caused by the balance that Satrapi created between her grief filled childhood and the childlike illustrations. This equilibrium helps to prevent the reader from becoming overwhelmed by the heartbreaking occurrences in Persepolis.

The colors used in Persepolis are also extremely important in identifying the gap between the reader’s reality and Marjane’s childhood reality. Satrapi illustrated ...

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...le they feel that the images draw them into the story, most readers feel that the lack of detail creates a certain aloofness that pushes them away from it. The simplicity and minimal detail makes it easier to comprehend and process what is going on in the story, but doesn’t allow for any connections to be made.

Usually when authors are writing books, they want to be able to make the reader feel as if they are connected with the story. But Marjane Satrapi wrote Persepolis in a way that makes the reader detached. Persepolis is considered her memoir since she wrote it about herself. Memoirs are considered to be a ‘safe place’ for readers to understand the tragedies of lesser fortunate nations, while being in the safety of their home. Creating this distance was essential because it helped prevent Satrapi’s tragic childhood’s reality from becoming the reader’s reality.