The Text and Images in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - Essay Example

The paper "The Text and Images in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi" is a wonderful example of an essay on literature. The veil in Persepolis is used as the cover image and since it basically represents oppression. Marjane is always rebelling against the norm of ‘veiling’. She is often scolded for not putting on approved garments. As such, Marjane is ‘unveiling’ herself by refusing to be suppressed. This strategy of using the veil is quite critical to her goal of seeking freedom. The veil becomes a symbol of nationalistic ideas since it symbolizes Iran’s struggle during the revolution; just like Maryjane is unhappy about the veil. The author (Satrapi) might have used a child as a narrator since children tend to portray their environment without a lot of bias. This characteristic makes her a reliable narrator. Additionally, a child narrator often experiences things mainly for the first time, as the reader does too. As such, the child narrator will get complete and easy to comprehend the description. This concept will enable the reader to understand the story better.

In Persepolis, the text and images work harmoniously together. For example, the images depicting an adult authoritatively handing school children a veil is in line with the text (Satrapi 4). This was in 1980 when it became mandatory for school children to wear a veil. Persepolis can be viewed as Satrapi’s form of resistance since she clearly opposes the veiling of women. According to her, veiling demeaned women. Satrapi implies that games and jokes were used as a form of resistance by women. Marji’s family treats Mehri as their own child. However, they become discriminatory when Mehri’s time to marry comes. They understand that she must marry from her social class (33-39). Pictures are often used as evidence. As such, we can read it as ‘evidence’ by mainly focusing on the meaning of the graphics. The graphics represent the situation in Iran. As evidence, these images will be reviewed later and help the reader to comprehend how the environment was then. It might be illegal to take photographs in Iran since they will act as evidence of atrocities committed (29). Read More