Women and Rebellion in Graphic Novels - 1478 Words

Though graphic novels are not recognized as literature by many literary critics, they have the distinction of communicating with pictures in a way that may not be possible with words alone. Themes that would be lost if they were merely sentences on a page are highlighted when set to a graphic novel’s illustration, and graphic novels can connect deeply with the reader through images of war and suffering, such as in the graphic novels Persepolis and Fables. Marjane Satrapi’s autobiography Persepolis takes place in Tehran, Iran during and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, during which the people of Iran overthrew Mohammad Reza Pah-lavi, known simply as â€Å"the Shah.† The Islamic Regime was founded in its wake, and Marjane spent her early†¦show more content†¦She asserts her independence not with loud demonstrations, but with quiet and inconspicuous dress code violations. Satrapi explains her reasoning on page 302: The regime understood that one person leaving her house while [worrying about her wardrobe] no longer asks herself [about policies or human rights]. It’s only natural! Our fear paralyzes us.†¦ [It] has always been the driving force behind all dictators’ repression. Showing your hair and putting on makeup logically became acts of rebellion (panels 6-8). Rebelling against the government is important to Marjane because of her family history and her heritage. When she is young, Marjane’s father tells her grandfather was a Prince of Persia whose father was pushed out by the Shah’s father. Marjane’s grandfather then became a Communist and a rebel who was repeatedly thrown in jail for â€Å"defending some innocents† (291, panel 6). Later on, after the Revolution but before the formation of the Republic, Marjane meets her Uncle Anoosh, a former political prisoner and Communist . â€Å"Our family history must not be lost,† he tells her. â€Å"Even if it’s not easy for you, even if you don’t understand it all† (60, panel 7). He is soon arrested and executed by the Islamic Republic, but not before he waters the seed of rebellion in Marjane. This example of rebellion contrasts with Snow White’s tight grip on the authority she up-holds. She sees the Fabletown government as a fragile thing, explaining her thinkingShow MoreRelatedIslamic Revolution And The Iranian Revolution1433 Words   |  6 Pagessubject of the Iranian revolution in a graphic novel since this has been a subject of concern by different researchers but most of whom have not really covered any result in the graphic novel. One of the graphic memoirs is the Persepolis which was built by Darius the Great and which tries to depict the early life of Satrapi, who spent her childhood and later adolescent life in Iran during the revolution, which was a time full of political chaos and turmoil. The novel is used to show many themes such asRead MoreRebellion in Persepolis617 Words   |  3 PagesStory of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is an autobiography graphic novel. The book is about a young girl named Marjane Satrapi growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In the book, many stories and struggles are presented, such as the Islamic revolution, issues with school, the war between Iran and Iraq, and Satrapi’s struggle with growing up. The strongest theme from all of these situations in the novel is rebellion. Rebellion is constantly seen, in many different shapes and forms, allRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s The Iranian Revolution Of 1979 1317 Words   |  6 PagesOne result of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 was that women were forced by law to wear the compulsory hijab. At first, not many people took this seriously and many peaceful protests were organized. Eventually, women began to suffer at the hands of the government for refusing to submit. In this nov el, Marjane is an Iranian girl living during the turmoil of the Islamic Revolution and eventually the Iran-Iraq War. She is invested in the politics of her world even from a very young age, though herRead MorePersepolis : Life Changes During The Islamic Revolution Told Through The Eyes Of A Young Girl1185 Words   |  5 PagesThe novel â€Å"Persepolis† shows many life changes during the Islamic Revolution told through the eyes of a young girl. â€Å"Persepolis† was based on Satrapi’s childhood experience in Iran. Throughout the span of the 1970’s to the early 1980’s, Satrapi experiences many changes in her life, not only with the government, or her education, but also with herself. Although she witnessed many violent acts right in front of her eyes, these experiences helped Marji (Satrapi) grow as a young child. Soon after theRead MorePersepolis : The Story Of A Childhood1585 Words   |  7 PagesIn Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, a graphic novel authored by Marjane Satrapi in 2003, a door is opened to the revolutionary era of the 1970s in Iran. Through the eyes of a child traversing through childhood into adolescence, we see the raw realities and hypocrisies in the Shah’s regime and the succeeding Islamic Republic of Iran, following the revolution. Throughout her late childhood, Satrapi had dreamed of becoming a prophet. She was deeply religious, but as she studied the works of revolutionariesRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis Story1487 Words   |  6 PagesMarjane Satrapi’s Persepolis tells the story of her life as a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Satrapi’s story is told through an autobiographical graphic novel which is revolutionary because such stories are often told through more common mediums such as Television interviews and text ba sed novels; this difference helps to set Persepolis apart from other works about revolutionary Iran. The Persian people have been largely dehumanized by mass media in a post September 11th societyRead MoreA Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words2065 Words   |  9 Pages The graphic novel Nat Turner by Kyle Baker is a phenomenal way to depict the Nat Turner Rebellion. Graphic Novels have a way of bringing stories to life, the pictures help people relate and analyze; they say a picture is worth a thousand words and sometimes the inferred word’s connotations change depending on how the images are conveyed, this is overly true for Nat Turner. The idea of using a graphic novel to represent history is revolutionary. The only issue with making a graphic novel of historicalRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1646 Words   |  7 Pages Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis is an expressive memoir of her growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, the fall of the Shah’s regime and the Iran-Iraq War. Unlike conventional memoirs, she uses the black-and-white comic book form to find her identity through politics and her personal experiences in Iran and it has become effective and relevant in today’s society because she is a normal person that has had to live through extreme circumstances. Marjane has contributed to a wholeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Graphic Novel Persepolis1423 Words   |  6 PagesIn the nine years following the Iranian Revolution, the Iranian government executed over 30,000 people as a result of their values conflicting with the conservative Islamic ideals of the new regime (McTighe). The graphic novel Persepolis explores this change in government and the conflict-ridden road leading to it through the story of a young girl named Marjane and her family. It explores how the family’s Communist attitudes cause them to be willing to risk their lives speaking out for a change,Read MorePersepolis Analysis1528 Words   |  7 Pagescontinue to fight for justice and express their opinions. The graphic novel Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, explores a child’s perspective of the Iranian Revolution. Marjane sees the violence and lives through the terror of the Revolution, but she tries to fabricate the best out of the horrible situation. Throughout the book, the reader begins to see how children become involved in expressing their opinions. In Marjane Satrapis graphic novel Persepolis, the author explores Marjanes development from