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Marjane Satrapi

Analysis of Marjane Satrapi's

Persepolis.

By Stephanie Garth, Sarony

Blacklock, Victoria Ee, and
Porfyrios Koumarianos.

Visual Devices

How does one go about drawing complex ideas like massacres, religion, and revolution?
Marjane uses symbolism, metaphor, and repetition to create a whole body of power
images to tell her unique memoir, and share her experience.

Repetition of the figure and action are used to create a sense of unification. The
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cropping of the image shows us a small segment of something much larger. In this
example, the cropping of the image at the sides prevents the viewer from seeing all the
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girls in the class. Instead it allows the viewer to imagine this event spanning far beyond
this one classroom, taking place in all schools across Iran.

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The same can be said for the image of the massacre.
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Here we see the visual contrast between the characters and the protesters. The
repeated figure and action force us to not view them as individual people, but as a single
entity.

          

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Marjane also uses metaphor to make complex ideas understandable to the viewer. In
this example, the people all tied up together on the bike to represent the drive behind the
revolution. She says “the revolution is like a bicycle. When the wheels don’t turn, it falls.“

Marjane also uses metaphor to depict the policemen blocking the entrance to the
theatre. Their dark and enlarged bodies create a visual wall between the fire, and the
people trying to put it out. Notice the repetition of the police figures as well?

                            

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Finally, symbolism is used to help the viewer relate to Marjane’s experience. When
her uncle Anoosh in first introduced, his head is surrounded by wholly light. This godly
light shows us how highly Marjane thinks of him.

                                  

Marjane also surrounds her head with celestial light to symbolize her state of mind
when she wants to become a prophet.

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These visual devices help us to relate to Marjane’s experience, and create a far more
visually interesting memoir. 

I found it interesting how Marjane’s visual interpretation of Anoosh seemed similar

to the lion and the sun on the Shah’s flag. 

- Sarony Blacklock

Hi Sarony,

That was well done! While I didn’t necessarily like the art style, I do agree that the
visual devices you’ve listed were a great aid in helping convey the story effectively in a
way that a text only story would not. Thanks to the limited art style, Marjane is able to
use well thought out symbolism that in a more developed style, would not have been
successful. 

- Stephanie

Hey Sarony!

Great post. Marjane’s use of visual devices are really evident in the examples you have
chosen such as the repetition in the classroom and massacre. Those images truly leave an
impression upon seeing them; it even feels a bit haunting look at them. I also thought the
symbolism used is great and straightforward, similar to her writing style. It’s impressive
how Marjane has used so many different types of visual devices to illustrate her story.

-Victoria

 3 November 2013

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