Satrapi Notes

Satrapi Big 7

• Memoir

• Graphic Weight

• Faux Naïf

• iconic

• expressionism

• dual narrator

• breaks the 4th wall

Memoir

• personal narrative based on lived experience

• blends memory with history, giving authenticity but also subjectivity

• reader is positioned as a witness to private experiences with public significance

Graphic Weight

• Panels/images stand out through size, shading, or contrast

• directs readers attention to emotionally or politically charged moments

• creates emphasis and hierarchy in the visual storytelling

Faux Naïf

• childlike or deceptively simple drawing style

• contrasts innocence with heavy subject matter (war, violence, repression)

• suggests memory from a child’s perspective, while also creating irony

iconic

• simplified, universal characters that the reader can project their own personal experiences onto

• bridges cultural gaps, making the story more accessible to a wide audience

expressionism

• exaggeration, distortion, or symbolic imagery to convey inner emotion

• focuses less on literal representation, more on psychological truth

• makes abstract feelings visually tangible

Dual narrator

• two voices at once: the child experiencing events, and the adult Marji reflecting back

• creates irony and layered meaning

• reader sees both innocence and mature critique

breaks the 4th wall

• direct address or acknowledgement to the reader

• reminds us that this is constructed storytelling, not pure documentary

• engages readers critically, encouraging reflection rather than passive reading