Persepolis

Persepolis had been a story that I had wanted to read, but could never remember its name. While the visual qualities of the novel are charmingly simple, I found that the story and subject matter is really what kept me engaged. From the very beginning we understand exactly what kind of girl Marjane is, and what kind of problems can and would arise in her story due to her circumstances. In our modern culture, I’ve noticed it’s frowned upon to criticize Islam, or suggest that Islamic-run countries are against social progression, which is one of the reasons I found Persepolis to be so interesting. It’s not necessarily a criticism of the religion, but rather an honest display of the issues women must face in a circumstance where religious law is enforced. It’s a fascinating perspective on the subject. Freedom comes at a price, and for some parts of the world, the price is far higher than one might think.

As I researched the story and its author, I stumbled upon a few transcripts of past interviews Marjane Satrapi had been a part of. In one interview she had with ABC News, she said: “I am absolutely not a feminist, I am against stupidity, and if it comes from males or females it doesn't change anything. If it means that women and men, they are equal, then OK, certainly I am a feminist. It happens that I am a woman, so it becomes a "woman coming of age story." I think if I was a man it wouldn't change so much, they never call it a "man coming of age story." It is a human coming of age story, let's go for the humanity and humanism”. I found that to be extremely honorable and well-stated. It really showed that she had no agenda to her writing, other than to tell her story, which in my opinion, is very honorable in today’s society that is simply oversaturated with political agendas. All in all, I find Persepolis, and Marjane Satrapi to be very respectable.