For the last few classes we have been studying the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, as well as Hilary Chute’s The Texture of Retracing in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, which provides insight into the text. I have found the graphic novel/narrative to be the most interesting text we have looked at so far, because it is so different to what I have ever studied in the past. My previous ideas about comics or graphic narratives where that they were childish and simplistic. This was until I read Persepolis. Satrapi’s depiction of her childhood in Iran is not only poignant but it is also an accessible way for many to people of all ages to read her story. Chute would agree with this, as she quotes the New York Times Magazine which states that “comic books are what novels used to be- an accessible, vernacular form with mass appeal”.
What is interesting about Persepolis is that is is not only the story of a child’s life during conflict in Iran, but it is also a feminist expression of how comics should not be reserved solely for men. It not only shows the struggles of a young girl who tries to rebel against the regime, but also her own inner conflicts as she matures. The idea of the veil are very predominant in Persepolis, which also illustrates the struggle against the oppression in Iran. I have found Perspolis an eye-opener to the conflict and horrors in Iran, as well as a powerful way to tell a story. I believe that Satrapi’s way of illustrating Marji’s life (her own childhood) so effective that I cannot imagine the story written as anything other than a graphic narrative. Emotions and actions are expressed in a way that we can understand, and that is why I found Persepolis so interesting.
I find it interesting that you bring up the topic of graphic narratives in the female sphere. As we have been talking about feminism in Political Science, I agree that women hold a unique position in the field of life narratives if only on the basis of sexism on a global level. In Persepolis, topics like the veil address the often inferior roles of women in Middle Eastern society and especially during the revolutionary era. Graphic narratives written by females maintain the characteristic perspective of women’s trauma during wartime, rather than trauma in general, because their experiences are largely different than the male-dominant population.
I would most definitely agree that the story would be no where near as effective without the format of a graphic novel. The way in which we can visualize the images that she talks about are central to understanding the work.
Simplicity is another useful tool. Without the imagery to consolidate the ideas expressed in the text it would be no where near as effective. The simplicity of the text allows for an even more powerful representation of her experiences. I think when you say that “Emotions and actions are expressed in a way that we can understand” you are spot on. The way in which there is no intellectual jargon polluting the raw story-telling makes it a very interesting work.