Persepolis is a graphic autobiography by Marjane Satrapi that characterize her childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. The title is a reference to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire, Persepolis. During the 1980s when this book is set, Iran was having the largest revolution in the country’s history. We are going to see Marg’s evolution threw out five major themes: religion, family, friends, society and authority. We are going to peruse the pros and the cons of her evolution with those mains factors that guide her life perception.
In the first place, one of the primary themes that had an impact on her growth is the religion that surround her surroundings, and her country… On panel nine, fifth frame Marjane is discussing with “god”. This frames shows a lot about the religion and the main’s character growth. First of all in the background of the frame it is unconditionally black witch shows a part of drama, a situation pejorative. Following by that in the midground there is Marj that is using the space of the frame. In the mean time she is open arms, standing on her bed and she is colored I white witch shows purity and her infant mind, spirit. Simultaneously God is in the forground and is pictured in white also; but God is more likely to be in white witch correlate with the purity and the religion rules “Bible”. The frames depicts the main situation with the color contrast.
Marjane convey a secret to god, she says: “No, no, I will be a prophet but they mustn’t know.” this quote illustrates perfectly the religion statute of what is happening in their country during the 80’s. Her dream job is to become a Prophet, she had to lie to be took seriously. Throughout this saying it shows her rebellion against the “school” laws and her faith in their religion, whereas not everyone can see god, but she can. Marjane has this connection with her religion. Furthermore, during her growth, a paradoxes is impeding.
Moreover, panel seventy frame fore is a total change of climax. There is still this unconditionally pitch black in the background and the characters are illustrated in white. The situation is approximately the same Marj is in the same position up on her feet on top of her bed roaring on top of her lungs on god that is in a standing position. We know that Marjane is upset, sad and furious by the special effect of the bubble her saying is in; witch is: “Shute up, you! get out of my life!!!I never want to see you again!”. There is a total climax change she evolved and lost her ancient priority of becoming a prophet. This is an influence of her surroundings.
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Secondly, the theme of family has a bigger reverberation on Marjane. If we take panel one hundred and twenty-eight, we see the impact and education her parents give to her daughter whereas these four frames depict the steps of how they smuggled poster for her daughter from Turkey. This panel has an undertone because Marj knows that all the presents her parents are bringing back are all illegal, but they still do it. It gives an education to break the rules considering that this is what we can analyze throughout the first part of the book. Following by this event we have at panel one hundred and thirty-two frame two. The frame is pitch black, with Marjane and a man, she took directly examples of her mother by smuggling and breakings the rules.
This shows how family can influence and guide an infinite and life growth.
Thirdly, the theme Friends helps us to see how the character reacts to the problems of the society, or personal problems the frame three panel sixty-one. The environment of the frame is a nuance between the black of the trees and the straight road and the bright white light arriving strait at the three infant, that are them in black. The position of the children are Marj in the middle and the two boys on the side. Marj is often in the middle taking the power of voice and like to brag. In this frames we can see it throughout her bubble;” There are lots of heroes in my family.” The first fragment of her conversation, this first part is giving to her friends a context of what is going to procced. For Marj it is imperative important to have a gratitude by having ancestors of family members to be a hero because it make her someone more important and gives a higher value, determined on her opinion. Additionally, the second fragment is: “My grandpa was in prison, my uncle Anoosh too: for nine years!” Based on what she is seeing and what we told her otherwise, she has a perspective of prison where it is the location where heroes come out, the longer you stay in prison the bigger hero you become. The; last fragment is: “My great uncle Freydoon proclaimed a democratic state and he was…” Her sentences finish at was for two potential hypotheses. The first hypothesizes that her friends cut her short on what she is saying because we can see that the boy on her left has a bubble ” too much” but if we analyze correctly it is a thought bubble. The second idea is that she just continued on to talk about the heroes composing her family and all her events that she could crow about.
Marj still has this adult talk whereas she has more knowledge due to the education she had. Behind them the is a shadow of theme three. We know that our shadow tends to reflect a black silhouette bigger then the person in general so her it foreshadows her growth by having the shadow but also foreshadows that she is still going to be a infant by what she is saying.
Fourthly the theme society is present in the last four frames on panel one hundred and seventeen. These frames are an evolution of her going to little girl to being a women in her perspective. All of the frames are black and illustrate her in white. In frame one she says directly that it is act of rebellion and it we planned two weeks ago, whereas she says : “cigarette I’d stolen from my uncle two weeks earlier”. The third frame is perfectly illustrating that she does not like to smoke by the tears on her face and also by the caption “it was awful. But this was not. The moment to give in.” She feels this transition by smoking which makes her feel stronger which, makes the forth frame Marj is standing up right hand arm up with her cigarette in her hand, it can be a war reference when they lift up the flag. She has a determined face and said “I kissed childhood goodbye” this evolution can only be peruse but caption and illustration there are no color references were the last frame becomes all white from her buildup, it is an interchange, personal.
Lastly, theme authority is represented threw out the novel, but one frame the depicts well is frame two panel eighty eight. The context and environment is tense. The family is in conflict the parents are arguing and Marj interfere and defend her mother witch is not her position in the first place. She is giving the authority instead of her parents who are supposed to direct this but her education had a impact of being able to exteriorize and express felling and thoughts witch she is just transmitting and application threw out. This theme is the theme were everything starts because if your authority and education is based on expression well Marjane is just doing what we told her.
To conclude the five themes are essential and keys points to her evolution and manner to be. All these themes collide and make one, Marjane. She is based on rebellion, open thoughts that has pros and cons like all. Her parents were somewhat unsighted of the situation they were putting their daughter during the war.
