Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Marjane's

¶ … Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Marjane's character gives the reader a child's-eye-view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the Iranian Revolution so that the reader learns along with her the history of Iran and of her family. The reader has the opportunity to be deeply affected by a child's view of the Iranian Revolution. As adults, we innately desire to protect children. Witnessing a child who must be exposed to death, destruction and oppression plays on the reader's emotions.

Persepolis constructs multiple parallels of children witnessing traumatic events relating to war so that the book becomes an integrated symbolism for the loss of childhood innocence. As a reader, one wants to shield Marjane from the atrocities that she witnesses as a child, but the reader's inability to affect Marjane's exposure to the events in the story creates a melancholy experience that infiltrates ones perception of the Iranian Revolution.

Further, focusing on the child's perspective in attempting to understand war and the reasons underlying violent uprisings forces the reader to question the underlying reasons for war and the concept of good vs. evil. Marjane's character is often confused by the adults around her and their presumptions regarding war and violence. For example, Marjane's mother says that bad people should be killed which is contradictory to her earlier notions about forgiveness. (Satrapi, 53).

Marjane's confusion with the adults' contradictory statements makes the reader question whether the adults surrounding Marjane thoroughly understand the concept of revolution. From there the reader is forced to question his own preconceived notions of revolution and good vs. evil. Only a youthful naivety can lead the reader to such self-exploration. When Marjane meets her uncle, the hero, she bonds with him over stories of those who were imprisoned by the Shah. (Satrapi, 53).

She idolized the way the prisoners sacrificed themselves for the greater political good, and she becomes fascinate by their tales of torture. However she ends up seeing the new regime imprison and eventually kill her uncle, from which she becomes disenchanted with politics and those who revolt for a 'better' society. Marjane's own family initially supported the revolution but eventually recognized that the revolution was not a means to create a society that their family could support. (Satrapi, 40-41).

Marjane's own loss of innocence and changing sense of revolutionary identity allow the reader to question the purpose of war and whether it's a means to an end or merely an end in itself. The story also focuses on a child's view of religious beliefs and studies different viewpoints of religions as they relate to war. Marjane tries to understand the notion of a suicide bomber and how people can be so devoted to their religious cause that they are willing to die for their god. (Satrapi, 102).

Marjane's confusion about the complicated relationship between religion and war When Mohsen returns from being tortured, the graphic frame of a child interrupts Mohsen's narration of his torture. Marjane looks over at the iron on the ironing board and is forced to recognize the horror of war through a simple everyday object. (Satrapi, 54). She begins to imagine the many ways to torture people (Satrapi, 53) and eventually allows her religion to help her feel safe. Marjane's experience with traumatic events alters her identity with her society and with her God.

Religion is what is familiar to Marjane, as she states that she was born with her religion (Satrapi, 6) and children desire that which is familiar to them. In the face of trauma, children seek out that which is familiar to them. In this case, the trauma strengthened Marjane's bond with her God. Through Persepolis, one can recognize that in many situations the religious bond with God is directly related to a loss of innocence.

Satrapi's story of a child caught in the middle of the Iranian revolution is a subjective portrayal of this real life event. Marjane's idolization of her uncle and her family's hatred of the Shah and later the Mullahs influences her perspective of the Iranian Revolution. The story repeatedly separates those on different sides of the battlefront by using terminology such as 'us' in stating that the Arabs continue to attack 'us'. (Satrapi 74-75).

Marjane is an innocent victim of war, as are most children, so when they adopt perspectives about the different players in a battle the reader is more accepting of such perspectives than of an adult who likely committed some of the atrocities involved in the war. A soldier in war must believe that the ideologies he is fighting and killing for are better than those of the people.