Persepolis is a memoir as a graphic novel spread over two volumes by Marjane Satrapi.
The first volume is an incredibly poignant and intimate memoir of a young girl in a revolutionary and wartime Iran when it is on the crossroads of democracy and fundamentalism. A lot of things narrated from the perspective of a child are heartbreaking and bleak interspersed with unexpected humor that is so unique to the naivete of children. Blending history with personal experiences is no easy task but Marjane does it exceptionally well in comic format. The book concludes with a teenage Marjane moving to Europe to escape the devastation and emotional toil of the Iran-Iraq war.
The second volume picks up from where the first ends. Marjane is in Austria, far from home and loved ones, dealing with culture shock and the emotional upheavals of adolescence. She recounts her experiences and struggles with wit and thoughtful insight. She also gets her first taste of racism and discrimination because of her nationality. She returns to Iran when the Islamic brotherhood is on its peak and illustrates vividly how drastically life has changed for everyone.
Persepolis is not an easy book to read because it delves intimately into many subjects that make people uncomfortable. It is easy to think of war as south Asians because our media/state glorifies it. The reality of war is ugly and has heavy collaterals/suffering. Resistance and rebellion are easy to romanticize but those who are a part of it pay a price. And much of this book weather subtly or bluntly illustrates that price. It is a searing condemnation of the human cost of war….
….and the cost of fundamentalism.
Marjane Satrapi uses the "memoir as graphic novel" theme to great effect. In the first book her illustrations capture the whimsical childhood outlook, the a child’s perception of horror and war. In a story of return her illustrations are poignant and say more in images than words ever could. In both book she shows how radicalization inflicted heavy sufferings on the country and its people while concurrently breaking down the monolithic image of Iran most of us have now come to hold.
Even if graphic novels/comics are not your thing id highly recommend you read Persepolis (both volumes - or one combined book). It is a highly readable memoir that humanizes not just the Iranian struggles but also those of immigrants and people displaced out of life by war.
You can read Persepolis on this site.
Persepolis Movie Trailer
Persepolis - World Heritage Site
The Persian Empire was one of the most formidable and powerful empires at its peak. Persepolis was a place of ritual and worship built by Darius the Great during 6th Century BCE. Persepolis means "the Persian city" or "the city of the Persians". To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Parsa which is also the word for the region of Persia. It was destroyed by Alexander (nothing great about him in my books) in 330 BCE although its ruins prevail to this day as a world heritage site. Even today the remains of the site are breathtaking and awe-inspiring their magnitude and beauty . It is situated 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, Iran
To learn more about the site: listen to this BBC ‘In Our Time’ podcast on Persepolis
-Saima
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