An Unconventional Prophet

The Complete Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi 
p. 2000

Persepolis is a bit unlike most of the other books I’ve read this year, not only because it is a graphic novel, but because it is an autobiographical account by the author, Marjane Satrapi, and covers a topic that not many westerners see a whole lot of in their day to day lives: life growing up in Iran from the point of view of a young girl. My friend Kristy lent me her complete Persepolis, which includes the first two volumes of Satrapi’s story. It covers her childhood and young adulthood during the war between Iran and Iraq, the Islamic Revolution, and Satrapi’s adolescence as a student in Austria.

I had the opportunity to read another of Satrapi’s graphic novels, Chicken with Plums, about six years ago for a college course. I wish I could remember the details better but I could not keep the copy I employed for class and admittedly all that is left is the vague impression of being impressed. Thanks to this and all the good press I’ve heard about Persepolis (particularly after the film version was released in 2007), I had reasonably high expectations going into this endeavor and I do not feel I was disappointed.

Satrapi’s narration and art has an extremely minimalistic style. The narration is probably due in part to a loss in translation, but the subject matter Satrapi covers carries no less weight. The stylistic choice works incredibly well for the story, because so much of it is from the point of view of a child and children possess a remarkable wisdom their adult peers lack. Viewing through the lens of a child offers a much wider perspective of the restrictions and complexities growing up as an Iranian woman. And so much about this topic was unknown to me that it was an eye-opening experience.

At fourteen, due to the rising tension in her country, Satrapi’s parents send her away to study in Vienna, Austria. There’s a moment as Satrapi is leaving home, never knowing when or if she would ever return, when you feel simply gutted. It took me completely by surprise and when I was wiping away the tears I never thought I’d shed over a comic book, I realized that the minimalist art approach really works for this story. Like the traditional Iranian woman—who is forced to hide so much of herself behind a veil—there is so much there beneath the surface that begs to be seen, and Satrapi offers such an intensely personal take on that.

The second half of the book has a different feel, focusing more on Satrapi’s awkward, lonely adolescence and highlights her inability to feel like she fits in anywhere. It focuses more on the woman little Marjane grew into and the outside influences that shaped her. There is a return to her home but you get the feeling that the story is not really done, and seeing as the real life Marjane Satrapi is still out there doing what she can to bring awareness to the rest of the world, I have no doubt there will be more story to tell.