Persepolis Analysis Questions

Chapter 4: “Persepolis”

Directions: After reading and annotating the chapter, please answer each of the following
questions in at least 3-4 sentences.

1. Explain how the panel at the bottom of page 27 is both symbolic and ironic:
Through the depiction of the Shah, Marjane symbolizes how her grandmother has begun to
recollect the truthfulness of the kings, as well as their successors, by accepting her requests.
Now, Marjane, and her grandmother, are realizing that there has yet been a Shah that has been
truthful like them, as they don’t keep their word or fulfill their desires/requests. The day that the
Shah gains authority, he reveals that he “is the light of the Aryans”, but Marjane illustrates the
background in absolute darkness and isolation, portraying that he will be the opposite of what he
discusses. (Satrapi 27). Instead, the shah is illustrated just with his wife, revealing that she will
be the only one on his side, and will be the “darkness” of the Aryans.

2. Analyze the bottom half of page 29 and its unusual illustrative technique. How is it different
from any illustrations we’ve been shown thus far and what is the author’s purpose in presenting
the graphic and correlating ideas in this way?
The unusual illustrative technique that Marjane implements reveals the authenticity of the
experience her father endured. It correlates to how he was able to give Marjane his own personal
perspective of the behavior, action, etc as Marjane wasn’t able to attend. She also utilizes graphic
weight, scattered photos, and borderless panels to portray the destructive chaos that the
revolutionaries and officers caused.

3. Discuss the reaction of the widow towards the end of the chapter, examining the irony of the
situation and what it displays about the Persian citizens being shown.
Through the ironic story that Marjane’s father reveals, the author reveals how Persian citizens
were extremely passionate about the revolution that they began to corece it onto numerous and
innocent people that had nothing to do with the fight. Marjane expressed how the revolutionaries
made their part of their everyday life without thinking about others. Although the widow seemed
to be startled at the revolutionaries carrying her husband's lifeless body, she ultimately begins to
demonstrate with them because they viewed him as a “hero” (Satrapi 32). After realizing that
they viewed him as savior, she began to realize that it was better than acknowledging that he
wasn’t determined as they were.

4. Analyze the author’s purpose in writing this chapter--what is she primarily displaying to the
reader? Use at least two quotes and/or graphic techniques for support.
The author’s purpose in writing the chapter is to demonstrate that the revolutionaries, along with
shahs, were just as ignorant and naive as Marjane during her youth. Marjane depicts how “all the
country’s money went into ridiculous celebrations'' and the “population couldn’t have cared less”
(Satrapi 28). Then, her father reveals how the numerous revolutionaries were oblivious to the
widow’s dead husband by utilizing graphic weight, as well as foreground, by illustrating the
man’s lifeless body being carried by the assertive revolutionaries, yet childlike for being naive
about the unfortunate death. Similarly, Marjane has the same naive thoughts as she also doesn’t
understand the severity or the irony of what her father is revealing to her family; she thinks it is
just between ideas/opinions being simply right or wrong. Marjane then reveals how she realized
that she “didn’t understand anything” about what was going on (Satrapi 32).

5. Discuss the significance of the chapter title using at least two quotes and/or graphic techniques
for support.
Marjane represents that the chapter title, Persepolis, is significant to how numerous people
continuously have to learn about history in order to have an understanding of the future as well
as how results were imposed. Although Persepolis is an ancient place that no longer exists,
numerous people still ask questions about the facts and history behind it. Similarly, Marjane
illustrates this in her curiosity as a child as she constantly asks countless questions about her
family’s history. She repeatedly asks “what?” and “who?” in order to identify the past and
understand the present and future (Satrapi 26, 27). Marjane also utilizes captions and a
foreground angle of herself in between her mother and grandmother to depict how her curiosity
can be devious by always desiring to know what is going on. The same panel, on page 29, also
reveals the three generations and how they have experienced different times which is why
Marjane is fascinated by their past. Marjane continuously displays her curiosity to the past, but
also the present, by reading “all the books” she can in order to gain knowledge of what they
aren’t able to tell her. Furthermore, the author, Marjane deliberately expresses that one must
acquire knowledge in order to accurately understand the past, present, and future.