Persepolis and Satrapi's Why I Wrote Persepolis H R - Essay Example

Use of Child Narrator in Satrapi’s Persepolis Satrapi opts to use a child narrator while detailing her graphic novel, Persepolis, for three main reasons (Schroeder 6). Firstly, she sought to form a basis of comparison between child and adult perceptions of the events that were taking place. In addition, she wanted to emphasize the point that children, albeit considered aloof, are often privy to the injustices that happen around them. Lastly, she sought to have a simplistic but impactful case around the grave events that were taking place within Iran at the time – the original setting of the events in the graphic novel.

The author admits that she is a pacifist (Satrapi 3).The best way to embody this characteristic into her work was through the use of a child narrator who easily fits the description of a person who would not understand the resolve to war and violence. The child is a reliable narrator; the author succeeds at expressing her mind very obediently as a child would. This adds to the credibility of the work. It feels like she is giving an unbiased opinion because she is too young to establish her core beliefs.

The author succeeds at hiding her own biases on the events that were happening around her. She even manages to criticize her own parents. She succeeds at using the innocence associated with childhood to draw the reader’s attention to the political power games of the murderous regime and the cultural intricacies which were taking place at the time. The text includes the example of children acting out the torture they witness to emphasize that they are not always aloof about their surrounding and they fully comprehend what is going on.

Works CitedSatrapi, Marjane. On Writing Persepolis. Random House. 2008. Web Resource. Schroeder, Heather L. A Readers Guide to Marjane Satrapis Persepolis. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2010. Print.