Persepolis is a graphic novel that was written by Marjane Satrapi in the year 2000. The comic made it to number five on Newsweeks top ten list under the category of best non-fiction books for the decade. In 2007 it became an animated film and won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for best animated feature at the U.S. academy awards.

The novel is a true coming of age story. It is written as a memoir and follows Marjane Satrapi as she navigates her way from childhood to adulthood while living in Tehran Iran as well as parts of Europe. Satrapi grew up at a time when Iran was at war with Iraq and the country was undergoing a civil revolution.

In the late 1970's the people of Iran began to revolt against the Persian Monarchy which was then lead by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. At that time the country's leader was being supported by the United States and the country itself was relatively prosperous. Nonetheless, after several years of protest and civil resistance by the country's people, the Shah was overthrown and sent into exile. In 1979 the country became an Islamic Republic and the revolution became known as the Islamic Revolution.

The revolution is considered to be unique in history because it occurred rapidly in a country that was relatively prosperous and saw relatively little violence towards the people and current government in power. Another aspect that makes the revolution unique is that it replaced a pro-Western totalitarian monarchy with an anti-Western authoritarian theocracy, something that is seemingly rare as far as revolutions go at our point in history.

As such, the country went from this...

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To This...

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I guess its a matter of preference as to which style you prefer.

In the Novel Satrapi portrays herself as a rebel, an intellectual revolutionary and a bit of an anarchist. From an early age she showed signs of being a liberated woman and these facets of her personality make her story incredibly interesting and enjoyable to read.

The story is also ripe with drama and humor as she recounts her interactions with the oppressive revolutionary regime which according to Satrapi was known as the Guardian's of the Revolution (woman's branch). It was guardians job to arrest woman who were improperly veiled. For instance, woman at the time could not show any hair and doing so would be considered an act of rebellion.

Oppression of women, specifically revolving around clothing and attire, is a central theme in the story. Satrapi explains that if the regime can keep women in a continuous state of fussing and fretting over the mundane and inconsequential things like their hair, make-up and dress, then those women will not have time to think about their rights and their sense of freedom in the world.

Quote: "When we are afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us...fear has always been a driving force behind all dictators' repression. Showing your hair or putting on makeup logically became acts of rebellion."

- Satrapi (2000).

Attire, specifically the "veil," is a central part of the story and comes up often.

Humor is another big part of the novel and Satrapi does an excellent job portraying the humor that can be found during her many encounters with the oppressive regime. Some of the encounters are absolutely hilarious in their absurdity and overall they add to the enjoyment of reading about Satrapi's life experiences.

...Hmmm...

...It all...seems so obvious...

...when you put it like that...lol

Another part of the story that I enjoyed was when she discussed her education as a graphic artist at University.

Overall, Persepolis is a story about rebellion against an oppressive regime and ultimately staying true to one's self and standing up for one's rights and freedom. I highly recommend checking out the novel, I don't think you will be disappointed. It is a story filled with history, drama, emotion, and humor, and overall it's just an enjoyable book to read.

I don't know for certain if there is a moral to the story that Satrapi wanted to leave her readers with but one thing that I took from it and what I will leave you with, is the message:

If you believe in something, then keep fighting for it.

Thanks for Reading

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Images from the novel and film.