Introduction
Marjaneh Satrapi, a renowned writer and illustrator, can be recognized as one of the most prominent figures in Iranian literature. One of her activities is to reflect on the subtleties of women’s experience while conveying her vision of the Iranian Revolution period. The means to reveal this turbulent period is presented in the graphic novel Persepolis, a visual depiction of the challenges and changes Iranian women face.
Using her childhood memories from the 1970s and 1980s, the author demonstrates a compelling portrayal of the repression and loss of freedom she witnessed (Satrapi 1). For this reason, based on philosopher Aristotle’s concept that literature is the development of life, this essay focuses on a careful analysis of the selected work. The author’s choice of narrative structure, style of presentation, and approach to conveying the experience depicts the hardships and specificity of women’s evolving roles.
General and Historical Context
To begin with, it is worth noting that the work format in question is not quite ordinary. Such novellas are executed graphically, in which text and illustrations are intertwined to tell a story (Meleen). Moreover, their distinctive feature is the division into panels and adherence to the chronological order of the narrative structure. In the case of Persepolis, the story unfolds through Marjane Satrapi’s early childhood memories and is conducted in the first person.
Given that the author was an original witness of what was happening during the revolution, the approach to translating personal perceptions can be seen as a way to represent women. Moreover, as the story progresses, opinions, events, and consequences evolve parallel to the state of women’s freedom. For example, the deterioration of Iranian women through graphic and sequential presentation appears more tragic and dramatically negative.
For a better understanding, it is essential to know the background and the essence of the events that occurred during the described period. The novel, published in 2000, is set in an important epoch in Iran’s cultural history, namely the Islamic Revolution 1979 (Satrapi 1). Undoubtedly, this revolution was a significant upheaval accompanied by mass persecution and repression, and the triumph of the radicalized interpretation of religious dogmas led to changes in the life of society.
An interesting point in this regard is the growing number of restrictions, discrimination, and inequalities that were manifested towards the female part of society. Subsequently, various freedom- and rights-restricting laws were introduced, such as the requirement that women wear the hijab and the practice of gender segregation (Torabi 16). Compared to the free and progressive social order before the revolution, women lost their subjectivity and identity, as described and demonstrated in the novel.
Graphic Elements Symbolism
One of the main techniques worth noting in addition to the plot itself is the use of graphic style, which plays a significant role in addition to the text itself. The first notable aspect of this manifestation is the choice of color palette used. An impressive approach here is that all the illustrations are black and white, which helps to nuance the overall tragic nature of the work and the evolution of the positioning of women. While this style preference may seem to be a matter of personal desire, in the broader context of the book, it becomes clear that it serves as a symbol of suppression. For example, this symbolism is particularly evident in the chapter “The Veil,” where all the girls are portrayed as the same while wearing the veil (Satrapi 3).
On the first day that female students were required to wear the veil, Marjane and her friends stood in line at school, and the monochrome performance made it appear that all the girls had the same physical characteristics. Moreover, this makes it clear that the author is trying to show how the law objectified and suppressed women, contributing to the denial of their rights. By taking away subjectivity and the sheer ability to think, act, and exist freely, the role of women has been degraded from an equal member of society to almost a repudiated or generally inanimate being.
Additional symbolism of the graphic element can be highlighted by the exact principle of its choice, which can be interpreted as a desire to reach as large an audience as possible and share the suffering that women experienced. The veil becomes more than just a piece of clothing; it symbolizes social change. Moreover, wearing the veil marked a significant shift in how women imagined themselves and perceived themselves, over time convincing them of their powerlessness and destiny to be merely mothers and homemakers. Understanding the inability to express one’s true self as one of the worst forms of oppression has, over time, turned into resignation and normalization of the concept by many, which is even more frightening.
Additionally, as the story progresses, graphic novel techniques continue to depict the characters’ reactions to changes occurring in society. Since simplicity is an essential component of comic book style, each illustration is also straightforward, which effectively conveys the author’s message about the suppression of women’s freedom (Meleen). Thus, about the thesis, the choice of a specific type of work strengthened and helped to display the complexity and negativity of the consequences of the revolution for women.
Innocence Amid Turmoil
A significant feature, besides style, is the novel’s division over a reasonably long period. Girls’ opinions, perceptions, and attitudes are transmitted from six to fourteen years of age, evolving in their self-reflection (Satrapi 6). Thus, the first half of the series is told entirely through the eyes of little Marjane, and the combination of image and text is especially striking. Her childhood fantasies are intertwined with sad events, such as protests and deaths (Satrapi 52). That part is challenging as impressions and approaches to children’s life events are not always accessible or remembered by adults.
However, Satrapi made a brilliant choice in softening the concept of what is happening while making it emotional. For the development of the plot, it is essential to observe the consequences of the conflict through the eyes of a small child. One example is her relationship with God, which is depicted as an archetypal and broadly understood image. Once her life began to take different paths, her relationship with God changed, and he abandoned her according to her conviction (Satrapi 17). Thus, the mere idea of the women role’s negative evolution’s other side was symbolized, which included their problems with faith in God and themselves within the framework of the radicalization of societal religious beliefs.
Perspective of Symbolizing Women’s Struggles
Marjane’s further maturation and character development may be a metonym for how women felt when oppressed. It is evident in how she behaves towards her father or the nanny who has a secret relationship: “But is her social class her fault?” (Satrapi 37). The contrast between Marjane’s imagination and her expressions contributes to the symbolization of women and the innocence that people expect from them. It also symbolizes the courage and resilience that women hide behind this mask, which is sometimes even covered with a veil.
Women’s struggle takes place within the framework of repression, which obliges them to obey, wear the same clothes, and occupy a narrow social niche assigned to them. Such repression is evident from the perspective of the described changes after the revolution that shook the entire region and the war that followed it. The association of these role changes with the loss of freedom is undeniable because this was a direct, not figurative, restriction. Therefore, the author’s illustration methods are diverse and try to convey to every reader the pain and horror of oppression with the help of graphical, empirical, and emotional elements.
Conclusion
Thus, the message conveyed by the author and the broadcast of personal vision effectively demonstrates the evolving roles of women within the framework of the loss of freedom and the flourishing of chauvinism and repression. She shows this through description, personal assessment, and historical comparison. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is an autobiographical novel that is both fascinating and frightening, exploring the complexities and challenges unique to female life in Iran through the experiences of the young protagonist and other female characters.
Overall, it is not only an essential work in the country’s national literature but also a powerful monument to the strength and determination of women during one of the most turbulent periods in the region’s history. This work transcends its time, providing an intensely personal narrative and a universal critique of the human condition under oppressive regimes. Moreover, it resonates as a highly controversial dissemination of information about living conditions and the treatment of vulnerable communities under repression.
Works Cited
Meleen, Michele. “What Is Considered a Graphic Novel? Stories as Comics.” YourDictionary, 2020. Web.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon, 2003.
Torabi, Samira. Women Creating New Spaces: Reconfiguring Gender Segregation in Iran. 2019. University of Alberta, Master’s Thesis. Web.