Kadin Cariaga-Sayegusa

Dr. Malashewski

IB English HL

10 December 2023

Impression of Culture in Persepolis

Every action has a motive, a purpose, a past experience impacting the way people

function, and even how they write. For as big as the world is, many cultures influence how

stories are shaped and told. Traditions told long ago, trickle down through generations and

determine the efforts of individuals and societies alike. Marjane Satrapi illustrates the influence

of culture and traditions through her depiction of the Iranian Revolution in her graphic novel,

Persepolis.

Values and beliefs at the time of her childhood, directly influenced the narrative of

Satrapi’s non-fiction graphic novel. Experiences that she had to go through are a product of

Iranian culture at the time. Throughout the graphic novel, Satrapi engaged in hardships as she

was rebellious towards Islamic Fundamentalism. An example of this is when Satrapi is expelled

from one school for refusing to take off her jewelry and hitting her principal when she tries to

forcibly remove it. After this, in a new school, Satrapi speaks out against the teacher when they

try to make a false claim about how the Islamic Republic does not have any political prisoners.

Satrapi states that although her uncle was imprisoned under the Shah’s regime, the Islamic

Regime executed him, and how Iran went “from 3000 prisoners under the Shah to 300,000 under

[the Islamic] regime” (144). Without the cultural impacts of the Islamic Regime, Satrapi would

not have had a reason to speak out against this injustice and correct her teacher. These cultural

factors influence how Satrapi interprets future events and defines her values on future endeavors.
 Violence and harassment against women is strictly forbidden in Islamic culture, however

due to “justification” by religious interpretations this crime occurs overwhelmingly often.

Incidents of these wrongdoings shape how Satrapi develops viewpoints and is the reason why her

storytelling also has underlying tones of activism and awareness. One instance is represented

when Satrapi’s mother is harassed in the street due to the fact that she does not have her veil on.

The men that harass her state that she should be sexually assaulted, and “then thrown into the

garbage” (74). These repulsive actions were caused by a gross ignorance due to a massive

amount of misinformation being spread from fundamentalist ideals. Satrapi expresses her distaste

of fundamentalism by writing in a transformative style that challenges societal norms and

advocates for change. These instances act as a catalyst for Satrapi’s style of writing; activism for

women and people oppressed who do not have a voice to share. The trauma from culture is what

shapes the way Marjane Satrapi writes literature in her graphic novel, Persepolis.