Persepolis - Paper 2 Revision

Genres

Graphic novel

Semi-autobiographical - this gives extra poignancy to scenes like when Uncle Anoosh is killed.

Bildungsroman (coming of age text) - this means change and growth are important themes. You could compare Marji to characters who are unable to change

Purpose

As well as wanting to record her childhood, Satrapi also wanted to counteract common Islamophobic beliefs at the same. Her book was published just after 9/11, so depictions of Arab women as docile and homogeneous were rife. Her book challenges this, by showing how much resistance there was within Iran at the time.

The bread swan (symbol)

Hope, as well as the importance of family.

The cigarette (Symbol)

Childish rebellion.

The key (symbol)

Manipulation and facade.

Clothes (symbol)

Power, resistance, and identity.

The veil (Motif)

Oppression.

The mirror (Motif)

Change.

Drinking and/or drugs (Motif)

Escapism.

The airport (Motif)

Initially symbolises leaving with no choice but then symbolises choosing to leave.

Newspapers/TVs (Motif)

Symbolises our relationship with the truth (sometimes they symbolise the truth, sometimes they symbolise the manipulation of the truth, and sometimes our choice to avoid the truth)

Motif of the mirror

panels of her through different ages and emotions, mainly negative. (Forgiveness, power/regret/guilt, 'beauty', sadness/home sickness (?), regret again)

Key techniques include (general)

Symbols

Motifs

Character gaze

Emanata

Repetition

Juxtaposition

Foreshadowing (the title)

Allusions

Key techniques include (genre specific)

Splash panel

Voiceover

Speech bubble (some with jagged edges)

Iconic style

Sole switch to realistic style

Heavy graphic weight

Background

Foreground

Gutters

The Veil (panels 1 & 2)

Themes:

- Identity

Techniques:

- Character gaze

- Zoomed in panel

- Heavy graphic weight

The Veil (splash panel)

Themes:

- Individuality

- Resistance and oppression

- Destruction of innocence

Techniques:

- Splash panel

The Veil (split panel)

Themes:

- Identity

- Tradition vs modernity

Techniques:

- Spit panel

- Juxtaposition

- Heavy graphic weight

The bicycle (splash panel)

Themes:

- Invasion

Techniques:

- Splash panel

The bicycle (single panel

Themes:

- Oppression

- Manipulation

Techniques:

- Character gaze

- Ellipsis

- List

The letter (6 panels)

Themes:

- Class

- Destruction of innocence

Techniques:

- Repetition

- Juxtaposition

The party (single panel)

Themes:

- Violence

- Identity

Techniques:

- Iconic style

The party (two panel)

Themes:

- Destruction of innocence

Techniques:

- Repetition (Marji is repeating the same gesture as one of leaders earlier)

The heros (two long panels)

Themes:

- Death

Techniques:

- Foreshadowing

- Shadow

The heros (boarderless panels)

Themes:

- Violence

- Power

- Destruction of innocence

Techniques:

- Borderless panel

- Jagged speech bubble with no clear owner

The heros (dismembered person)

Themes:

- The destruction of innocence

- Violence

Techniques:

- Iconic style

- Black background

Moscow (Marji's uncle)

Themes:

- Family

Techniques:

- Religious imagery

The sheep (repeating what was on the tv)

Themes:

- Manipulation

Techniques:

- Unrealistic statistic

- Emanata

- Exclamatory sentence

- Symbolism of costume (Marji's clothes bring to mind a cartoon prisoner - symbolises how manipulation has imprisoned her mind)

The sheep (newspaper)

Themes:

- Family

- Death

- Loss

Techniques:

- Symbol

- Borderless panel

- Ellipsis

The sheep (space)

Themes:

- Loss

- Death

Techniques:

- Visual metaphor

- Background

- Rhetorical question

- Jagged speech bubble

The trip (clothing panels)

Themes:

- Conflict

- Oppression and resistance

- Identity

Techniques:

- Symbolism of clothing

- Ironic tone

- Character gaze

The trip (full page panel)

Themes:

- Escape

- Innocence

Techniques:

- Visual classical allusion

- Swirls in the background

The key (title and single panel)

Themes:

- Manipulation

- Violence and justice

Techniques:

- Symbol

The key (explosion panels)

Themes:

- Manipulation

- Violence and justice

- Class

- Religion

- Identity

Techniques:

- Symbol

- Juxtaposition

- Silhouette

The cigarette (little marji in circle in top corner)

Themes:

- Justice and violence

- Manipulation

Techniques:

- Metaphor

- Visual metaphor

The cigarette (marji cigarette four panels)

Themes:

- Resistance

- Innocence

Techniques:

- Symbol

- Ironic voiceover

Kim Wilde (jacket w/ pins)

Themes:

- Identity

- Power and resistance

Techniques:

- Symbol

The Shabbat (realistic style rubble)

Themes:

- Death

- Violence

- Loss of innocence

Techniques:

- Sole switch to realistic style

- Ellipsis

- Black panel

The Airport

Themes:

- Escape

- Family

Techniques:

- Motif

- Symbol of the glass

The Vegetable (changing sequence)

Themes:

- Change

- Identity

Techniques:

- Lack of gutters

- Juxtaposition

- Visual hyperbole

The Vegetable (dream/thoughts)

Themes:

- Inability to escape

- War

Techniques:

- Lack of thought bubble

The Vegetable (shouting)

Themes:

- Identity

Techniques:

- Lack of speech bubble

- Repetition of exclamatory sentence

- Contrast

Hide and seek (swirly faces)

Themes:

- Loss of identity

- Escape

Techniques:

- Swirls

- Visual allusion to hypnosis

- Motif of drugs

Hide and seek (melting face)

Themes:

- Loss of identity

Techniques:

- Black background

- Allusion

The Ski Trip

Themes:

- Escape

- Identity

Techniques:

- Motif of drugs

- Silhouette

- Heavy graphic weight

- Juxtaposition

The socks (2 big group panels)

Themes:

- Appearance vs reality

- Power and resistance

- Identity

Techniques:

- Juxtaposition

- Metaphor

The Wedding (prison bars)

Themes:

- Identity

Techniques:

- Visual metaphor

- Quotation marks

The End

Themes:

- Change

Techniques:

- Motif

The heros (body parts seperated)

Themes:

- The destruction of innocence

- Violence

Techniques:

- Iconic style

- Black background

Plot: Key moments to remember, revise, comment on in the exam

All of these moments listed below cover off a number of important themes and also include many stylistic features for you to comment on in the exam:

- Chapter One: The Veil: p3 onwards

- The killing of Uncle Anoosh: p62 - 71

- When Marjane banishes God from her life: p62 - 71

- The Key: p94 onwards

- The death of her neighbour, Neda: p142

- When she leaves to go to Europe (Austria): p153

- When Marjane is at the party in Europe: p182 onwards

- When Marjane struggles with her identity in Europe: p195, p247

- When Marjane returns to Iran and struggles to fit in: p252, p253, p261

- When Marjane wears lipstick and blames it on an innocent man: p287 onwards

- When Marjane goes to Art College in Iran: p301 onwards

- When she leaves to go to Paris: p343

Chapter One: The Veil: p3 onwards

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