Evan's ASTU Blog

Recently I finished reading Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I found the graphic novel extremely interesting and read the entire book in one sitting. The way in which the character (Marjane) develops through the course of the book is truly astounding.

However, one of the aspects that I found the most interesting was the way in which the words connected with the writings and the simplicity of both of these. Most of the writing in the graphic novel is done in short bursts or sentences with drawing depicting the writing.

Short sentences are very effective in this case. There is a strip where the text reads “In the end he was cut to pieces”. This text book takes up a small amount of the strip, but the rest is a cut up body lying on a black field. This relation of the text to the photo is something that struck me as very interesting. The simple text, with a very simple image somehow manages to depict something larger, a human emotion perhaps.

The briefness of much of the graphic novel has this effect. The lack of divulgence of the details pertaining to events and ongoings helps to keep the reader more involved. The simplicity does what a thousand words couldn’t do. For this, I think that Satrapi deserves praise.

Another example of this is when Marjane’s uncle is telling her a story about his hectic revolutionary lifestyle. While describing the journey he took that nearly led to his death he says “I was hungry, I was cold, but I continued”. The drawing attached to this is a man in a black coat, faced away, trekking through blank snow on a black sky background. This is yet another example of how the simplicity is truly astounding and effective. If the uncle was portrayed as saying more (assuming that the story is not re-told word for word), such as his escapades in the wilderness and how many days he was trekking exact;y, it may not have been as effective. The straight to the point attitude brings the reader in and immediately makes an impact.

One can harken back to the brother of the graphic novel genre, the comic. Comic books are similar in style, but often have in depth stories and character descriptions, links, and general information. Persepolis is different, in that this simplicity is a common thread throughout the book. Some reactionary panes (showing reactions of characters etc.) do not include text at all, but depict a dark background with a simple character layered on top.

This was just one of the things that stood out for me in Persepolis, which I greatly enjoyed reading. An example of this simplicity can be seen in the film adaption of the graphic novels, the trailer of which is linked at the bottom of this post. Although I have not seen the film itself, the trailer alludes to many of the ideas discussed in this article about the simplicity of the great graphic novel which is Persepolis.

• Citations: Satrapi, Marjane; Persepolis, the story of a Childhood, translated by Mattias Ripa and Blake Ferris, L’Association, Paris, France, 2003.
• You can see the trailer to the film adaption on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PXHeKuBzPY

Recently I visited the Belkin Gallery, where an exhibit on the Residential Schools (that were a common part of Canadian culture for many decades) was being held. Many of the works of art were astounding and were incredible insights into the more artistic ways in which people affected by the schools expressed themselves.

Coming from a culture that is very different, there are a surprising amount of similarities between stories that I have heard growing up in my culture(s). The way in which Aboriginal children were ‘re-educated’ and brought up in a ‘proper’ way is oddly reminiscent of the way in which Filipino children were ‘re-educated’ by the Spanish. The vision held by many at the time: that Aboriginal culture was inferior, is also very reminiscent of many of the cultures that I have lived in and come across.

A particular piece of art that stood out to me was “The Ghost Confined to the Chair” by Beam Dick. The piece was a type of compilation. A rusting school chair stood on it’s own, with an Native people’s mask and a copy of the ‘Indian Act’ sitting on the chair. The back of the chair was peeling back to reveal an Aboriginal drawing. This piece spoke to me and, in my opinion, showed the way in which the culture was oppressed very well.

The Native people’s of Canada had their culture’s torn away from them and were forced to adapt to a completely foreign culture of church, and in many cases abuse and sexual violence. Another piece that perfectly captured this sentiment was “Be a Good Girl” by Tania Wilford. It is a painting that depicted rows and rows of girls sitting either praying or working at sewing machines. These children were forced into work and practicing a religion that was completely new to them.

From a literary standpoint I think this gallery is a very good view into the emotions and consequences of the Residential School programs. In one corner of the exhibit stood a giant wall with writings from people affected by the schools. Many of the words are not in traditional writing format. From “Academic Writing: An Introduction” by Giltrow, Gooding, Burgoyne, and Sawatsky we can see that no genre or dialect is better than another; and that it all depends on the situation.

I think this is very prevalent here. The brief way in which the sentences are written make for a short and powerful sentence that is even more affective than it would be if it were an essay. Messages depicting the deaths and consequences of Residential Schools line these walls.

Although many of these works lack writing, the paintings themselves are powerful, and the descriptions that are mounted beside the works of art offer an insight. Personally, living on in Vancouver as a small child when I had no idea of the larger issues of life, seeing that these Residential Schools were only halted in the last 20 years is truly astounding. However, I do admire the way in which the current administration is drawing attention to their predecessors faults and are working to ameliorate the situation.

Welcome to UBC Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!