Outline

Title: Persepolis.

Author: Marjane Satrapi

Part of the course the Written Task belongs to: Part 3.

Question: If the text had been written in a different time or place or language or for a

different audience, how and why might it differ?

My critical response will:

1. Show the importance of time and place in the book due to the fact that it revolves

around the historical conflicts lived at the time.

2. Demonstrate that the Revolution influenced the way characters (Marjane, Satrapi’s

parents) behaved.

3. Show that the narrator’s intent (to inform people about what really happened in

Iran without outside stereotypical views) would change if the text had been written

in a Western country.
 If the text had been written in a different time or place or language or for a different

audience, how and why might it differ?

How do you think a conversation about World War II will go between an American and a

German citizen? Or, one about Israel and Palestine’s conflict between a Jewish and an

Muslim? Perspective is a variant factor that depends on the context individuals have on

a particular situation. Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis, portrays the author’s

life experiences while living in Iran in the 1980’s during the Iranian Revolution; even

though the book was written years after these events had passed, it is a direct

representation of the reality through the eyes of a local first-hand “witness”. Therefore, it

is important to analyze the effect that time and place have on the overall narration and

message of the novel, which intends to modify the readers’ perspective on the Middle

East and its past conflicts.

First, it is important to take into account the fact that the entire memoir revolves around

the historical conflicts lived at the time. Giving special emphasis on the Iranian Revolution,

but also highlighting the Iran-Iraq War, the situations portrayed in the novel represent a

reflection of the effects these events had on the lives of the common citizens. For

example, when Marji’s father was late one day after a protest and she says: “I thought

that my father was dead, that they had shot him” (Satrapi, pg.34) it demonstrates that

people were always expecting the worst case scenario, and even in what may seem like

a common situation today, since most of the people are just one phone call away from

finding out where their loved ones are.

Furthermore, when the author shows the way people had to react under critical

circumstances such as bombings, shootings and imprisonments, it illustrates the impact

that book’s setting has on the development of the story, since it is this same context that

establishes the defense mechanisms and reactions people had to implement on a daily

basis. For instance, when it is said “After the border towns, Tehran became the bombers’

main target. Together with the other people in our building, we turned the basement into

a shelter. Every time the siren rang out, everyone would run downstairs...” (Satrapi,

pg.107) there is a clear example of how the particular setting influenced the events

illustrated; in the same way, the use of the words “Every time” demonstrate that the

constant fleeing and hiding was a day-to-day activity. In contrast, a more Western point

of view is constantly generalizing people from the Middle East as the “bad” guys, and

making Americans and Europeans seem like the victims of a conflict which is really lived

abroad. Nonetheless, Satrapi manages to expose the constant fear and suffering that

most Iranians experienced because of the violent actions of a minority which doesn’t

represent the country itself.

To continue, the characters’ convictions and points of view would’ve also been different

if time and place changed. Throughout the memoir, Satrapi emphasizes on her family’s

anti-Shah beliefs, being their democratic political views what prevailed above all;

nevertheless, when contrasted with what is supposed to be the American ideas and

objectives, there is a clear disjunctive. This is evident when Ebi Satrapi says “It looks like

Carter has forgotten his friends. All that interests him is oil!” (Satrapi, pg.47). The past
quote shows that even though the protagonist’s family was against the Shah, evident

when Marji’s mothers says: “Now that the devil [Shah] has left” (Satrapi, pg.47), they

judged the way the American government addressed the Iranian situation by only

focusing on convenience instead of loyalty.

Lastly, it is clear that the novel’s intent is to dissuade a Western audience from having

stereotypical views on a country such as Iran. Due to the fact that throughout history, the

Middle East has been judged as an extremist and violent region, the author wanted to

demonstrate that constructing an opinion on a particular situation and the people involved

in it based on news reports or hearsay, is not the suitable way to create a valid conclusion.

Satrapi expresses this when she says:

“Since then, this old and great civilization has been discussed mostly in connection with

fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. As an Iranian who has lived more than half of my life in

Iran, I know that this image is far from the truth. This is why writing Persepolis was so important to

me. I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists. I

also don't want those Iranians who lost their lives in prisons defending freedom, who died in the

war against Iraq, who suffered under various repressive regimes, or who were forced to leave their

families and flee their homeland to be forgotten.” (Satrapi, pg.5).

Therefore, it is correct to state that the information distributed about this nation in the

Western world is vastly influenced by opinions based on secondary sources, which can

lead to erroneous conclusions or judgmental conceptions. For this reason, the fact that

Persepolis was written by an Iranian author, gives the graphic memoir a unique purpose

and makes the reader reflect on what he or she thinks its current knowledge about the
nation in question is; even though it was written in French and published in Paris, as she

now lives there, it didn’t change the book’s meaning and even gave it a bigger scope to

reach her target audience.

To conclude, Persepolis is a novel that has an unusual narration given the time and place

it is set in. The fact the author experienced the events that unfold in the book, help show

in depth the thoughts and opinions locals had on a situation that has been constantly

judged by outsiders, giving the reader a broader perspective on various topics such as

The Iranian Revolution and the Middle East. Furthermore, the setting of the story also

determines the way character react to the situations presented, demonstrating that most

of their actions are conditioned due to the historical conflicts lived at the time.

Word count: 996.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Satrapi, Marjane. (2000). Persepolis. New York: Pantheon.