Persepolis is a graphic memoir of Marjane Satrapi. The book has received multiple accolades and citations for its realistic and well-written script as well as its commitment against totalitarianism. Satrapi writes (and draws) of her life during the war between Iran and Iraq. It has both literal and symbolic meanings hidden among the drawings, as it also shows the hardships she faced in other countries and even, at times, in her home country of Iran. It helps to show the past and somewhat present views of Iranians and others about Iran, it’s leaders, the war, and the corruption of the Iranian government.
Satrapi uses symbolism, anecdotes, and a strong motif of the unfair treatment and view of Iranians to help create a deep, true, emotional, and captivating story. Satrapi uses symbolism to give deeper meaning to her stories and make them more emotional. Many drawings in the memoir have a deeper meaning that isn’t immediately apparent, but that give more meaning to the current situation. A good example of a drawing like this can be found on page 71. The words accompanying the picture are “and so I was lost, without any bearings… What could be worse than that?” In the middle of the page is Marji, floating in space, and a loud speech bubble (probably her mother or father) saying “Marji, run to the basement! We’re being bombed!” The bottom returns to Marji’s point of view, where she simply states: “It was the beginning of the war.” What can the reader draw from this? This is the point in the book at which Marji’s life begins to lose it’s goodness.
When she says she’s lost, she means she doesn’t know what to believe. She’s just abandoned God (who, unsurprisingly, doesn’t show up for the rest of the book) and lost her one and only Unc. .erstand more about the situation, background, and the difficulties facing Iranians before, during, and after the war. Marjane Satrapi used symbolism, anecdotes, and motif to advance the plot of her graphic memoir Persepolis. Though the book is on some banned books lists, Persepolis contains many real-world themes and morals.
The many awards the book has received can be partly credited to Satrapi’s use of literary devices. It is a book taught popularly in high school english classes because, oftentimes, it is one of the students’ first confrontations with Middle Eastern literature. In addition, it can be used to show the many freedoms, rights, and priveledges we take for granted here in the United States. Through the happy drawings and the sad drawings, Persepolis is a graphic memoir deserving of its recognition that will captivate the reader all the way through.
