A Review of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis is a brilliant example of quality literature that takes the form of a graphic novel, a medium that can enrich a student’s vision of his or her world in a new and exciting way.  Persepolis is particularly relevant in our classrooms during this century because it can help students gain a deeper understanding of what it means to live with war, especially as the wars currently being fought abroad have taken such a toll on the global youth.  

            Persepolis is the unique memoir of Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian woman who comes of age during the tumultuous regime changes of the latter part of the 20^th century. Persepolis is a graphic novel done exclusively in black and white, written originally in French and in four volumes.  Persepolis 1 and 2 chronicle Satrapi’s childhood in Iran as the Shah’s regime is forced to an end and an Islamic revolution ensues.  These first two volumes of the story are ideal for ages 13 and 14, and would translate easily into a middle school English curriculum.

            The content of Persepolis makes it particularly valuable to our modern classrooms.  After September 11^th, 2001, children who have come of age within the last decade have had an exposure to a partisan view of the Middle East.  This is where Persepolis begins to separate itself as a truly valuable piece of literature and an asset in the classroom.  Not only does the reader of Persepolis end the story feeling very close to Satrapi, a woman unflaggingly devoted to the spirit of her county, but they can also closely relate to her as a growing woman in a turbulent time.  As a heroine, Marjane challenges us to see the world in a new way, a world in which, “One can forgive but one can never forget” (Satrapi Introduction).  This theme of forgiveness, for our enemies, our loved ones, our country, and ourselves is reoccurring in the graphic novel, and can be a powerful source of discussion in the classroom.  Students may begin to question how a child in Marjane’s position, a child who may have just been a face on the nightly news to them, actually feels to be in a country during a time of war.  The intimate details of Marjane’s life are expressed in a universal way that is often both comedic and heartbreaking. Persepolis is also written with an on going narration by Marjane that accompanies the dialogue bubbles you see in traditional comic strips.  This may help new readers of graphic novels to make the transition into other graphic novels that are exclusively done in dialogue. The visual design of Persepolis is exquisitely unique in its simplicity.  The author never strays from her black and white palate and needs no more colors to create a Tehran, and an Austria, that are all her own.  The visual perspective moves through the graphic novel as Marjane does.  Her experiences begin to look different as she is alone in Austria during her teenage years.  The reader senses her pain as she sticks out among her Austrian peers, as more characters begin to have light eyes and light hair.  The use of color in Persepolis can be a tool for activities in which students can draw how they sometimes feel when they are put into situations in which they feel uncomfortable, as Marjane does in Austria.  There is great power in the honesty of Persepolis and it can become an excellent first exposure to a new media in the graphic novel.   

Works Cited:

Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. 1st ed. New York City: Pantheon Books, 2004.