Persepolis Theme and Panel Analysis by Camille Johnson

Theme:

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-26 04:15:11 UTC

Growing up during the Iranian war has caused many children to cope through various coping mechanisms, such as creating childhood games to understand what they were seeing, mimicking adult behaviors, and rebelling against injustices through their eyes.

"Those stories had given me new ideas for games. The one who loses will be tortured" (Starapi 53).

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-26 17:02:28 UTC

"Back at home that evening, I had the Diabolical feeling of power"(53).

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-27 03:56:42 UTC

When Marji is with the other kids she revels in the torture games. Yet, at home when she views herself in the mirror she is met with “her alter ego”. She describes feelings of power but it doesn't last long. Eventually, she began to feel overwhelmed. These quick mood changes tie back into the main theme of childhood and war. Children are still developing and have not learned how to deal with their emotions. Especially, in highly stressful situations. Marji goes to her mom for support in this emotional vortex. Her mother says, "Don't cry darling. They will pay for what they have done"(53). This is when Marjane expresses that she thought they should forgive. Showing that she still has a child-like perspective. Marjane doesn't understand certain complexities of the world, such as how to handle certain people.

"THE SECOND INVASION IN 1400 YEARS! MY BLOOD WAS BOILING. I WAS READY TO DEFEND MY COUNTRY AGAINST THESE ARABS WHO KEPT ATTACKING US. I wanted to fight" (Strapi 79).

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-27 03:59:12 UTC

When Marji's grandmother tells the family that their country is at war, they are shocked. She tells them it has been going on for a month but only announced to the public two days ago. This attack marked the second invasion in 1400 years, which caused pure rage in Marjane. Since her family members are patriotic she of course is going to model their behavior. Strapi uses all caps to emphasize Marji's anger. Watching her country being under attack makes Marji claim she wants to fight. The hat symbol represents a soldier ready to go into battle for their country. To cope with the war she becomes concerned with fighting for the injustices presented around her.

"I was very proud of myself...'This war is the same as the one 1400 years ago.' But the teacher didn't seem too impressed"(86).

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-27 04:13:18 UTC

During class time Marji's teacher asked for students to write a report about the war. She chose to write her four pages on the historical context of "The Arab Conquest and our War". A common trait in kids is insensitivity, they are often blunt and do not think before they speak. Throughout the novel, Marjane says a lot of insensitive things. However, she doesn't know any better because she is still just a kid. Although she felt proud of her report, her teacher was not so impressed. The report itself seemed to be satisfactory, but her comment "This war is the same as the one 1400 years ago" seemed to be the problem. Since Marji is so young she does not understand the personal toll it takes on the families of soldiers who are fighting. This ties into the theme of children conceptualizing the complicated war around them once more. She realizes once her classmate Pardisse reads her report how much weight this war holds. As her classmate's father died she wrote a letter to her father tying up family matters.

"As for me, I sealed my act of rebellion against my mother's dictatorship by smoking the cigarette I'd stolen from my uncle two weeks earlier"(117).

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-27 04:36:05 UTC

With kids comes immaturity. Marji steals her uncle Taher's cigarette from 2-weeks prior. She claims that this "act of rebellion" against her mother's dictatorship is sparked by her smoking the cigarette. She got the idea from watching how her family and other adults in her apartment building cope. Thus, she continues to mimic adult behaviors and rejects the injustices in the world around her. In terms of rebellion, Marjane is under the impression that by smoking this first cigarette she can kiss her childhood goodbye. This idea is completely false, yet In her eyes it's absolute. Kids model the behaviors demonstrated around them because her uncle smoked she decided to do it. This immature behavior is simply part of being a curious kid, struggling to adapt to the evolving world around them.

Analytical Paragraph:

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-27 04:53:10 UTC

As a child who grew up during the war, Marjane relies on her emotions to navigate this difficult moment. These sections show the different ways in which Marji and her peers have coped with the changing world around them. The stories, power, fighter mentality, pride, and rebellious nature are coping mechanisms for the Iranian-arab war. This is how Marji is beginning to understand the changes that have happened in her country. Strapi utilizes visual graphic novel techniques such as panel layouts, facial expressions, and first-hand perspective. These all convey important emotions and key character development. The black and white color shading techniques. Especially with more darkness than light during the darker sad depressing and more rebellious panels. The cigarette chapter shows how she is a "grown-up now", and later on her parents will send her off. Last but not least, each panel directly related to the theme of childhood and war displaying different coping mechanisms at each stage throughout the novel. In terms of graphic novel techniques, Marjane has shown so much character growth as she struggled with things such as war and its aftermath. On page 86 she matures to realize that her classmate's letter to her father was so valuable as he has died in the war. She sees the war and it's affects in a whole new light.

Final Summary Post:

cjohnson2_152 — 2024-11-27 04:57:12 UTC

As a whole, the panels give the reader a sheer perspective of what it is like being a ten-year-old girl growing up during the Iranian-arab war. It gives ideas of child-like responses demonstrating how a child would adapt to being exposed in a situation like this. Strapi uses some humor in covering the immaturity of Marji and her peers. Lastly, the panels work together in sequence to show with different details an almost "wrecked childhood", in a world where things are not so easy. A world in which every move is influenced by this war.