Symbols In Persepolis

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Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is a memoir written in comic strip format that tells the tale of a young girl living in Iran. The detailed autobiography depicts the story of Satrapi’s childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. The title of the book is a reference to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire, Persepolis. Persepolis is an amazing book, filled with happiness, grief, and moments of childhood in a primitive, overbearing world where all children are forced to grow up. In my opinion, the book is disturbing and haunting, but also very moving and touching at the same time. I also share some similarities with Marji as well.
Young Marjane, otherwise known as Marji, is …show more content…
Although Satrapi drew very simple images, they still manage to convey a great depth of emotion and graphic weight. The contrasts between light and dark were apparent and very effective in communicating the messages clearly and efficiently. In addition, Satrapi’s portrayal of symbolism in the panels is powerful and fascinating. For instance, veil is a big symbol of how women were heavily oppressed in Iran at the time Marji was growing up. The Iranian regime believes that women must wear the veil because everyone in Iran needs to follow their religion. Clothing is important to the Iranian government, because they believe the smallest changes show a person’s allegiance. Another meaningful symbol is the gold key, which is a horrific representation of the lengths the government will go to in order to brainwash children into enlisting in the military. The Iranian government convinces the children that this key will get them into heaven if they die at war. This is similar to ancient religious wars, like the Crusades, where dying a martyr was the best possible thing a young boy could do for his country and religion. However, in reality, all it means is that they died as pawns of the

How Does Satrapi Use Symbols In Persepolis

An Analysis of Tangles and Persepolis Sarah Leavitt and Marjane Satrapi use symbols, visual structure, and tone to explore the effects of hardships on family. In tangles, Leavitt is dealing with her mother’s illness, Alzheimer’s. The illness not only takes a toll of her mother but on the rest of the family as well. In Persepolis, Satrapi is growing up during the Iranian Revolution, surrounded by death, isolation and confinement. Both authors manage to describe feelings that are hard to put into…

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Individualism In Persepolis

Even though Satrapi does not include other reasons for veiling, it is evident throughout PErsepolis that she believed people were only veiling themselves because they were scared of what may happen to them otherwise. Marji and her family are standing near a window people watching as a women with a veil passes and her mother says, “look at her! Last year she was wearing a miniskirt, showing off her beefy thighs to the whole world” (Satrapi 75) demonstrating Marji’s view on veiling, that women were…

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Western Influences In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

The novel Persepolis uses western society and culture to heavily influence many of the main characters throughout the book,this western influence can be seen with the of uses various illustrations throughout book that hint at western society and culture. In Marjane Satrapi novel Persepolis, she portrays the west in two different ways, first she shows western society as having more freedoms and more rights, but later in the novel she portrays the west as the prime example of how not to live your life…

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Symbolism In Persepolis

In the graphic novel ‘Persepolis’ by Marjane Satrapi, symbolism is used frequently by the author to deliver an understanding of the text that is unobtainable through the solo use of words. The use of symbolism by Satrapi provides readers with an insight into the protagonist’s, Marji’s, thoughts and emotions. This insight is vital for the development of the audience's understanding of the overall text. This developed understanding creates more to sympathize with allowing readers to connect with the…

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Oppression In Persepolis

Oppression of Women in Persepolis Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian artist and writer who was born in November 22nd, 1969, during the Islamic Revolution in 1979 which resulted in the oppression in women with significant symbol of the veil. In Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi the main character, lives in Iran and during her time all women were required to wear the veil; it had no age limit. With the fear of consequences and punishment, this caused women to wear a veil that only leaves their face uncovered…

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Examples Of Imperialism In Persepolis

Throughout the book Persepolis, Marjane had many personal experiences with She is effected in a different and unique ways during this 8 year period. This image is a representation of Revolution. In the photo, a group of Iranian soldiers is commemorating the soldiers who died in the war against Iraq in 1980-1988, better known as the Islamic Revolution. The people who were killed were not only soldiers but innocent people; some of which Marjane knew and loved. For instance, her Uncle Anoosh was…

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Egyptian Revolution In Persepolis

secular movements but it turned religious before the military helped the people to take over the regime. The Egyptian revolution is an example of the recent model of the Arab Spring, and it is almost a copy of the Islamic one in Iran (1979). In Persepolis, Marjane's words came with her viewpoint when she said "The revolution is like a bicycle. When the wheels don't turn, it falls." (Page 10). She graphed all people slept over the bike, and nobody is turning the wheels because people were illiterate…

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Persepolis Stereotypes

The graphic novel, Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, challenges the American perspective through an intimate, cultural narrative of a country’s people devastated by the Islamic Revolution. This course delves into how a particular gaze such as the popular male gaze or Anglo-centric “white” gaze can have a heavy influence on how women are depicted in the media. For example, Laura Mulvey’s research suggests that the male gaze is eroticized through seeking pleasure for the male (Byerly and Ross 20). A…

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Female Characters In Star Wars

female characters are stereotyped by many people with a vulnerable label, for example, Princess Leia, who is the only female character portrayed in “Star Wars”, another great example is an Iranian girl named Marjane, the protagonist in the book Persepolis. Female characters should have individual, and independent identities, personalities, and be able to become a protagonist, female characters should not be stereotyped in any situation because the image of the female has been…

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Nine Parts Of Desire Analysis

In Persepolis, the top panel on page 5 shows a stark contrast between the women advocating for and against the veil using color. The women on the left, wearing the veil, have their eyes closed; this shows them to be literally and figuratively blind to the opinions of the other women (E). Like the author of Persepolis, I think that women must open their eyes to see both sides instead of blindly accepting what…

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