Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

                The duology of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi are memoirs of the author; starting with Persepolis writing the experience of her childhood in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war and its transition into an Islamic Republic. The sequel, Persepolis 2 is about her moving abroad to Austria and her experiences there, then returning to Iran; experiencing culture shocks in both countries. In my opinion, the sequel reveals more of Satrapi’s change in character. I also noticed how peer pressure and living in a conservative society also caused a change Satrapi’s character, which is what I had focused on while reading both stories.

                Peer pressure and living in such a conservative society definitely had an effect on the protagonist, who is also the author, Marjane Satrapi. The first book, Persepolis began when Satrapi was a pre teenager, and later developed into her becoming a young teenager. During this age, many people are given into peer pressure, which was evident in Satrapi’s character throughout the book. Growing up, she wanted to hang out with the older girls and skipped class. Also during the transition into Iran becoming an Islamic Republic; kids like Satrapi were told to lie to people that they followed Islam, prayed and etc. Satrapi also fell into this to save herself from getting in trouble with the “religious police.”

In Persepolis 2, the effect of peer pressure on Satrapi’s character was quite evident compared to its prequel. After moving to Austria to stay safe from the war going on back home, she was alone in a new country, a new way of life. The only people she knew there abandoned her. She later fell into a friend circle, but then led her into smoking and selling marijuana/weed. She began taking lovers, smoking cigarettes, eventually being homeless, etc.; things she would have never have imagined doing in Iran. After returning to Iran, Satrapi fell into a culture shock as she did when arriving to Austria. This did not look like the country she considered her home. Satrapi was also embarrassed to face her family since many would think she had accomplished so much while living abroad, which in her eyes was the opposite.
               I think that I preferred to put myself in serious danger rather than confront my shame.                                  My shame at not having become someone, the shame of not having made                                    my parents proud after all the sacrifices they had made for me. The shame                                    of having become a mediocre nihilist.

The people that she came across back in Iran also treated her differently as before. They considered her too “western.” During this experience, Satrapi quoted:

I was a westerner in Iran, an Iranian in the west. I had no identity. I didn’t even know anymore why I was living.

It was easily shown throughout the sequel, how much Satrapi was changing and how much the change took a toll on her.

                From the beginning of the first book, Persepolis to the end of the second book, Persepolis 2, Satrapi went through many different stages in her life. Her own mind caused a change and her outside surroundings also had an effect on the change of her character. 




                                                        Works Cited
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2003. Print.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. New York: Pantheon, 2004. Print.