Hello everyone!
For our class’ required reading, we have all been reading Persepolis. Persepolis is a graphic narrative by Marjane Satrapi, who tells her own story of growing up in Iran during the 1980’s. I’ve read this book twice before for other subjects . One aspect that has always stuck out to me is the art style. Satrapi’s drawings are all very minimalist, simply black ink on white paper. The art style is what I feel truly sets the tone of the book and helps tell the story and communicate the emotions Satrapi was feeling at the time.
Firstly, the black and white style very closely resembles that of a newspaper. The front cover of the paper may have a color photo for the headlining article, but the text and the vast majority of content is in black and white. The news is seen by many as the truth. It’s where they get their knowledge of what is going on in the world. Satrapi’s choice to utilize this art style makes her work feel more factual. Most comic books (or really any book with illustration for that matter) are full of bright colors which make them fun to read, but you don’t feel the same attachment to the story. What makes a narrative good and what makes a story compelling is the author’s ability to make things feel real.and nothing is more real than the truth.
the simple art style is very reminiscent of other comic books I read while I was growing up like Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts. These books also tell stories of growing up, but Persepolis has a very different tone to it. While the former told stories of childhood innocence, Persepolis shows innocence lost. Satrapi’s simple art style gives almost a nostalgic feeling to her book. I found myself relating more to her character because of this. It made it easier to put myself in Marji’s shoes and try to imagine what the world was like for her as a kid, just like I used to with Calvin and Charlie Brown.
In conclusion, the art style is executed very well. The illustrations grip the reader. The black and white coloration mimics the newspapers, giving this story a true to life feel, and the simplistic drawing helps the reader relate with the protagonist, Marji.