Persepolis by Marjane SatrapiMarjane Satrapi gets clean with all the details of her personal life growing up in an Iranian household and later venturing off to Europe to begin the process of self-discovery and being on her own away from familiarity. She returns home to disappointment and disillusionment while at the same time relieved to have her family back as her intimate support network and source of unconditional love. Although the story ends without telling her complete story (she moves back to Europe but with a better defined sense of self and more confidence to carve out her own independent life and identity), it left me with a satisfied air of having glimpsed into an honest portrayal of familial relations, shifting relationships and how change is the only real certainty of life.
Somewhat like Maus, Persepolis doesn’t spare any darker truths and details by glossing over with ideal reminiscences of one’s own past. Satrapi candidly shares her skeletons and struggles to set her own two feet on the ground and find some sense of personal fulfillment while staying close to her family because, after all, Iran is a collectivist environment where traditional family ties still take precedence; however, having been raised by more liberal-leaning parents, she is encouraged to go out and escape the ever-so-oppressive governing regime that is strongly taking hold amidst a war with Iraq and inner strife which makes Tehran an increasingly dangerous place to live (the reason she was first sent away to live in Austria). Although things don’t work out very well for her the first time living on her own, she is allowed to continue to figure things out for herself and make more mistakes (including a failed marriage) by her parents in order to find out what she really needs to do with her life.
Her father is extremely trusting of his only child and serves as a model of deep abiding love as well as her mother, and although she makes the wrong choices and even acts out of complete selfishness and cruelty, we can all definitely associate with her. She is completely human, and her narrative set against the larger backdrop of a country in turmoil provides perspective on a time and place in history as well as a microcosm of someone’s small world. It blends drama with humor very well. I would completely recommend this to everyone wanting to try out a graphic novel format or interested in history although it would generally be suitable only for adults and teenagers sixteen years of age and above.
