The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.
Ever since reading ‘Persepolis’ around 7 years ago, it has become an unforgettable story for
me for different reasons over the years. Whether the focus was on girlhood and growing up,
culture, identity, or freedom, this graphic novel explores it all in this touching and captivating
autobiography, but most importantly, the ever-present relevance of this novel is exactly why
you should read ‘Persepolis’.
Marjane, or Marji (as readers get to know her), illustrates her childhood living in post-Islamic-
revolution Iran with her family supporting the revolution looking to overthrow the Shah. Marji
is adventurous and rebellious, listening to American punk, styling her room with punk
posters, and always questioning the authority around her – be it the school dress code, or
God (whom she talks to every night). But since the Shah is replaced with a fundamentalist
ruler, her parents send her to live in Europe away from this oppression and war, to start a
new, better life.
Living her teenage years in Austria, Marji is faced with the oddities of a completely new
Western culture and the pressure to adapt to this way of life; she is faced with the shock of
the ‘rebellious’ western norms of drugs and sex she was never able to consider living in her
oppressive home country. Drawn to this and left with no other option than to adapt, she
smokes her first cigarette and experiences her first relationships, but she is also exposed to
anti-Iranian prejudices. Despite her efforts to fit in, this alienation eventually leads to Marji’s
feeling of a loss of her identity, and results in an isolating, confusing, and errant period in her
life, after which she decides to return to Iran. However, she continues to spiral in Iran too,
now feeling too much of a Westerner and being rejected as immoral by her friends and
family, leading to disconnection and depression. She further rebels against the
fundamentalist regime of Iran, and ends up moving permanently to France where she
decides to write her book.
‘Persepolis’ seems relatable to many on several levels, resonating with the chaos of teenage
experiences, the desire to fit in, conflict between family and branching out to independence,
staying true to one’s dissolving identity, and much more. Marjane’s central message in the
comic stresses the importance of not judging individual’s by their cultural extremists, and this
coming of age novel not only depicts the liberation of revolutions against the costs of war
and repression, but also pivots on internal revolutions liberating Marji from social norms and
cultural obstructions.
‘Persepolis’ seems a must-read for many teenagers and young adults, and I believe it is a
novel which will never cease to hold important messages for, and teach, its readers.