Every day we are displaying to the world a representation of ourselves. Whether it be through social media, life narratives or anything in between we are sharing a version of ourselves to the public. From the clothes we choose to wear to the way we act we are on display. When writing a life narrative the author chooses what to present of themselves and what stories to tell to the world. Specifically, in the graphic life narrative Persepolis the author Marjane Satrapi tells her story of growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution. She tells her story through the character of herself (Marji) while using drawings and dialogue to show events that happened to her. Satrapi has the ability, like any other graphic life narrative author, to draw herself however she wants to be perceived by the readers. She also has the ability to choose which stories and facts to include in her writing, in order to tell the story of her growing up during the revolution the way she wants. When writing a life narrative the author has complete control in how they want the story to go. For example, the author could choose to only include sad or positive stories depending on the type of narrative they want to share. Satrapi uses many gory details in her book in order to show the great trauma she went through in her childhood. In Chute’s analysis of Persepolis, she notes how Satrapi describes her graphic narrative as “a text of witness” (Chute, 96). Satrapi is saying how her life narrative is a book that shares everything she witnessed during her childhood and the Islamic revolution.
Social media is a common way for people to share their lives with others. Instagram is a photo and video sharing app that is used by approximately 500 million users on average per month (Statista). A typical user’s account on Instagram shares memories and stories; from big life events to nights out with friends and the occasional selfie. No matter what outlet someone is using to express themselves they are always trying to present a certain image. On Instagram, for example, people generally want to present the best version of themselves possible by posting pictures they think they look good in. Just like a graphic narrative, Instagram is a place where people share stories through pictures and they can choose exactly how they want to tell their stories by the photos they share. It is very common for people to edit their photos and add filters to make themselves look better. Generally, people always want to make themselves look perfect or as close to that as possible and Instagram is a place for them to do that. I never really thought about how much people edit their photos until I specifically looked for it as I was scrolling through friends accounts. On average, for every 20-25 photos I looked at on Instagram only one didn’t have any filters or editing that I could notice.
Self-representation is everywhere. From graphic narratives to Instagram it’s a huge part of everyday life. We are always trying to tell something to the world whether we know it or not. For a personal example, I choose not to wear pajamas to class because I think some people might see me as lazy. This is a way I am choosing to present myself to the world. Graphic life narrative authors choose how they want themselves to look in their books in order to present a certain story. The pictures and the dialogues they use significantly contribute to the way the readers perceive the book. The same goes for Instagram; the photos people choose to post, the editing they use and the captions they write are all factors that contribute in telling the viewers something about themselves. As long as there are people and human interaction in the world there will always be self-representation in one way or another.
Cited Work
Chute, Hillary. Women’s Studies Quarterly: The Textures of Retracing in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. 36 Vol. Feminist Press, 03/22/2008. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.
“Instagram: Active Users 2016.” Statista. The Statistics Portal, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.