Gender Identity in The Complete Persepolis In Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis, she expresses her own segregated young life in Iran and Austria. Her family opposed the government’s fundamentalism, and Marji was raised to be opinionated and questionable. Her experiences show readers how restricted and…
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Essay Examples and Topics
by Marjane Satrapi
Best topics on Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Persepolis: 2000
Persepolis 2: 2004
Marjane Satrapi
Bande dessinée (French comic)
Memoir
Marji
The author’s childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution
War, revolution, feminism, religious extremism
The memoir has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. It has been translated to several languages, including English, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Chinese, and more.
In Persepolis 1, the author sees the Islamic Revolution in Iran through the eyes of her ten-year-old self. Marji, who comes from a family of the upper-middle class, has access to books that expose her to Western concepts and political thoughts. When the Iranian government reforms, Marji’s family is put in danger. Over two years of war, Marji has all kinds of experiences that pronounce her rebellious nature.
In Persepolis 2, Marji starts a new chapter of her life in a boarding house in Vienna.
The comic intertwines two crucial topics for today’s global society: freedom and feminism.
We see how Marji grows from a rebellious young girl into a smart, self-conscious woman.
“To each his own way of calming down.”
“You’ll meet a lot of jerks in life. If they hurt you, remember it’s because they’re stupid. Don’t react to their cruelty. There’s nothing worse than bitterness and revenge. Keep your dignity and be true to yourself.”
“I wanted to be justice, love and the wrath of god all in one.”
Critics and readers praised Persepolis as soon as the first volume was published. However, the comic is also surrounded with controversy, as well as censorships in the USA. The reasons for censorship include scenes of torture and inappropriate language.
It’s one of the most candid and creative memoirs ever written. Its format (a comic) makes it easy to read, but the topics it tackles are heartbreaking.
Persepolis, although recommended to teenagers, may be “too much” for some. The graphic novel is raw and impressionable, and it has been censored in U.S. school districts due to images and language that are inappropriate for general use.