Research Analisis-Persepolis

Brian Laufer

Stacy Knapp

English 1A

24 March 2013

Research Analysis- Persepolis

            Persepolis was written by Marjane Satrapi. She also wrote many other critically acclaimed graphic novels including Persepolis 2, Embroideries, and Chicken with Plums. Many people have admired her work. Over 1,500,000 copies of Persepolis 1 have been sold.

            Her intended audience is likely to be any person outside of Iran. I say this because she was born in Rasht, Iran and grew up in Tehran, and wrote stories that seem to be meant for informing a world audience about the trials and tribulations of people in Iran. Persepolis 1 and 2 were published in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Greek, Italian, and Catalan. In Persepolis 1, she describes her early life in Iran, which towards the end of the book, leads to and exodus to her young adulthood in France, which is where Persepolis 2 takes place. Embroideries, was set in Tehran, where she speaks on women’s love lives and sexual experiences. Chicken with Plums, is a book that narrates the last eight days of the life of Nasser Ali Khan, a relative of Satrapi’s.

            By far, the largest claims that Persepolis 1 has in store for the audience are that Iran can be a turbulent place where brutal violence is not the least bit surprising, but expected. The general laws for the citizens are stricter and more severe for the women of Iran then they are for men. For example: Women must cover their hair when in public so as not to seduce a male, but what about the men? You don’t think a woman can be turned on by a man’s luscious locks? Satrapi, frankly, is frustrated with the rigidness of the laws in her youth and at many times questions her authority.

            I believe Satrapi has intended to teach the world what goes on within Iran’s borders. Iran in many ways is cut off from the rest of modern day media coverage. There really are not many sources that display the country during the revolution. In my view Satrapi is trying to fill the gaps of experience or happening that the world did not get to see. Of course, like most people she wants peace in her land. From a perspective she is crying out to the world, in hopes that they will see this indecency and do what they can to improve the lives of people in Iran as well as in their own country. Also seeing these examples of what humans are capable of in Persepolis in hopes, will encourage people around the world to cultivate their compassion.

Satrapi’s persona was shaped by the many cultural, historical, and social influences in her raising. Her parents were relatively wealthy. They strongly held the dogma of the caste system. Or the labeling and placing of people into classes based on their yearly income, occupation, and which caste they were born into. Growing up in a society based on Islam for Satrapi, grew more hatred then the supposed good hearts Islam should be cultivating. The author is coming from a childhood full of shifting ideals. She grew up in a time when The culture of Iran itself was changing.

 What’s remarkable, is the terrible violence, death and destruction illustrated with gentle and often at times humorous, sarcastic cartoons. The graphic style somehow allows the reader to take in the real life situations but in a mellow and easily digestible manner. The book itself is not so formal, as free flow and experience based.

Persepolis gives you an expanded view on the history of modern Iran, illustration and documentation of it’s dogmas or (generally held beliefs), laws and castes given to it’s citizens, or simply the portrayal of the daily life of a young Muslim girl in the Islamic revolution. From here in America, or at least from my point of view we just can’t know first hand the experiences that are expected for an Iranian. Reading Persepolis has been eye opening for me. We can only know what we feel in our daily reality. Through the reading I have truly come to appreciate my life at the times when it’s not so hard.

  

Works cited

Wikipedia, March 24

Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis, The story of a Childhood, 1969, march 24