Sacrifice and Self-Awareness in Marjane Satrapis The Complete Persepolis - Essay Example

?Sacrifice and Self-Awareness in Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis Introduction In The Complete Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi contends that becoming aware of one’s principles, identity, religion, and political beliefs may come at the expense of one’s hope and positive perception about life and society. In the graphic novel, Satrapi introduces readers to the turbulent times of Iran during, before and after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War while articulating her life during those times. Relatively, Satrapi combines the elements of Biographical and Bildungsroman literary genres to illustrate the historical context of the story, as well as her moral and psychological development. Accordingly, this paper delves on the Biographical and Bildungsroman aspects of the novel to support the proposition that self-awareness comes with both pain and happiness. Biographical Aspects The philosophical and literary origins of Biography are linked to John Dryden who coined the term and suggested that it refers to a personal recount of “a particular configuration of events, time, and space” (Amigoni 55). For instance, biographical narratives often focus on the significant events, people and places throughout a person’s life although without necessarily articulating his/her personal and moral learning from those events. Further, Amigoni states that a biographical narrative helps in shaping public identity as it allows people to take pride in the events they participated during their lifetime, as well as articulate their achievements and career. The concept of biographical narrative applies to The Complete Persepolis wherein Satrapi tells the turbulent political times of Iran. Specifically, she recounts the people she encounters, places she had visited, and the kind of society she lived in. Events and Places Satrapi’s portrayal of significant events and places becomes more vivid through her illustrations. According to Schroeder, Satrapi’s black-and-white illustrations of the daily life of her family and the society portray her perception about her family and the existing political condition of her country during the Islamic Revolution (14). For instance, in her illustrations on the imposition of wearing veils, Satrapi shows her childish perceptions about social norms and rules, considering her outward opposition against wearing those veils and her confusion on what those veils are for (3). Satrapi recalls such an event as part of the Islamic Revolution. Aside from Islamic Revolution, Satrapi also recalls the Cultural Revolution wherein the Iranian society considers different cultural and leadership views, particularly monopoly, socialism and monarchy. People The most significant people in the life of Marjane are her parents, teachers, and friends both in Iran and Austria. For instance, Sichani mentions that the people in Austria influence Marjane’s physical and psychological transformations, which led to her self-revelation through exploring her sexuality with her friends there (21). Specifically, Julie, Marjane’s friend in Austria, introduces Marjane to a culture of independence and sexuality while Siamak and Mohsen opens Marjane’s eyes to the actual chaos in Iran’s political world. Marjane also takes lessons from writers, political activists, and social philosophers during her time including Ashraf Darvishan, who wrote about division in social classes, and the Iranian Shah, who took a militaristic rule over Iran. Toward Self-Awareness With the influence of people and events, Marjane was able to analyze the structure and norms of her society; such influences also drive her to evaluate the differences among societies. Through those people, Marjane sees the real world as both a torment and opportunity to exercise one’s freedom. For instance, in knowing the condition of political prisoners, Marjane understood the political turmoil in Iran, although, she does not see the implication of those issues yet in her personal life with her young age. Moreover, her family, friends, and prominent social activists and philosophers introduce her to conflicting ideas about her society, which escalate her confusion on the actual political and social condition of Iran. Consequently, the biographical aspects of the graphic novel introduce the historical and social context of the novel, which helps in understanding the implication of such issues in the personal life of Marjane. Bildungsroman Aspects Analyzing the Bildungsroman aspects of the novel leads to insights concerning Marjane’s perception of her society and herself. Bildungsroman narrative refers to the narratives detailing the transformations of a person, particularly of her understanding of him/herself and society (Amigoni 54). Relatively, Bildungsroman narratives build on psychological and cognitive implications of events, people, and beliefs wherein such aspects play a vital role in developing the identity, personality, values, and principles of an individual. Those aspects apply in The Complete Persepolis, considering that the said story traces the psychological transformations of Marjane as a response to the social and political issues throughout her life. Perceptions of Social Representations Through her illustrations, Marjane brings to life Iran’s socio-political conditions in relation to her personal perception. According to Schroeder, the graphic novel articulates Marjane’s “subjective point of view,” therefore, may not be considered an actual and reliable representation of the Iranian society (31-32). Further, Schroeder contends that Satrapi intends to make the novel a personal narrative of experiences as this allows readers to understand Iran’s society based on an Iranian perspective; this also addresses the personal values and beliefs of Marjani throughout her interactions with Iranians and Austrians, whom she considers as more Westernized than the Iranian society (31). Specifically, the elements symbolizing Marjane’s understanding of social representations include the veil, books, jewels, and wine. For instance, the imposition of wearing veils among women presents the restrictions of women in Iran while Marjane’s love for books presents her desire for knowledge and understanding. Jewels and wine are material representations of values and preferences. For instance, Marjane hesitantly pawned her jewels to sustain her life in Austria, and this corresponds to her temporary dismissal of her traditional Iranian beliefs and values, although, she embraced those beliefs again after realizing her mistakes. Learning to drink wine also corresponds to her learning to adapt to Western social norms and beliefs wherein she learns to differentiate and appreciate the benefits and consequences of conforming to both Western and traditional Iranian societies. Personal Values Marjane’s interaction with both Iranian and Austrian societies allows her to evaluate her sense of belongingness and personhood. In analyzing the value of belongingness, Sichani states that Marjane begins to evaluate her notions about identity, nationhood, and home when she started to feel isolated in Austria (39). Marjani begins to ponder of her original Iranian values, beliefs, and principles in relation to, and in comparison to the Austrian social norms. For instance, she begins to differentiate the Islamic values with the Westernized Austrian ones, particularly on the differences in the social roles and standards for women in Iran and Austria. Evaluating the Bildungsroman aspects of the novel leads to identification of the specific implications of social, political, and philosophical influences of Marjane’s life. Schwartz and Crenshaw contend that graphic novels with Bildungsroman elements allow readers to trace the adolescent, childhood, and adulthood changes, particularly on psychological transformations (49). For instance, her experiences in Iran and Austria allow Marjane to identify her personal principles, which she concludes as comprising the values of forgiveness, hope, and knowledge. Relatively, one can say that The Complete Persepolis introduces readers to the challenges of growing, particularly in dealing with internal and external conflicts. Conclusion With The Complete Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi introduces readers to the challenges of growing up, particularly in overcoming internal transformations, such as identity formation, and external changes, such as political and social changes. Consequently, analyzing the novel in relation to its Biographical and Bildungsroman aspects allows readers to delve on the historical and social significance of the story, as well as the implications of those aspects in Satrapi’s life. Based on those narrative elements, one can say that the novel tackles the process of self-awareness and growing up in relation to personal sacrifice and challenges. Conclusively, one can say that Satrapi articulates the necessity of coping with both social and personal struggles to attain self-awareness. Works Cited Amigoni, David. The English Novel and Prose Narrative. Ed. Stuart Sim. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000. Print. Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. Trans. L’Association. New York: Pantheon Books, 2003. Print. Schroeder, Heather Lee. A Reader’s Guide to Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. Berkeley Heights: Enslow Publishers, 2010. Print. Schwartz, Gretchen and Christina Crenshaw. “Old Media, New Media: The Graphic Novel as Bildungsroman.” Journal of Media and Literacy Education 3.1 (2011): 47-53. Print. Sichani, Afsoun M. “Un-Veiling and Revealing: Un-Layering Constructions of the Self in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis 1 and Persepolis 2. MA Thesis. U. of North Carolina Wilmington, 2007. Print. Read More