Persepolis Part One: The Veil

The personal narrative of Marjane Satrapi in Persepolis is a powerful and compelling story. In the book, she tells us her personal experiences as a young school girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Marjane was born into a well-to-do family, and she was getting her education in a bilingual non-religious French school (4). Life was good for her and for her family. Her father drove a Cadillac, and her family had a maid. Although Marjane was only ten years old, she already knew what she was going to do with her life: she was going to be a prophet, “the first woman prophet,” and “the last prophet.” She had known this since she was six years old (4). However, the revolution put in power a dictatorship government. The first changes the dictators made: they closed down all bilingual schools, and made the veil obligatory to wear at school (3).
 
The main protagonist in Persepolis is Marjane herself, and she leaves no doubt about it. However, Marjane tells not just one story, but three stories in one; she gives us a quick lesson in the history of Persia (Intro.), tells the story of her family (22) and her own personal story. She pulls this triple-play very effectively. She traces the history of Persia way back to the second millennium B.C., and identifies the Persian people as descendants of the Medes and the Persians. She mentions Cyrus the Great (Intro.; 28; @footnote), who was a Persian emperor in the 6th. Century B.C. Marjane gives these important historical details, evidently, because she is very proud of the history and culture of her people.

What will happen to Marjane in the book? She will probably face a lot of drama and danger; and she will put herself in the center of it all; there will be many twists and turns, but she will not be the hero. Her attitude is that of a smart cookie. I am sure she was, and is, smart. Her tone in the book---at least I see it this way---is that she was smarter than both her mom and her dad. Let’s remember that she was only ten years old when all this drama started.

Marjane will also end up somewhat confused, but not too confused. Why do I say this? Marjane is only ten years old and she is idolizing Fidel Castro and Che Guevara (10). Where did she learn about these guys, in school? Were French schools teaching communism at that time? I have no idea. Her family was communist (22), but there’s no word that they had indoctrinated her at that young age, though that would have been more likely. Also her concept about God is misguided (13), in my view, but she is certainly free to believe what she chooses to believe.

In summary, the book is enjoyable to read, and I learn much from reading it. I especially enjoyed the Letter chapter (33) where she writes the love letters for the maid (35). When the maid loses her boyfriend because they were from different social classes (37), Marjane tries to comfort her; Marjane says: “We were not in the same social class but at least we were in the same bed.”

@ Cyrus the Great is in the book of Isaiah the Prophet in the Jewish/Christian Bible; he is a prominent figure. Isaiah lived more than 100 years before Cyrus but prophecies about him, identifying him by name.