Marjane Satrapi’s book, Persepolis 2: A Story of Return, brilliantly illustrates a coming-of-age story, where young Marji struggles with her Iranian identity and history, all the while dealing with her frustration and loneliness in Vienna. Having escaped the war in Iran, Marji settles in Vienna while trying to assimilate into “Western” culture, leaving her feeling insecure about her identity. While Satrapi’s first instalment of the Persepolis series focused on the trauma she experienced as a child in Iran, the second book of the series shifted its focus to her identity crisis.

In Persepolis 1, Marji’s relatively young age allowed for her to remain somewhat idealistic about her identity, as illustrated in the picture below. Here, Marji is certain about her ambition of becoming a prophet, and displays conviction in her beliefs. While the trauma Marji experienced during her childhood was scarring, she was not at war with her identity, as portrayed in Persepolis 2. In Vienna, Marji attempts to distance herself from her Iranian past, yet simultaneously finds herself feeling conflicted and ashamed of her abandonment. The harsh illustrations of Marji’s stay in Vienna is reflective of her internal conflict, as many of her facial and body expressions depict emotions such as anger, loneliness and depression. In the illustration below, Marji lashes out at her classmates who were making fun of Marji’s appearance and her denial of her Iranian identity. Marji’s furious face is drawn to be larger than the other girls in order to echo the degree of anger and resentment she feels. The illustrations that follow reflect upon Marji’s yearning for the comfort and security she had as a child.

The inner turmoil that Marji experiences as she transitions from the final stages of her childhood to adolescence, allows for Satrapi’s readership to further connect with her character and story. The childish innocence in Persepolis 1 helped the audience understand the difficulty in comprehending and portraying trauma. Marji’s struggles through some of the lowest moments of her life Persepolis 2 is relatable, and allows for the audience to better understand the identities of those who are displaced by war.

Interestingly, Persepolis 2 reuses the chapter title, “The Veil”, which appeared at the very beginning of Persepolis 1. The psychological effect of the veil, which was imposed on the young Marji, produces the feeling of incompleteness in her identity. Although Marji escapes from Iranian fundamentalism in Persepolis 2 and acquires a greater degree of freedom, her feelings of fragmentation still exist. Marji is unable to escape her traumatic past, thus suggesting that psychological dissociation is a inescapable byproduct of trauma and conflict.

Satrapi’s first instalment of the Persepolis series establishes the difficulty and futility in attempting to accurately portray trauma. By sharing her struggles as a young adult in Persepolis 2, Satrapi’s audience have a greater understanding of the effects of trauma on one’s identity. While we may not be able to fully comprehend the extent of Satrapi’s suffering, we, as the audience, can take part in her act of witnessing through her perspective.