In Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, Marji struggled with the culture that was forced upon her. Her role as the protagonist implies that people with more traditional views are abnormal, even though religious and political preferences vary greatly in Iran. “Persepolis also demonstrates that there is no such thing as a pure Iranian identity by illustrating that the revolutionary claim for a return to a pure Islamic past is just as problematic as the call for a return to a pure Persian, in other words, secular, tradition” (Naghibi 245). The graphic novel describes Iranian culture from Marjane’s point of view, which causes the misconception that her opinions are shared by the majority of Iranians.
Does Persepolis give significant insight into the life of the ‘typical’ Iranian? I do not think it does. Marjane’s experiences are interesting, yet they cannot be used to make accurate generalizations about Iranian culture as a whole, or about Iranian individuals. Marji’s parents were unusually brave. Their modern outlook on life, combined with Marjane’s opportunity to travel outside of Iran, made her incomparable to other Iranians. I think that Marji’s life can educate people about Persian culture, but Marjane’s abnormal experiences preclude her from representing all Iranians.
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